Bear, and Other Animals vs. the Ursack
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- čas přidán 12. 07. 2024
- In this video I test the Ursack against a bear and a diversity of other animals. This is Bear vs Ursack!
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Disclaimer
Any opinions expressed in this video are mine and mine alone and are not related to my employer or any other organization or individual. I have not been paid to make this video or to endorse a product. If I am ever paid for an endorsement or provided other compensation I will state it clearly in the video. Any advice or demonstration I provide is just advice. The viewer should take responsibility for their own actions, follow any manufacturers warnings and directions and act safely and responsibly when travelling in the backcountry.
After viewing your videos, I wanted to reach out to give you a little background on our OPSAK odor barrier bags. It is important not to contaminate the outside of the OPSAK bag. So many users don't think about that. I say well, "If you touch wet paint, and then touch an object, you see the paint. Unfortunately, odors are invisible, but you get the same transmission from odors. There is a life to our hermetic closures as we use two different films to make our bags. The body of the OPSAK bag uses an odor barrier film. It has a high heat tolerance, higher than our aLOKSAK as well, and is durable and has 5 layers. When we heat seal the pliable closure to the bag film, we are using a high heat to make the seal connection. Because they are different films, as the pliability of the closure is what makes out zippers airtight and waterproof, we need to make the zippers pliable to make a 100% connection across the entire seal. The Closure and Zipper Tracks are separate. Yes, because they are a softer different film, they will be the first to go. The bags must be replaced after extended use. Our bags are used by K-9 handlers. They have been used by NASA in the spaceships in the toilets. We work with the FBI Hazmat unit for transport and storage of deadly chemicals. I created that bag when I lived in the mountains in Park City, UT. I filled 8 bags with various foods and left them on a trail for over a month. Nothing was ever touched. They have been tested for emissions by MRI Global, an independent company that tests worldwide for government agencies, military, industrial, etc. ALL ITEMS ARE MADE IN THE USA never using any harsh chemicals. The bags are FDA and NSF approved. You can pour boiling water in the OPSAK to rehydrate food, but the bags cannot be put into boiling water to heat the food. Kevin I would be more than happy to send you some OPSAK bags to put to use. Linda. Owner and founder of LOKSAK.
Hey thanks for visiting the channel and providing a comment. I've pinned this comment to the top. In this particular video I didn't use an OPSAK in fact I did everything wrong, on purpose, to attract a bear and test the Ursack. The Ursack was literally dripping with sardine oil. I have another video in which I test the OPSAK czcams.com/video/MS49-8e9GMA/video.html and it performed very well. Let me know if you have any other ideas for a field test. I'd be happy to collaborate and make a CZcams video demonstrating your product. You can send me a private message through my Facebook page (link at the top of my home page).
I gave up on Opsacks. I bought them 2 different times.All the Opsack bags had the same defect. On all the bags the ziplock seal broke free from the bag after only a few uses. I tried to be as delicate and careful with them. No matter what I did the seam would still tear away from the bag leaving the bag unsealable and useless. I now use 2.5 gallon ziplocs from Walmart in my Ursack major. Never had any problem with them last year on my successful Appalachian Trail thruhike. 200 days on trail.
@@Get_Some_Nature I'm a fan of gallon (or 2 gallon) freezer bags. They may not be 100% odor proof like an Opsack, but as long as you keep them clean, they do seem to do the job quite well, and at a fraction of the cost.
People can't wash their hands on trail so the bags will have residue on the outside 100% of the time...
That bear acted exactly the same as my cat does with a bag of catnip.
Very similar I suppose!
Just seeing the wildlife was so cool, let alone seeing them try to get into the sack. That Martin was my favorite! Hilarious!
Thanks Grace, the martin was my favourite as well.
I can’t get over how much personality bears have. I love them very much.
They do, this one seemed to really be having a good time.
I'm 61 years old and I've been hiking/canoeing/climbing/yada yada since age 5 or 6, yet you said something in your video that I never really thought of. You said "Times must be good in the forest..." True, every animal you filmed looked well fed and healthy. Under those conditions, it would seem apparent that an animal would not devote a lot of time and attention to securing a particular food supply when an alternative is readily available. But when food is scarce, it would also be apparent that an animal will make extreme efforts to secure a particular food supply in times of famine. In the situation of protecting your food supply from bears, or vice versa, current environmental conditions definitely play a part in selecting one method over another.
Thanks for picking up on that comment. Back in university I worked/studied in ecology. Researchers can actually measure how 'good the times are'. Working with mice we would put out trays of sand mixed with a known measure of seed into different environments. After a set time you retrieve the trays and sift out the remaining seeds. If the environment is rich in resources the mice won't eat much but if the environment is poor in resources the mice will spend more time digging out the seeds.
