I'm going to try the S29 Hybrid for an upcoming trip to Yosemite. Watching the videos on ursack.com sold me on the product. The hybrid includes a piece of aircraft aluminum to keep your food from getting crushed by a detemined bear.

The bag holds about 650 cu. in. and weighs 8 oz. The aluminum is 14 oz. Ursack threw in a free odor bag.

Initially it looked like getting the aluminum roll into the bag would be difficult, but it was fairly easy. Also, pulling the opening all the way closed took quite a bit of effort because I was using my hands. Using a branch would be easier.
















Breach! But was not a bear.

I used the Ursack Major, now discontinued, in the Wind River Range last year. Huge, but I was out for quite a while unsupported and could put everything smelly in there with the food.

Do you think that their could be any squishing of the contents from a bear by either them "CPRing it"(as seen from witnesses of bear barrels, or squeezing the top and bottom?

I'll be picking one up as well for a trip to Yosemite in a few weeks. We'll be using a Bear Vault BV350 Solo as well so if bears encounter our food, they'll have their choice of which container to attack. Hopefully we'll be able to fit 10 days of food between the two canisters. That might mean living off of energy bars and nuts for a few meals...

Quick question for you, George. I see you're in VA...how long did the Ursack take to arrive after you ordered. We're in MD so ship times should be similar.

>>> how long did the Ursack take to arrive after you ordered. <<<

Hi Russell

Shipped on 8/20
Received on 8/22

Good luck with the bears.

Looks like using the odor bag is good idea, too.

Are these sacks any good without the liner?

I used my Major without the liner and had no problems, but never saw evidence of any bears either.

Thanks for the info. I've ordered the OP Saks. RE: Bears- My wife chooses one critter to be terrified of per trip. Out here its rattlers. In the southwest last year it was mountain lions. This trip: bears. Of course, I hope we see some...just not at 2am around the food stash!

I just finished the JMT thru-hike last week and most of the rangers are not fans of the Ursack S29. THere have been a few incidents this year with them. The two major ones where people forgot to tie a knot above the cinch and the bears have figured out how to slide the cinch open and get the goodies. The other incident was where the bear carried away the Ursack and it was never found. There was also reports of marmots chewing thru the kevlar to get into the sack.

I carried the Bearikade and while yes it is 7oz heavier than the S29+Liner+Odor bag - I had piece of mind that nothing would bother it. It also makes a great seat.

The bears this year are low and also hanging out where the packers camp at. In Inyo this is Thousand Island and Garnett Lake.

Like Russell, we're also taking a Bear Vault (BV350 Solo) wt. 2 lbs 1 oz., 440 cubic inches (7.2 ltr)- food for about four days - just in case. I've been calling and asking the Yosemite rangers questions. One ranger warned me that the S29 hybrid is conditionally approved, but said there have been incidents reported with the S29 hybrid. He did not say if the incidents were due to user error or caused by other critters.

Based on watching the videos of the testing by Ursack, I strongly feel that the proper use of the S29 hybrid is a bear resistant solution. However, because one bag was not large enough for our needs, I decided to diversify our risk by not using the same product. I know how to properly use it, but don't know what to expect from other critters

So according to Granny's logic, 11 oz. of prevention is worth 11 pounds of re-hydration not happening in bear belly.

Edited by gmatthews on 09/09/2007 18:53:01 MDT.

I just got back from Whitney and talked to the rangers about the Ursack. None of them seem to be fans of the product. In fact, they mentioned that they were building a case to take it off the qualified list. Not sure if that is true or not since the SIBBG determines status.

In any event, I've decided to hold off on purchasing one until next year or whenever the status gets full approval.

Please do not think I'm bashing the product. That is not my intent. I think it's important for everyone to hear this feedback so they can do their part in making sure the product is used responsibly. With proper use, there would be less incidents reported and a greater chance of full approval.