Food storage in the CO high country

[Dos Perros]

Colorado black bears aren't going to be above timberline during hunting season.

 

[BBob]

Are the Ursacks good in your experience?

I’ve been using them since they came out many years ago. I still have and use the original gold colored Kevlar sack. Down here the ringtail cats are the worst offenders and they’ve hardly scratched the thing. I have a newer larger bag I’ve been using in the high country for bears. A bear hasn’t touched it yet so I can’t say how it’d do. But the testing they’ve done has always been pretty good.

Colorado black bears aren't going to be above timberline during hunting season.

Which hunting season? I see them often in Sept way up eating berries on the side of the mountain up near the goats.

 

[Dos Perros]

Which hunting season? I see them often in Sept way up eating berries on the side of the mountain up near the goats.

Well I meant September on...I've never seen them up there then, and sorta figured if they were the bear hunters would clean them out pretty quickly.

 

[CoHiCntry]

Are the Ursacks good in your experience? Looking at my options for bear containers and saw those pop up. I like that it is more packable, but the design seems a little fallible. Also sucks that isn't approved in all areas.

Yes, I’ve used them for a few years now. I got an email this morning about their big sale. Good time to pick one up.

 

[tdoublev]

Yes, I’ve used them for a few years now. I got an email this morning about their big sale. Good time to pick one up.

Didn't know about the sale - good timing. Do you use either of the odor protectors or aluminum liners? Concerned after reading some reviews that although it may not tear open from a bear, usually the food inside gets destroyed. Although, a group of recreational hikers may very well hang these completely wrong.

 

[BBob]

Last year I started using Opsack odor bags. No idea if they helped because I didn’t have any bears that I knew of come in.

 

[CoHiCntry]

Didn't know about the sale - good timing. Do you use either of the odor protectors or aluminum liners? Concerned after reading some reviews that although it may not tear open from a bear, usually the food inside gets destroyed. Although, a group of recreational hikers may very well hang these completely wrong.

I use opsacks inside the Ursack too. I usually hang it as high as I can reach so it’s harder for a bear to totally destroy your food. Although I’m sure it’s possible. I’d rather have smooshed & semi smooshed food than no food at all and a fed bear. This thread is about above timberline but I’d still use the Ursack tied around anything I could find & take my chances.

 

[TaperPin]

Above timberline you should still keep food away from camp! I set it on a rock so it’s easy to notice if it’s being messed with.

Black bears follow their noses - if you want a bear in camp, keep food in camp. Want him to tear your tent apart when you’re away, keep food in your tent.

Above timberline bears in the Rocky Mountains are common - and they all know a tent is a great sign that a snack is likely. I’ve had friends soaking a six pack of beverages in the lake, wake up to a bear biting into each and every can - that bear couldnt have smelled them, but knew exactly how to get a sip.

Teenage bears have a lot of energy and some like to explore - collared bears in Wyoming are known to go way outside their normal territory, like a grizzly dropping clear to the southern end of the Windrivers, then working his way back up farther north - a lot of which was on timberline trails.

The risk of keeping food out in the open is that a bear, or more likely a coyote, will munch it. You have to have a plan b if this happens so it doesn’t ruin your hunt. This might be packing one of the plastic bear proof containers to prevent it, but hose are heavy. It might mean keeping half or more of the food in a tree down in the trees and having to make a few trips to retrieve it. It might mean packing extra food and separating it a long distance so if something gets one bag it hopefully wont find the second.

Animals can smell through plastic, but it does reduce the amount of smell the wind carries. Having the bag up on a rock, its more likely any smells will diffuse rather than provide an easy sent trail at ground level. I have meals in their own ziploc bags, then each day is packed in a larger ziploc bag, and finally all the days are in a plastic bag inside a waterproof stuff sack.

Any time someone keeps food in camp at night it reminds me of the kid who woke up to a bear licking the nice smelling lip balm off his lips! Lol

 

[benclimbing]

When above treeline I simply buy a bear tag and keep my food in the tent. Guaranteed good nights sleep.