shredded bark vs small bark?

[stb]

Boy, I thought picking the mulch would be easy but I am getting mixed messages all over the place.

The two mulches/top dressings/whatever you want to call them that I am considering are shredded redwood Gorilla Hair and small fir bark.

I have some berms/slopes and some folks say that the gorilla hair will hold better.

Some people say that the fir bark will float away in a heavy rain. (San Jose, CA - not sure if that is an issue or not.)

For every person who swears that Gorilla hair is the best for the California Natives I'll be planting I get an equal number telling me that it compacts so much that the rainwater can't get in.

Anyone with more experience care to give me their two or three cents worth?

Thanks in advance!

[NCSULandscaper]

all i use is triple shredded hardwood, and yes the stringy texture holds great on slopes, and it can get compacted over time, thats why with my maintenance accounts i add new mulch 1 time per year and the other time i use a powered mulch rake to fluff everything up and get some more color turned over. Ive found you get less artillery fungus and slime mold when you keep it aerated

[Grant]

What is a "powered mulch rake"?