Ultralight Bear Canisters

[Nick]

Some of the places I'd like to backpack this year are known to be prime bear habitat, places like the Beartooths & Absorakas. I'm thinking it might be time to consider picking up a bear canister, keg, vault or whatever you call them. But the first thing I notice is that they are way heavy! Anyone have any experience with them, either traditional ones or some of the 'ultralight' options?

The Bear Vault BV500 looks to be one of the more common ones. A bit over 2.5 lbs for 700 ci.

http://www.backcountry.com/bear-vault-bv500-bear-resistant-food-canister

Or perhaps better to go smaller?
http://www.backcountry.com/bear-vault-bv450-solo-bear-resistant-food-canister

This one's a little lighter and the lid can be used as sort of odd little frying pan/pot. Doubt I would ever want use it as that, but I suppose potential dual usage is still a plus.

http://www.lighter1.com/

!

 

[lostlandscapes]

The last time I thru-hiked the John Muir Trail I rented the Bearikade Weekender, and was really happy with it. Weighing in at just a hair under 2 lbs., it's 10oz. lighter than the Bear Vault (but holds 50 cubic inches less food). While certainly a massive improvement over the legendary (and hefty) Garcia Bear Cache in terms of weight, its steep price tag prevents most folks from giving it a try. Fortunately, the company behind the Bearikade, Wild Ideas, gives a nice rental deal for thru-hikers.

IMO, The Bear Vault certainly seems to be the best deal out there in terms of cost/weight ratio. If I were purchasing one, I'd have a hard time justifying the $225 price tag of the Bearikade. Although shaving 10oz. off of the Bear Vault with the Bearikade is fairly enticing...

 

[Nick]

Dude! That is ridiculously expensive! I wonder if it really is that much to produce or if they're just marking it way up. Seems like they'd sell a ton more of 'em even if it was just twice as much as the competition.

Any thoughts on size? With the bear vault, I was thinking just go with the big one, but I think it's more likely that I would be packing just for myself. Seems like anyone I'd do this with would probably have their own. So with that in mind, most of my trips would probably be about 4 days which is what they say the solo can handle for one person. Will I regret not having the bigger one?

 

[lostlandscapes]

Any thoughts on size? With the bear vault, I was thinking just go with the big one, but I think it's more likely that I would be packing just for myself. Seems like anyone I'd do this with would probably have their own. So with that in mind, most of my trips would probably be about 4 days which is what they say the solo can handle for one person. Will I regret not having the bigger one?

I'd recommend the 4-day capacity Solo model. You're right, if you're going somewhere where bear cans are either required or where it's simply safe and logical to have one, your traveling mates would likely have one too. And if you're ever considering stretching a trip out to 5 or 6 days with one, what I've done in the past is just hang any extra food that won't fit for those first two nights. If the worst case scenario occurs and your hung food does for some unfortunate reason get ransacked, you're still in fine shape with 4 days of food in your Vault. On top of that, those larger models are very difficult to fit into a pack.

 

[Jammer]

I've rented the Bearikade and the Garcia and ended up buying the big BearVault last year for the my Sierras hike. I liked it the best for a piece of equipment that I hate having to carry! I needed the extra room it had for food and loved its clear sides. It also made a great camp stool. BUT... heavy and a p.i.t.a. to pack stuff around inside my bag (and didn't care for external carry options.)

Also... note that certain areas require certain canisters (ie not all of them are approved.)

- Jamal

 

[pixie1339]

I agree with Tim. I hiked with some guys this summer that used the larger model and they were kind enough to show me how it works. They backpack together a lot, and fit food for both of them for the 3 day trip in it with a fair amount of leftover room. If you're only carrying food for yourself, the solo model should be fine for a 4-5 day trip.

 

[Nick]

Sweet. I mean, bears don't like whiskey, do they??

 

[lostlandscapes]

Sweet. I mean, bears don't like whiskey, do they??

A story from this summer. Now while these black bears prefer the slow, thirst quenching effervescence of a cold beer, rumor has it their grizzly cousins prefer the hard stuff...

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/family-four-bears-breaks-cabin-drink-100-beers-181034427.html

 

[Nick]

Haha. Am I the only one that kept mixing the words beer and bear in that article?

So in all seriousness, it seems that people are kind of mixed on whether something like whiskey is safe outside of the beer vault. Any thoughts on that? Because all of the sudden that smaller one is looking a bit too small!

 

[Yellowstone 1]

Haha. Am I the only one that kept mixing the words beer and bear in that article?

