Bear Canisters

[chinooktrail]

Heading out on a trip where bear canisters are required.

Just curious about the brands sizes and ways others have dealt with needing to use them.

Thanks!

 

[TrishandAlex]

Great thread, very interested in reading the responses.

 

[DSettahr]

Had a bearvault, returned it after one of the bears in the Adirondacks learned how to open it.

I now carry a garcia in areas where I need one.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Had a bearvault, returned it after one of the bears in the Adirondacks learned how to open it.

I now carry a garcia in areas where I need one.

I'm waiting for the Canister that has a combination lock. If the bears can figure that out, we're screwed!

 

[SAR-EMT40]

I have a Garcia. Left it for several days out in an area as a cache to pick up later on a 8 day trip. When I got to it. It had been moved. And something with large canine teeth had worked it over, HARD. Didn't come close to getting into it. I have used it on many trips and never had to worry about anything getting into it. Its heavy, uncomfortable to carry, bulky and simply a pain in the ass. But if you are camping in an area where you need to keep your food from being compromised, it works and has always worked for me for 15 or so years now.

Standard disclaimers apply, I don't work for etc. Just happy with their product.

Keith

 

[TCD]

I didn't vote in the poll, because I have not used a canister.

"Its heavy, uncomfortable to carry, bulky and simply a pain in the ass."

Says it all. They are only required in a small area of the Adirondacks (Eastern High Peaks Wilderness), and I really have no reason to camp in that area that's important enough to put up with the PITA canister.

(Plus, I rather enjoy setting up a wicked high bear bag; it's kind of a fun challenge.)

 

[Snowflea]

Bearikade!

If I didn't frequent the Sierras, where bear cannisters are absolutely required (wicked smart bears out here!*), I would rent as needed. However, because I live in CA now, IMO the Bearikade is the way to go. Expensive yes, but I believe still the lightest in weight, ultra durable, yadda, yadda...

They are still bulky and a PITA though!!


* At Whitney Portal a couple of years ago there was a bear who mastered breaking into a "bearproof" garbage can. Must've been all those tempting pancake and cheeseburger leftovers...

 

[Little Rickie]

Bearikade? I'd have to see and feel one first to see if it's worth the $. Does anyone know if they can be rented anyware in the Adirondacks?

 

[roadtripper]

I like the Counter-Assault Bear Keg for one primary reason: it's bright yellow and you could find it very easily if it was ever moved by a bear.

It's a pain in the butt for humans to get into it too, so I have no idea how a bear would get in....

Downside is that its not see-through like many of the other ones, so it's obviously harder to find what you want in it.

 

[peakbagger]

Be aware that different jurisdictions recognize different lists of "bearproof" containers. You may want to inquire which ones are accepted by the agency in charge of your desitination. Ursacks which are lighter weight were reportedly accepted in some areas. They have reportedly passed at least one of the tests for "bearproof" but I expect anything crushable was turned to powder by the end of the test.

 

[werdigo49]

I voted for Garcia because I inferred from SAR-EMT40's post that that's what "Backpackers' Cache" is.

A lot of my hiking is in the eastern High Peaks, so I don't have a choice. I can only get 8 days' (max) food into the canister, but once stuffed 23 days' worth into a little gym bag before the canister rule. I really like not having to string a bear rope at the end of a long day, though!

 

[rhihn]

Be aware that different jurisdictions recognize different lists of "bearproof" containers. You may want to inquire which ones are accepted by the agency in charge of your desitination. Ursacks which are lighter weight were reportedly accepted in some areas. They have reportedly passed at least one of the tests for "bearproof" but I expect anything crushable was turned to powder by the end of the test.

Good advice. A small point, but I've noticed that all of the major canisters (Garcia, Bearvault, Bearikade) refer to their canisters as "bear resistant", not "bear proof". Possibly for legal reasons, I'm not sure. There's always the possibility that another Yellow-Yellow might come along.

 

[SidS]

bear canisters

Have used these on only one trip to Alaska, but IIRC Garcia's were given out by the Denali N. P. backcountry rangers. They did not have reports of any break-ins till date

 

[TEO]

I like the Counter-Assault Bear Keg for one primary reason: it's bright yellow and you could find it very easily if it was ever moved by a bear.

