Compact foods to fit into a Bear Can?

“How in the heck do you bear can users get seven days of food into those little cans?

Ain't no way I can see stuffing Mountain House FD into them.

What kinds of food pack well in these cans?”

“I'm interested in tips as well, last year I removed all extraneous packaging and couldn't fit 6 days worth. I pack a good amount of food, but need it all.

I ended up hanging a food bag instead.”

“I know, the advertising for those cans always shows them with several Mountain House or other commercially-packaged meals sticking out of them. So funny!

I don't think I could get 5 days worth of food into one.”

“Mountain house is very bulky.

I packed 9 days worth of food and was unable to get in all in a garcia. It was a combo of enertia and mountain house with the typical BP staples like PB oatmeal snacks ect. I had to bear bag the first two nights untill I was able to eat down to fit the rest in the can.

Garcias suck and are too heavy and the openings too small. Someday I'll get my bear can design blueprinted and produced.”

“Liquefy a few pounds of lard and pour it into the canister. Fat is the most calorie-dense food there is, so you probably won't even have to fill your canister all the way. Yum!”

“I've jammed 5 days into a Garcia, that included coffee and a flask, which actually were my only "luxury" consumption items.”

“I have a bear-i-cade weekender & got 7 days of food in for my JMT trip last year. All my meals were for one-person. Took a lot of Enertia meals, also took some Mountain House but separated it in two, then vacuum-sealed each serving. (For dinner I often will eat 1/2 of a two-person meal along with a cup-of soup and/or a cup of mashed potatoes). The mashed potatoes are great side disshes, very light & come in 4 flavors... I buy the Idahoan 4-serving pouches & separate into baggies.

Vacuum-sealer probably helps a lot, as does removing all the packaging you can, of course.

I'll post my menu if anyone's interested, or email me.”

“Please post!”

“Ok Mr. Stomperguy. Where ya going hiking with that can?”

“I bought one of the bear canisters also. It was on sale and figured while I had the extra money I would pick one up.

wanderer, I would like to see your list also.”

“tarbubble posted this link on another site, How to Pack a Bear Can
Good info.


shelt posted this list on backpacker.net:

Breakfast

Inst Oatmeal Pack 106cal/oz 2.85cu.in./oz 37.2cal/cu.in.
Raisins 92cal/oz 2.86cu.in./oz 32.2cal/cu.in.
1/2 cup Granola 110cal/oz 4.08cu.in./oz 27.0cal/cu.in.
Powdered Milk 101cal/oz 3.405cu.in./oz 29.7cal/cu.in.
Swiss Miss Cocoa 117cal/oz 2.78cu.in./oz 42.1cal/cu.in.


Snacks
M&Ms 140cal/oz 2.37cu.in./oz 59.1cal/cu.in.
Raisenettes 130cal/oz 2.3cu.in./oz 56.5cal/cu.in.
Shelled Sunflower 170cal/oz 2.84 cu.in./oz 59.9cal/cu.in.
Clif Bar 96cal/oz 1.85cu.in./oz 51.9cal/cu.in.
Beef Jerky 80cal/oz 2.81cu.in./oz 28.5cal/cu.in.
Sealed Slim Jim P 130cal/oz 2.68cu.in./oz 48.5cal/cu.in.
Cheese Stick 105cal/oz 2.4cu.in./oz 43.8cal/cu.in.
Dry Roast Peanuts 160cal/oz 2.83cu.in./oz 56.5cal/cu.in.
Fun Size Snickers 136cal/oz 1.81cu.in./oz 75.1cal/cu.in.
Shelled Pistachio 160cal/oz 2.95cu.in./oz 54.2cal/cu.in.

Lunch
Gallo Salami 116cal/oz 1.35cu.in./oz 85.9cal/cu.in.
Parmesian 115cal/oz 2.83cu.in./oz 40.6cal/cu.in.
Wheat Thins 133cal/oz 3.5cu.in./oz 38.0cal/cu.in.
8" Flour Tortilla 75cal/oz 2.87cu.in./oz 26.1cal/cu.in.
Peanut Butter 167cal/oz 1.65cu.in./oz 101.2cal/cu.in.
Inst Tabouli 97cal/oz 4.08cu.in./oz 23.8cal/cu.in.

Dinner
3oz Tuna Pouch 40cal/oz 1.92cu.in./oz 20.8cal/cu.in.
Cous Cous 100cal/oz 2.55cu.in./oz 39.2cal/cu.in.
StoveTop Stuffing 111cal/oz 8.25cu.in./oz 13.5cal/cu.in.
Inst Black Beans 101cal/oz 3.06cu.in./oz 33.0cal/cu.in.
Olive Oil (garlic 240cal/oz 1.91cu.in./oz 125.7cal/cu.in.
Parmesian Block 113cal/oz 2.83cu.in./oz 39.9cal/cu.in.
8" Flour Tortilla 75cal/oz 2.87cu.in./oz 26.1cal/cu.in.
Inst Refr Beans 112cal/oz 3.09cu.in./oz 36.2cal/cu.in.
Powdered Mashed 103cal/oz 6.19cu.in./oz 16.6cal/cu.in.
Veg Chili Mix 100cal/oz 3.15cu.in./oz 31.7cal/cu.in.
Rice a Roni 89cal/oz 2.28cu.in./oz 39.0cal/cu.in.
Inst Curry Soup 95cal/oz 3cu.in./oz 31.7cal/cu.in.
Swiss Miss Cocoa 117cal/oz 2.78cu.in./oz 42.1cal/cu.in.
Diced Sun Dried Tom 75cal/oz 3.29cu.in./oz 22.8cal/cu.in.
Chick Noodl&Sauce 107cal/oz 4.47cu.in./oz 23.9cal/cu.in.”