So in all seriousness, it seems that people are kind of mixed on whether something like whiskey is safe outside of the beer vault. Any thoughts on that? Because all of the sudden that smaller one is looking a bit too small!

If the whiskey is hung on a bear pole I would say yes it's fine. If not you might be whiskeyless if a bear does decide to stroll by. I know that in Yellowstone campsgrounds they tell people to not leave drinks such as water, pop etc. out and unattended or when not being consumed. They also advise people to not take drinks in their tents because the bears can smell water even if it's bottled. I have seen rangers ticket people late at night for leaving water bottles out on picnic tables, so they take it pretty seriously.

 

[lostlandscapes]

Haha. Am I the only one that kept mixing the words beer and bear in that article?

So in all seriousness, it seems that people are kind of mixed on whether something like whiskey is safe outside of the beer vault. Any thoughts on that? Because all of the sudden that smaller one is looking a bit too small!

From what I understand, you should treat your booze just like the rest of your food, and hang it at the very least. This article makes a few good points:

http://www.backpacker.com/ask_a_bear/blogs/1579

 

[Nick]

Yellowstone 1 - If I had the luxury of hanging food, it'd be a no brainer to include the whiskey in the sack, but in some areas you're not allowed to hang or are unable to hang and bear vaults are the only option, otherwise I would never want to carry one.

lostlandscapes - I guess that means I need to rethink the size of vault I need!

 

[Yellowstone 1]

Sorry Nick I wasn't thinkin of that. I guess I was focused on the Absarokas since you mentioned you might be going there this year.

 

[Nick]

I believe this is a why just hanging food is no longer allowed in some areas

 

[Jimmy Olsen]

Any thoughts on size? With the bear vault, I was thinking just go with the big one, but I think it's more likely that I would be packing just for myself. Seems like anyone I'd do this with would probably have their own. So with that in mind, most of my trips would probably be about 4 days which is what they say the solo can handle for one person. Will I regret not having the bigger one?

I have both the BearVault 450 & 500. They're not that much different in weight but volume wise the 500 seems much bigger. With the 450 I can cram food enough for 5 days, if I squish everything down, but that's it. With the 500, however, I can pack the same food and not crush anything (if I carry something delicate) as well as my scented toiletries (toothpaste, etc.) and various other stuff. I keep my whole cook set in their as well. I can use it to organize other items that would typically get shoved randomly in pack pockets or stuff sacks.

The 500 I can also use as a stool if I don't want to pack a chair.

In the end I like the 500 better for the versatility it provides. I think it actually packs better in my pack than the 450 does, once I fill it up the way I do, and keeps me better organized in the process.

 

[Nick]

That's an interesting though, Jimmy. I was pretty well set on the 450, but you make some excellent points! Do you use yours only where they are required or in other areas too?

 

[Jimmy Olsen]

That's an interesting though, Jimmy. I was pretty well set on the 450, but you make some excellent points! Do you use yours only where they are required or in other areas too?

I've mostly been to bear country, but this years trip is to the GC. I haven't thought it through enough. Right now I'm leaning towards taking it, unless I opt for an Ursack before then to fend off the mice/rodents.

Like I said earlier, I like the organizational aspects of it a great deal. I'm taking a little more camera gear this year so I might have to make a lot of choices on what to leave home. If I feel I gotta cut weight and a bearcan isn't required that's the first place I'll look. The smaller 450, I feel, isn't worth the weight and surprisingly makes it harder for me to organize my pack (low volume, heavy, compact, rigid). Due to the higher volume of the 500, I can localize more of the little, odd shaped (or delicate) and heavy items right in the center of my pack and fill in around it with softer items like a fleece, etc. With the 450 I found I was always shifting stuff around and trying to work around it instead of with it.

 

[Jen]

you could always try this with these

 

[baltocharlie]

The Ursack is getting a better look by the park service in Yosemite. They are not allowed in some bear territory parks including Yosemite. They are accepted along most of (but not all) John Muir Trail. I think April 2013 will be the parks service "test" of the Ursack. Sure would be a serious weight savings.

 

[Nurrgle]

I use the smaller 4-day solo size. As much as I like helping out my buddies by having a little room, I hate haveing to carry such a large and bulky item. One thing I like about the smaller version is I really have to consider what I am putting in there. I don't usually use deoderant while in the back country or lotion so that saves some room.

I also usually pack a day or two's worth of food outside my canister for the first day or so and hang what is left on the first night.