bears shouldnt be able to pick up the scent IN the bag but you never know if there was a leaker on the production line or in the next box when packaged or shipped...... i always store any food in a bear locker or a hang bag , even an mre

That's what I thought. I'm thinking about making a small cellar and keeping it all in there and then I know it will be locked up securely as well. There will be other items (not food related) in there other than MRE's. Bass Pro and Cabela's sale scent free water proof bags, getting some of those is probably a good idea to put the MRE's in and well worth the $30. I have a friend of a friend that can get me a 60 meal MRE pack for $60. I want to keep them up at the camp for emergency use.

Bears are thought to have the best sense of smell of any animal on earth. For example, the average dog's sense of smell is 100 times better than a humans. A blood hound's is 300 times better. A bear's sense of smell is 7 times better than a blood hound's or 2,100 times better than a human.

Suffice to say bears have perhaps the best sense of smell on earth, I'd definately take all precautions, and therefore would assume they could smell through an MRE bag, whether they could or not. Safe to say they would assuredley pick up the scent of the plastic, perhaps something foreign to them and investigate, or, having dealt with plastic before(i.e. trash bags) something which may mean an opportunity for food.

...Besides, your proposed cellar would be a great place in which to hibernate!
Lots of snacks, if the bear wakes up.
And nice, warm, fresh food, if you should come in to investigate why the door was broken...

Well Steve it would have to be the worlds strongest black bear I guess since the Cellars are pre-made to what size you want and are usually made with 1/4-1/2" thick steel plates, or maybe he/she will cut the lock lock off? If it makes it that far, then they can have it all and enjoy their entire winter on me!!

Originally Posted by jrwilson

Well Steve it would have to be the worlds strongest black bear I guess since the Cellars are pre-made to what size you want and are usually made with 1/4-1/2" thick steel plates, or maybe he/she will cut the lock lock off? If it makes it that far, then they can have it all and enjoy their entire winter on me!!

Oh, well... The bears lose. (...to the Cubs? the Cougars? the Stanford Crimson?)

That's a new definition of "cellar," but it does sound effective.
If you dig one into your ground, how do you ward off moisture and rust?
How is the entry arranged? Trap door? Ramp?

There is a place here in Texas that sales prefab storm cellars and the owner happens to be one of our neighbors up in the mountains. The outside of the cellar is coated in a Line-X type material which prevents moisture and rust to contact the steel. They have hinged doors with three steps down in the cellar. Here is a link that tells about them. http://www.shelters-of-texas.com/BuiltSafe.html[/URL] He is selling quite a few for winter storage units in the mountains. But my original question was more out of curiosity about the bears being able to smell them.

Thanks for the link, Mr. Wilson.
I wish I lived in a place where such a thing was useful, safe room included, because they are just sooo neat!

Bears? No worries, Mate!