Video: A Loctote Flak Sack tested by bears
The Loctote industrial bag company based in Columbus, Ohio, initially launched the Flak Sack in April of 2016 to provide lockable bags that are like portable safes while on the go. Loctote achieved this through a combination of high-tech materials and innovative design. Flak Sacks are now the first backpacks to become IGBC (Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee) Certified Bear-Resistant. Each bag, stuffed with attractant (honey, peanut butter, fish, etc.) lasted the required 60 minutes of grizzly bear biting, clawing, pounding, pulling, compressing, and general abuse without being destroyed and enabling the bears to get at the contents.
“Grizzly Bears are some of the toughest and most ingenious thieves you’ll encounter,” said Don Halpern, Loctote founder and CEO. “People have been asking for an unbiased, independent test to verify the toughness of our bags. We’ll here it is.”
The Flak Sack is made from a proprietary fabric that is soft but slash-resistant. To prove its effectiveness, the Halpern posted a video of himself getting slashed by a box cutter while wearing a t-shirt made of the same fabric, and sustaining no injuries. This feature differentiates the Flak Sack from other bear-resistant containers on the market, with most being of rigid construction. During testing, the bears were not able to rip apart the fabric with their teeth nor claws to reach the food locked inside. The bag incorporates a hidden locking mechanism that enables the bag to be locked shut or to a stationary object. This locking mechanism is tested to handle over 1,000 lbs of force without breaking and is extremely difficult to cut. Thus, the bag can be hung off the ground as well as hold the weight of an adult grizzly bear. These features, initially designed to deter petty theft, also hold up against nature’s toughest and most ingenious thieves.