I’ve had a Ursack for years. This is the best demonstration I’ve seen yet. I mostly use mine to keep the raccoons and smaller game out of it. Glad to see it works well against bears.
My only problem with the Ursack is when it rains and it gets wet. But I’ve been putting my pack cover over it a night if I know it’s going to rain.
Really enjoyed the video 👍👍
Thanks Jason, Yes they aren't waterproof but they now make a double thickness bag that they claim is waterproof. Looks interesting.
Kevin Outdoors awesome!! I’m definitely going to look into that.
Yeah I find that waterproofing is an issue with all bear bags sadly, especially if you want it to be lightweight. I carry an extra drawstring garbage bag with me that I tear a small hole in for the bear bag's rope to go through, then tighten the drawstrings of the garbage bag over the base of the bear bag, just leaving a tiny opening so any water that enters the top hole is able to drain out of the bottom. Not a perfect fix, but cheap and effective.
I've always just used a stuff sack with a folding top. Waterproof, and maybe somewhat smell resistant. Maybe throw one of those inside the ursack.
@@BackpackingWithJason Just keep the food inside in plastic bags.
This truly is an amazing demonstration not only of the ursack but on the beautiful and diverse wildlife of American nature. Thank you so much!
You are welcome!
Awesome video. Love how you structured it and how you explained everything to the point without unnecessary blabla. Found you by accident but will definitely check out more of your videos. Thank you!
Glad you liked it. Welcome to the channel! :)
Great video! Enjoyed watching the variety of wildlife trying to get into the Ursack.
Thanks Jake!
Really enjoyed this presentation! Thank you!
Thanks Lisa!
Awesome video Kevin - it's great that you have so much wildlife sharing your property with you!
Thanks, I am glad you liked it!
Great content, Kevin. Love the variety of animals that checked out the Ursack. With the addition of the liner it looks like a great option for hikes here in Michigan. Wishing you and your family well.
Thanks April 👍
Wow ! I really liked this in the field demonstration ! I do lot of backpacking at or above treeline so at times it's hard to hang my bear bag. At times I've hung my bag from a small cliff. Watching the Ursack in action proves to me it's worthiness. I'm gonna give one a try, and have some more peace of mind that my food will survive through the night in the backcountry. You sold me on the Ursack. Thanks for posting your video ! Really like seeing that Lynx too !
Thanks Bruce, glad you found the video helpful!
Wow!!! This is such a cool video! You really went the extra mile to thoroughly test this bag, and it was so fun to watch!!!
Thank you so much, glad you liked it!
Fantastic idea and video. The footage and demonstration were exceptional... This vid deserves a lot of success.
Thanks Jon, much appreciated!
Another quality outdoors video, Kevin. Thanks!
Thanks Dave, glad you liked it!
I loved this! Super informative! Very scientific and wonderfully exciting to watch, especially the lynx and the marten! Thanks for the awesome content!
Thanks again Jimmy! Yes, I think the marten and the lynx are my favourite too!
Very interesting seeing all the wildlife attracted to the bag, thanks for sharing Kevin, take care 👍 ☺️
Thanks Mike, glad you liked it.
Very cool demo Kevin. I have been wanting to get an Ursack for quite some time now. What a great variety of animals that checked that bag out and I loved how the bear was happy with getting the scent on him... thanks for sharing. Dennis
Thanks Dennis, glad you liked the video.
What an amazing video to put out for the community !!! Thank u!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow, Kevin’s zoo, amazing footage. Just about what I thought with the Ursack, food would be ruined but not lost. I think it’s used best where no trees are available.
Thanks Derek!
Thanks for the work of putting this together, really interesting.
Loved the footage you captured! Thank you so much! I subbed tonight!
Thanks so much!
Thanks for providing a demonstration of the ursack in use.
No problem!
Keep up the great videos Kevin, they are some of the best.
Thanks, much appreciated!
Thank you for well-thought-out information. I just watched your series on bears, love your beard in the last one ;-)
Glad you like them!
I have an old Ursack that I purchased sometime between 2005 - 2007. It's a green colour and it came with an accessory that was a metal sleeve that you put inside the ursack to prevent the crushing issue that you mentioned in your video. I was curious if they still had the option and found it on their website. I continue to use my old Ursack on remote bicycle tours, backcountry canoe trips and backcountry backpacking. Awesome video, thank-you for producing it for us to watch!
Thanks Jamie!
