Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I used this bag on many back country camping trips in NC, SC, and TN. The bag served me well but I never witnessed it being tested, until this incident. A large black bear tore a 4-5 inch diameter hole in my bag while it was tied to a tree. The bear was not able to remove the bag from the tree or open it from the top but removed every bit of food through the hole he tore with very minimal effort. We heard the bear on the bag and watched him for 20-30 minutes as he ripped all the food out of the bag. The bear wasn't aggressive towards us but also wasn't afraid at all of us trying to spook him out of there. After he left for the first time we went and cleaned up all the garbage which we had no choice but to burn to remove the smell. I left the bag (soiled with bear saliva and food crumbs) tied to the original tree so I could pack it out the next day. The bear returned to the bag once after we cleaned everything up but didn't stick around long after he realized there was nothing left. I contacted the company with my story and showed them the photos and also requested a refund or replacement. They responded by sending out a replacement bag which I had zero desire to use after what happened to the first bag. Lucky for me I was still within the 1 year return window at REI which is where I purchased the original bag. Although the company mostly did their part in making it right I would have been much more satisfied with a refund directly through them. I certainly would never trust my food overnight in one of these and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.