AllMitey Kodiak

I purchased the kodiak for the same reasons I think anybody would. Reducing weight. I was going on a ten day trip in the BWCA. I pre packed my meals a week or so before hand and to my amazement I had really no problems with getting everything I needed in it. (I probably over pack snacks, but hey, I like to snack when out camping) plenty of room. It seamed to be a quality product and roomy so I was excited to try it out. While a little more cumbersome than a traditional blue bear barrel, getting in and out of the pro's out weighed the cons. I took extra caution as to double and triple sealing my food and snacks to have little as possible smell from the bag to not attract any possible invaders so I didn't have to even test it out. Luckily I had no evidence of any bear or critters taking any interest in it. The issue I did have though was the eyelets or lack there of. The holes where the rope comes out of the bag had tripled in size in the ten days. When synching the bag closed four or five times a day, the rope acted like a saw reaming out the holes leaving a nice spot for a bear to get his claw into and potentially start to shred into it. I would think there would be a better option like a metal grommet or something in place of just a hole for an opening for the rope to exit. Especially for the money. Luckily REI had no problem replacing it for me. We will see how this new one hold up on this year's trip.

Like climbing fall protection gear, the Ursack is something I hope to never actually test out. That being said, it looks like an awesome piece of kit, and even though it had to cross the US border to Canukland, there were no issues with shipping or delivery. I'm planning to leave food cache(s) at a base camp and exploring the neighbourhood, and this is great for peace of mind. The waterproof aspect is also encouraging -- a bit of seam grip should perfect it nicely. Indeed, unbearably good gear!

I have not yet had a chance to examine the Almighty and it's contents after a bear attack (and actually hope I never will! :) ) However, I have taken the opportunity to examine it, and evaluate what I think it is CAPABLE of doing. I have a background in building and abusing extreme racing canoes out of Kevlar, Spectra, and carbon fiber. And there is no question in my mind that this bag will stand up to the worst biting, chewing, and crushing, that any of our wooly friends can dish out. Now don't get me wrong--since I have absolutely no intention of hanging this up in the usual manner of bear bags, if a bear did have the chance, it might be able to crush some or all of the contents--but in that case, I would be able to eat them anyway! I have never encountered a bear and will never have the opportunity to hunt in an area with truly large grizzly or Kodiaks--but this bag, tied to the base of a tree so that it can't be carried off will give me the confidence to leave camp in the morning without worrying all day about my food stash. And the stated weight is accurate to within a fraction of an ounce.

This is absolutely as advertised: rock solid and there is plenty of packable room. I loaded it up and hit it was a baseball bat for about fifteen minutes as a trial run. Never once opened up, and took no visible damage that I could see. I would certainly recommend this product.