Whoa!!! By "Cowboy camp", does that mean without a tent?
> ...the sound of a bear digging at my pack. ....Ruined my pack but REI membership came through again...
What was in your pack that caused the bear to ruin it?
Did you get any pictures of the pack?
It's been a lot of years now, but I had a similar experience on the JMT. Stored all my food in a locker, but forgot to remove the trail snack bag from the side pocked. I have a pair of hiking pants that have a sewed-up rip in the side of the leg.