Awesome to see all the different animals take their turn! I love the Lynx, we had one that lived somewhere on our property when I was a teenager and the sounds they make when they're calling out still send a chill down my spine. The bear was pretty hilarious, perfectly satisfied with a spritz of Eau de Sardine 😉👍
Thanks Gus, the animals were clearly the star of the show!
Excellent test!
Awesome demonstration! Urs a k should be willing to kick in for such great footage!
That would be great. I hope they see this.
Send them the video asap
Im already wondering what that thing is made of
Travelling from the UK I was so naive backpacking around the rockies 39 years ago with a swiss army knife for protection ....crazy! No youTube in those days. Great videos and so informative.....thanks
Thanks Michael! Much appreciated!
Hey Kevin that's some Excellent footage I always wondered about those bags Thanks Earl
Thanks Earl, glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Awesome video! Thank you Kevin! So cool that you got the lynx in there.
Thanks for watching!
This is an awesome, methodical video. Thank you Kevin : )
Great work as always.
4:15
Lynx wants fish fish.
5:15
Weasel's cousin, Martin, wants to pop bag for fish.
Thanks Adam!
You're welcome sir.
It would be interesting if you repeated the test with one of those oder proof bags in an ursack, I've always wondered how well they work. Thanks for the video, your lucky to live in the woods !!
Thanks Justin, yes that would be interesting, I think it would take a long time and a lot of effort checking the camera.
Fantastic video! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for watching!
I’ve had an ursack for many years and I use a sealable bag inside of it and fortunately have never had it attacked by anything as far as I can tell. New subscriber 🇨🇦. Great stuff Kevin. Thanks
Thanks! Much appreciated!
Which province are you hiking in?
Thanks great video
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nicely done. Lots of good footage of frustrated mammals. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it
I enjoyed your video very interesting great to see all the animals give it a try.
Thanks Thaddeus!
awesome video. thank you for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
Thank you.
You're welcome!
Haha, I thought that marten is going to untie the ursack, get the sardines and make the raincoat out of the bag, it looked so smart and determined. Great footage you captured!
Thanks, I was fortunate in capturing such a diversity of animals.
This is good. I love my Ursack. Thanks for posting this.
Glad you like it!
Very good review, with the pro's and con's.
Thanks! 👍
Great review Kevin, if we had anything more threatening than a naughty squirrel, I’d buy one on the strength of it.
LOL, yes probably only really useful on this side of the pond. Thanks!
Thanks for the video
No problem!
Great video, thank you Kevin, I've enjoyed all your content. I've come to the conclusion that the only real solution is to simply go with a light weight Bearikade. At slightly less than 32 ounces, once you knock off the weight of a traditional hanging system now you're down to ~25ish ounces for a bullet proof system - no hanging, no tying, no trees needed. No odor proofing, no water proofing. Arrive at camp, toss it on the ground a hundred feet away, you're done. No waking up at 3am to find a bear slobbering all over your food and pulverizing it. There are so many ways now to shave weight off other areas of our packs, and the consensus is turning toward canisters for bear protection, so there's a shift in mindset occurring. I personally find it a relief to not have to worry about hangs any more at the end of a long day, or bear slobber on my Ursack, or its items crushed into oblivion. That peace of mind is worth extra ounces, not to mention far better stewardship of our wildlife.
You have a great attitude abut the 'extra' weight of bear canisters. They really are the most reliable solution and that is why so many jurisdictions now mandate them. I consider that weight 'the price of admission'. ATB
Very good video and well done test. Love where you live
Thanks Robert!
Great video! It was great to see it in action. I’ve been thinking about getting an ursack instead of rented canisters.
Glad it was helpful!
very interesting, thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video showing that it the sack is resistant to a lot of animals.
Thanks, it sure is.
Thanks for a very informative video
Glad it was helpful!
That was incredible footage. That lynx!
Thanks I did get a bit lucky with that.
Very interesting videos. Glad I came by your channel!
Welcome aboard!
Awesome stuff!
Thanks Jimmy!
Thanks Kevin. Nicely done review. The Ursack in combination with a good hang (if available) pretty much ensures the survival of my food and prevention of the "reward" for the bear.
Certainly, a good hang with an ursack and you will be double covered.
Excellent information. Subscribed!
Awesome, thank you!
