Ursacks and Minimalism

[Black_Fly]

My partner had an Ursack this past trip. It didn’t look too bear resistant, but neither did my blue barrel.

I’m thinking my next trip should be one pack. Maybe 3 days. No tent, just a tarp and a quilt, possibly a 3/4 length thermarest (cause rocks are harder nowadays).

Anyone else do this? I think fall would be great time for such a trip, soon as I can reach my feet again. I’ve got a small Bear vault, which might fit 4-5 meals and 6 cups of dog food. No camp chair, though, and I’ll sure miss some luxuries.

Here’s my pack contents:
Tarp
Ground cloth
Quilt
Pot, frypan
Pocket rocket, fuel
Bear Vault with bag meals, kibble
Thermarest on outside bottom of pack

I strap a fishing pole in my canoe and an extra paddle. 2-3 crank lures in my pocket.

Whaddya think? Missing anything? A big lake trout or pike and we can stay an extra day.

 

[Modified Ottertail]

Personally, I'd go with a ultralight tent, sleeping bag, and a 3/4 Z-Rest. (The last fits in my canoe pack, taking up less room than a 3/4 Ridgerest, and there's no inflating and deflating to deal with.)

Bring a lightweight campchair, it's worth the comfort. Afterall, we're not backpacking here. How cool does it get where you will be paddling? Lower temps would be a good reason to bring a sleeping pad. Make a beer-can stove and use denatured alcohol. Cooking takes a tad longer, but what's the hurry? Also, it's lighter and there's no canister waste.

 

[Dana]

For me, no tent, but I don't camp in bug season. Tarp, ground cloth, and bivy sack. Sleeping bag according to weather. Thermarest NeoAir 'cuz I'm getting old. Trangia-style alcohol stove.

 

[Gamma1214]

Just a tarp works fine if the season is right & bugs aren't an issue. Throw a water filter and a small 1st aid kit into your gear list and you probably have anything that you'd NEED to have but I'd be taking my inReach too.

My partner had an Ursack this past trip. It didn’t look too bear resistant, but neither did my blue barrel.

I'm certainly no ultralight guy but I don't like unnecessary weight either. I don't really want the bulk of a barrel and the Ursack, although typically hung, seems to rely upon puncture / tear resistance. I've gone the other way and (while I still hang whenever possible), I use Opsak bags for food storage.

They're not at all rip-resistant (just like a heavy zip-lock) but what they are (or are marketed to be) is odor-proof. The theory seems to be that no critter is going to rip it open unless it smells like food.

When I first bought them I was skeptical so I conducted an experiment. I cooked up some bacon, put some in each Opsak bag & threw them out in my yard. There is a thriving feral cat colony in my neighborhood and the bags were untouched. Still skeptical, I put a few slices of bacon in regular zip-locks & tossed them in the yard also.

The Opsak bags remained untouched even though the regular zip-locks were pillaged overnight. After 3 days of zip-locks being shredded & Opsaks being ignored, I had to conclude that maybe they actually DO work despite the fact that they certainly do NOT look bear-proof.

They definitely have less bulk than a barrel.

 

[Black_Fly]

Anyone need a lightly used blue barrel and harness? I weighed my Bear vaults and food pack and got this barrel because it saved a few pounds. It was nice having a dry place for stuff on top of the food, but that would be luxurious for a minimalist.

PM me if you want a good deal on a BB.

 

[Black_Fly]

After sorting through my necessities, I think I’ll use the CCS food pack with a small bear vault, and the LLBean Continental pack to carry with the canoe. I’m certain I can keep the weight down without a tent, change of clothes, excess food, etc, while keeping some creature comforts. I think just limiting my trips to a few days will help immensely. Probably no more 10-14 day excursions for me, but concessions must be made.

Thanks for the responses.