I originally had the BearVault 350 (smaller model), and thought it was great, though it definitely didn't have enough room for more than one person's food if you were doing multiple nights. However, I bought it expressly for use in the Eastern High Peaks. OGE/GearX.com, where I bought it had switched to the Counter-Assault Bear Keg for the very reason that you mention, Roadtripper. It's very similar in design to the Garcia, but in addition to being bright yellow, it also has a ring of reflective tape around the middle, and it has a wider mouth.

 

[TrailwrightBratt]

FWIW:
We used what I believe was a Garcia as we had to use a coin to open it. This was rented at Whitney Portal for only $2 for 3 days.
We had it full and I did not think it was heavy or too bulky for the protection it provided.They used to have two different types but only the one we used was allowed (they figured how to open the other one) last i knew.2008 Wish we had bought it as they are for sale at the portal.

 

[Nessmuk]

I have seen a Garcia container, rented from EMS, with a hole completely chewed through the side where it meets the bottom. The story I heard from EMS was that the renter watched a red squirrel just for entertainment over the course of 2-3 days keep working at it until he succeeded in chewing through to the inside. if I was EMS I would have charged the guy as being irresponsible with their equipment.

Good advice. A small point, but I've noticed that all of the major canisters (Garcia, Bearvault, Bearikade) refer to their canisters as "bear resistant", not "bear proof". Possibly for legal reasons, I'm not sure. There's always the possibility that another Yellow-Yellow might come along.

The agency that "certifies" bear resistant containers is the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. When a container meets the standards set by the IGBC, it is generally considered officially proven "bear resistant" by many who require such containers, including the NYSDEC. There is no such thing as "bear proof".

When I paddled the Yukon River 1000 mile race in a voyageur canoe, we had to show that we had bear resistant containers for all of our food because of the portion of the race that passed through the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve where it is a requirement. In researching containers, I found several manufacturers of otherwise good containers that claimed some level of bear resistance, but very few are actually certified as they must be for us to be legal. I finally settled on a Yeti Tundra chest as shown in the photo. It is certified as officially bear resistant, as long as padlocks are put on the corners to hold the lid on. The hinges on the back are completely hidden, and the walls are 2 inches thick.

 

[J.Dub]

...heavy, uncomfortable to carry, bulky and simply a pain in the ass.

^^^This is also how my hiking partners have described me, at various points...


Sadly, I don't do enough ADK hiking to purchase my own bear cannister, so we just rent whatever they have at The Mountaineer.

 

[BF]

I used the Bearvolt model BV-400 for 20 days on the JMT in '05. Canisters were required. I chose this model because it was certified and was approved by the parks. The can weighed 2lb 9oz., was clear and was rated to hold 7 days of food, which it did.

During my hike I met a ranger who asked if I was using a canister. He asked because he did not see a can on my pack. I had the can inside, on the bottom of my pack. I found this much easier than strapping it on the outside. I swung my pack off and just tapped the can through the pack material and he was satisfied.

As required, I left the can outside, 100 feet away from the tent while I slept. I never saw a bear, nor did any bears try to tamper with the can. I was hoping they would, because I looked forward to having a can with some claw marks on it. Although, the can was a pain to have, with regards to additional weight and stuffing it, it came in handy as a camp seat.

 

[ADKdremn]

Had a bearvault, returned it after one of the bears in the Adirondacks learned how to open it.

I now carry a garcia in areas where I need one.

How did you go about returning it...directly to the company or where you bought it? I bought mine 6-7 years ago at EMS, which is no longer opened. I'm just wondering if it's still an option to return it.

I've still been using it on occassion without incident, but would feel better with a Garcia, plus it's a little bigger which would be nice when my son joins me on trips.

 

[DSettahr]

How did you go about returning it...directly to the company or where you bought it? I bought mine 6-7 years ago at EMS, which is no longer opened. I'm just wondering if it's still an option to return it.

I've still been using it on occassion without incident, but would feel better with a Garcia, plus it's a little bigger which would be nice when my son joins me on trips.

I took it back to EMS shortly after it was announced that they weren't secure anymore. EMS was reluctant to take it back, but did so anyways when I indicated that I only wanted store credit.

There is a common misconception that the BearVaults are not longer approved for the High Peaks now that yellow-yellow has figured out how to open them. My understanding is that this is not true- you can still use the BearVaults in the High Peaks. Just be aware that they might not be as secure as you'd want them to be.