Great video, thank you so much! I was thinking of switching to an Ursack, I still think it’s going to be worth it to me to keep using the PCT hang method with my bag, sometimes it just takes a good while to find the right tree, but I tend to hike where there are plenty of those. However, I’m worried that I will get super tired/over it having to do that every night on on a hike that lasts a couple of weeks or more, or just forget, and lose food. Canister seems so cumbersome in the pack, but they are not likely to be punctured like that and good juices sucked out, that’s creating a reward which would lead to more beer activity at that site, sadly, as you suggested. So for me, this video suggests that I should save the added expense of an Ursack and go with a cheaper and more durable canister if I really feel the need to try something that doesn’t make for such hard work.
Thanks for watching, I think you have this figured out. A canister is a superior way to carry food but it has drawbacks. The Ursack isn't appropriate or permitted in all situations but it has it's place.
When canoeing up near MN-Canada border, our main problem was with "mini-bears", aka chipmunks and mice and I would think this bag would be perfect to defeat the thar critters! Nice video. Cool to see a Lynx react to the object.
Yes it would. Just need to cinch it tight at the top.
Awesome footage
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! 👍
That is a perfect demonstration of the pro's and con's of Ursack. Thank you.
When there is a good tree for (for instance) a PCT hang, do you then such a hang with the Ursack?
I usually don't hang the Ursack but you certainly could. If I bring my Ursack then I have usually committed to tie my food and I probably decided to not carry the rope that I would hang it with. I usually decide to go one way or the other and commit to the system.
If you put everything in an odor proof bag (Opsak) then you don’t need to hang it up high. Secure it just like he did and it will not come off the tree, nor will it spill its contents. Be sure to tie it a good 100 yards/ meters from camp
I had the pleasure of learning about your channel from the Canoehound Adventure Show interview you did. Great content here, so I'm happy to subscribe.
Cheers,
- Martin
Welcome aboard! I have been a subscriber of yours for some time. Great to get connected through Canoehound!
@@KevinOutdoors Why thanks. I'm very flattered and wish I'd known.
Keep up the great work.
Cheers!
- Martin
great vid. thx man!
Glad you liked it!
Fantastic piece. Love the martin. Bear scratches back on tree...lol.
You and me both! Thanks.
Thanks for your effort!! Great review. The black bear got some reward for sure. :) Oily bath :D
I swear, by the time I have the opportunity to camp I'll be a pro 😂😂 love your videos Kevin! I'll keep watching others
Thanks Joel!
The scent proof zip bags are wonderful.
BEAUTIFUL LINX OMG THIS IS THE BEST CHANNEL
Thanks!
Amazing. As if you hired these animals to test the bag. Well done!
Yes, they work cheap too!
Thanks for this video. Just getting ready for my first backpacking trip and trying to figure out if I go the bear can route or Ursack. Great to see it in action!
Glad it was helpful!
Such a cool video!!
Thanks!
Love how each animal's respective position in the foodchain is visible from their behaviour towards the bag. The smaller they are, the less time they spend trying and as we go up, they do spend more time but still pay very close attention to their surroundings, except the bear. He does not care, tries until it gets bored and leaves.
Cool observation.
Ursack v. Ursa as a huge fan of evolutionary biology this makes me smile
Much appreciated!
Great video!
Thanks!
Cute critters! I decided to go with a hard canister with Loksak. Food + toiletries go in there. Kills my U/L spreadsheet, but no crushed food.
Glad this was of use to you.
A great video Kevin....that bag is the Ursack Minor - it is not for protection against bears, just critters
I use the Ursack Major zL. It is designed for bear and I have watched many bears walk right by the sack tied at eye level. But I had the OPSAC inside for the food, etc.
This is in fact the Ursack Minor but this one was designed for bears. I believe the folks at Ursack have changed the names of their products. Back in the day, when I bought this bag, they only had the Minor and the Major and both were designed for bears. Then, you could only get them in white.
@@KevinOutdoors Quite possible...I purchased my Major in 2019, and the site has changed further since then. VIKING AT98 & 21
Cool video Kevin!🍻
Thanks Wade! 👊
I love the real world example!
Thanks, that was a fun video to put together.
You can make a liner for these out of aluminum flashing. Just be sure to bent the sharp edges over. Basically just a tube. Helps keep your items from getting crushed as easily. Unroll it to slide into your pack flat when not using.
Thanks Josh, an aluminium liner will help but bears can easily bite through light aluminium.
I used mine on a two night back packing trip in Algonquin Park. No liquids or overly smelly foods. On the first night, a raccoon went after it for a fairly long time. In the morning, There was what I think were claw punctures in some of the ziplock bags with a bit of spillage. Overall the bag worked well. I will be using one again this week and outside of a Provincial Park, so I expect there will be less of a density of habituated animals.
Very cool. Glad the bag protected most of your food.
we love you kevin!
