Jennifer Rinaldi

We all have experienced the beasties of the forest helping themselves to our food stuffs while camping, and if you are far from a bear box, you need a way to store your food safely. Plastics don’t offer enough protection, and even if you hang a bag, ravens are adept at spearing them and dropping your items onto the ground below, allowing your food wrappers and trash to scatter with the wind. Finding trash on a pristine trail is one of my pet peeves! If you pack it in, you should pack it out. Rat sacks are a great way to ensure your food and other items stay safe while giving you a sturdy bag to pack your wrappers. 

For my ongoing series about camping products made here in the southwest, I wish to feature another company in Flagstaff. Armored outdoor gear has been in business since 2002 and is all about keeping production in the USA. Tom Monroe, the company’s owner, explained to me the bag’s inception. The material was initially invented to surround pipes in subs, keeping the metal pipe pieces from going through the sub’s sides if the pipe should fail. The same mesh worked perfectly as a rodent deterrent as its light enough to carry and sturdy enough to hold up to the nibbling and gnawing creatures you will find in the backcountry. They handcraft their bags from materials that are ordered from US suppliers. 

Even our armed service members have used them. These bags were sent in care packages to Afghanistan so the soldiers could keep their food safe. Whether you are backpacking, gathering for a family reunion at a campground, or camping in an RV, their products are a must-have. They even have a large bag for produce called the Ringtail NO Bite Buffet Bag. It fits into a standard plastic crate and can protect its contents. Originally made for River running in the Grand Canyon, these bags were meant to protect food stores from the Ringtail Cats that come out at night, and go onto the boat taking one bite of each apple or fruit. One f the river-running companies that knew Tom had him make the bag to stop the Cats from going through their fruit crates, but it can be used to protect your garden bounty from unwanted nibbles from mice and other rodents. This large bag retails for around $90.00. 

I wish I had known of their products when out with my horses. One morning I crawled out of my horse trailer to find our campsite strewn with garbage. The next time we camped, we brought a regular metal trash can and lashing to the bumper that we thought would be enough. We went to bed thinking we had solved the problem, but how wrong we were. It took ole’ three legs the bear about 3 minutes to sit on the can to pop it open as we watched our horses snort and pull at their high lines. Then we all staggered around in our pajamas, collecting stinky trash after the bear left. Armored outdoor gear has a solution to the camp trash problem. Their camp flexi-can can hold 30 gallons of debris or anything else you need to protect. It can hang from anywhere. Hanging is the operative word here as the company suggests that you hang your bags from a tree to prevent attracting our nocturnal and bruin friends to dinner. Well, we live and learn!

If you have a camper, these bags are a great way to protect your dry goods from infiltration between trips. 

Their hiking models come in four sizes, so you can pick the one that works for you depending on what kind of room you have in your pack. Each bag has a sturdy grommet in one corner, wide enough to loop a carabiner through. The smallest size is 18x14” rolled it is 2.5x18” and retails for $43.00, and the largest is 18x24”. They even make an ultra-light version that weighs only 4.0 oz. It is still a generous size at 10x15”. What I like about this bag is that it has a 3/8 web loop instead of the grommet, allowing the opening to spread wider. 

Armored outdoor gear also has a solution to the overuse of plastic bags at sporting events and concert venues. Their Clear View SackPack is as practical as it is sustainable. It can be worn like a pack or carried like a tote with a handle on the top. Now you can take all your essentials to be easily viewed but remain safe. It also is excellent for picnics and at the beach, as the sand and dirt will fall through the mesh. It has a sturdy zippered top that will keep your items secure, plus it’s slash-resistant and made of stainless steel mesh. 

The Grand Canyon Conservancy officially endorses the RatSack Cache Bag, and according to the company, many professional guides and rangers unofficially support using these bags. We all want cleaner trails and less plastic. Considering the many benefits of this product, you might want to visit their website @ https://armoredoutdoorgear.com/, https://www.amazon.com/RATSACK-Medium-8-oz-

“Happy camping!”