I hike in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio mostly, so we have the same small pests (raccoons, skunks, mice) - but maybe not as numerous or aggressive.

Anyhow, take this with a grain of salt. I've never found the need to use an Ursack or canister. Many nights, I simply take the bag into the tent with me and this seems to be enough to fend them off (like I said, maybe ours aren't as aggressive.) I've never had a critter try to chew into my tent - maybe my odor, overlaid on the food's odor, is enough, or maybe I've just been lucky for 25 years.

The rest of the time, I hang it in the same silnylon stuff sack it travels in. I don't hang it very high - often, just as high as I can reach, and as far out on the limb as possible, works; sometimes, I just loop the cord of the stuff sack over the end of the limb. Again, never a problem.

The only problem I ever had was when I used to sleep out under the stars on a groundcloth, propping my external frame pack behind my head with my hiking pole (pure Colin Fletcher-style - ah, those were the days! Well, except for the mosquitoes.) One night, a raccoon unzipped a side pocket while I slept, and made off with my dried pineapple. However, he didn't try to get any of the food in the main compartment.

I have had problems with mice in shelters a couple of times, but I solved that by not staying in shelters anymore. (In the interim, I simply hung the bag from the rafters.)

Like I said, I may have just been lucky or maybe there's something different about our critters, but I've just never had a problem. Before you rely on my method, test it on a 1-nighter, because I could be way off base here.