LOL, thanks!
well done sir.
Thanks!
Thank you so much! I hadn't thought about tying it higher on tree but it seemed to help some of the critters to bypass it. Sometimes I cover mine with downed branches to make it less visible, maybe it helps maybe it doesnt? Thanks again.
Thanks for the comment. You are welcome.
That was cool to watch
Thanks!
Found the video for the title, enjoyed the video because of the footage of the animals! Who knew there are so many animals actually out there and not just reported to live in the region! lol.
Literally in my back yard! 😀
4:15 the kitty!
Right? I think I was lucky to catch a lynx.
Excellent video-most entertaining video I’ve seen in a long time! I think that bear was gettin up for a date night! “Hey baby, don’t I smell fine?!” 😂
Glad you enjoyed it
You've heard the one about the blind man walking past the fish market?
I have the major XL with liner. I use two opsak bags so that they are easy to close and it allows me to separate my smellies (toothpaste, first aid creme, etc) and food. All items are in freezer style ziplock bags so that if something is punctured then everything is not ruined. I'd hate to use toilette paper that was soaked with food juices lol. The ziplocks also allow me to quickly identify my items such as "Day 1 Food" and "First Aid" marked items and provides me with a place to put the trash left over from those items so that I can carry them out.
Great system.
Fascinating video. That bear was hilarious. Well done!
Thanks!
that pine martin I have never seen before in my life, what an interesting creature
They certainly are interesting creatures. There are lots around but they rarely show themselves.
Very good video Kevin. Thank you. I think that Ursack will replace the bag for free if it gets punctured.
Thanks Diablo
6:40 Honestly surprised these guys aren't a problem for hikers more often. Tenacious little beasts!
You wouldn't have had much of a test if you were to have used the scent-proof bag with it. Great testing and thanks for sharing!
Bears do have a great sense of smell. But yes to make this work I wanted a really smelly bag.
I was surprised the ursack wasn't pretty much smell proof even without the extra bags. From what I've heard, bears are related to dogs and that means that they do have great smell but not god-like. It's a question of how close they have to be to be able to detect a smell, and with that fish you had there I guess it smelled for miles.
I see the ursack as a good option, as the other options you can carry with you aren't bear proof either. Some places, there are rangers who call those bags up in the trees "bear pinatas", as mothers send their cubs up in the trees to jump at them. And in other places, there are bears that jump on bear canisters and crush them that way. The most important, really, is to keep your food away from camp as you can't reduce the chances of bears getting into your food anyway.
But all that is pretty remote heree of course, as you have to count yourself lucky if you ever happen upon a bear and the TPU bag I hang up in a low branch to protect against mice and squirrels has no promise to be able to stop a bear.
Otho DuBois Yeah I’m learning I’m learning. Seems the bears being so big can afford to have a very big and sensitive nose. Still, shutting the smell into the bag could help. If only, to reduce the impression of there being lots of food nearby.
They tested those scent proof bags with dogs and the dogs find the bags every time ,now imagine a bear .
@@kalpraowere the dogs in a forest with a million other smells and miles away?
So cool you got all those animals
Thanks Judi!
Def fun to watch the wildlife try to get to thise sardines! Is this the AllMitey bear+critter bag or just the basic ursack? Thanks for this interesting and novel video!
This is the basic Ursack.
I have the Ursack All-Mitey and have used it in bear country. Fortunately no bear encounters yet. One of the downsides, as demonstrated in your video, is that the contents of the bag will likely be compromised with puncture holes and contamination from bear saliva/mucous. The bear will walk away hungry, but the hiker may also walk away hungry with a bag full of spoiled food if the individual packaging is damaged. Another downside is that some areas require hard-sided containers, regardless of the Ursack's certifications. I still like the Ursak, it's relatively light and can carry a lot of food, but it does have it's limitations. Where possible, I will still do a bear hang (6ft from the trunk, 10ft in the air), to prevent easy access to the sack by bears and other critters, helping to preserve the contents.
I've been torn between a canister or an Ursack Major on my AT thru hike this spring. Watching this has convinced me to carry a canister. I'm not an ultralight hiker anyway, so what's two pounds? I'll probably carry it empty on the outside of my pack until I camp for the night. Having my food stolen on the AT would not harm me. There's no risk of starving with all the trail magic and towns in walking distance. But it would be terrible to think that a bear lost it's life because it was able to get my food.
You are exactly right, it is more about the bear than losing your food. I like the idea of a canister being carried empty on the outside. Some don't fit very well in a light pack. Good luck on your trip!
very nice video
Thanks!