“I have found it easier to stuff a bear into my Garcia canister than my food.”

“I can get 7-days of food into my Bearikade if I put the mountain house meals into ziplock freezer bags. You can pour boiling water into the freezer bags without a problem. We don't all need the same amount of food for 7 days, so the number of days of food you can fit into a can will vary on the amount of and type of food you carry.”

“HPM - TT Wind River Range trip

I've heard there might be 'Grizzle Bears' around. ;-)”

“Yeah, it is all about repacking your food. If you put store packaging in, you'd get about 2 days in there! You need to toss any extra packing materials you can.
I have a Foodvac also, and use it a lot. You just have to pack your food in VERY tightly.
I use an Ursack now (have only used a bear canister 3 times now in the last 3 years) and while I have more room, I still pack tightly so I take up less pack space. Of course, don't forget to put your other items in that canister also ;-) That can eat up more space too.”

“sweet, it's on my "wanna go" list”

“note with a food vac - packing the food at low alt. stuffing into bear can. and hiking to high alt. sometimes results in a bear can that is very tough to unpack without pricking some holes in the bags to let the air out - the food vac does not remove _all_ the air and what is left will expand as you go to higher altitude.”

“Is this a food vac as seen on tv?”

“Heh...good thread.

I have a Bearikade Weekender...I can get 5 days food in it. I feel ya'lls pain.”

“So.....................
What do you pack in it?”

“SS...I don't have a list. I throw into a pile whatever I want to eat and then repackage it to a point. Then start cramming it into the can...it's not rocket science.”

“I'm learning to more carefully select foods that are less voluminous. For example, I always like to bring some instant soup (Nile Spice brand) for a first course for dinner. The flavors I like are all about the same calories, but the potato leek and corn chowder flavors pack a lot smaller than the split pea. Also, I concur with the repackaging recommendations above. If you're taking Mountain House or other brand that comes in a foil pouch for insulation, just take one of the foil pouches to use and re-use - then just fold it up when you're done.

On the 5-night Yoho trip last summer (on which, it turned out, we didn't need canisters, since every campsite had these really cool food hanging contraptions), I couldn't quite get everything in the Garcia canister the first night, so I had to hang a small bag.”

“Dang It!!!!
As an engineer, I demand rocket science!!! ;-)”

“This is a bit off topic, but does anyone have any ideas how I can carry a bear canister and still be able to use this pack as my weekend pack?


Make: Golite Race
Size: 2700 ci main pocket + 400 ci other pockets.

It looks like part of the Adirondacks will require the use of canisters in the backcountry starting next year.”

“Sneak your canister into Pennsy's pack, he'll never notice.”

“i had a very bad experience packing those little containers of applesauce....several of them exploded in the heat and coated everything with gooey peach flavored applesauce....”

“Strap it on top, Lumb? I believe they sell accessories for such an occasion.”

“this is addressed to all the rocket scientists and aerospace engineers lurking out there....

could i set up the garcia bear canister on a rotary table or 5th axis on a cnc mill and drill a series of small holes in it to lighten it up (similar to drilling out the disc brakes on a motorcycle)? would it weaken it structurally to a point that would render it useless for bear protection? you could use a big ziplock bag inside to contain the smells and to keep everything out of the weather....

just looking at ways to lighten my load and that garcia is a heavy sucker....”

“I'm pretty sure that Garcia makes a holder you can put the canister in and then strap to your pack. Not sure about Bearikade.”

“gonzo - the idea is to have a surface the bear can't get a grip on with it's teeth. Holes would allow teeth to hold and there goes the container!”

“Breakfasts:
Enertia Maple Bulgar
Enertia Sierra Scramble eggs
Oatmeal - Apples & cinnamon
Enertia Blue Mountain Bear Mush
Oatmeal - Maple & Brn. Sugar
Enertia Sierra Scramble eggs
Enertia Maple Bulgar

Lunches:
Cheese, fruit & Triscuits
Bacon, Cheese & triscuits
Tuna & triscuits - Zesty Lemon
Cheese, fruit & triscuits
Tuna & triscuits, Hickory smoke
Bacon, cheese & Triscuits
Tuna & triscuits, sweet & spicy

Dinners:
Chicken Polynesian
Switchback Spaghetti
Moosilauke Goulash
Chicken Polynesian
San Juan Stroganoff
Turkey Tetrazzini
Mac & Cheese

Breakfast notes: Also take coffee bags, cream & sugar. I like oatmeal but mix flavors, REALLY like Sierra Scramble, tasty & very filling.

Lunch notes: Can you tell I like triscuits?! There are a number of different flavors of tuna in the foil pouches, I mix them like I do oatmeal flavors so I don't get tired of any one, then pack the tuna pouch with a relish & mayo packet in a baggie. These tuna packs are flat & pack very well in bear containers. The bacon I'm referring to is the pre-cooked stuff available at CostCo, etc., very tasty & god source of protein.

Dinner notes: I also have a cup-a-soup and/or one of my mashed potato side dishes mentioned earlier.

I'm not real big on trail snacks, usually just have a couple pieces of dried fruit, also take a few granola bars. Everything fit in my bear-i-cade.”

“I should mention that, while I repeated some foods a lot during the week, I wanted to make sure I took things I liked... most of the above are my favorites.”

“I've only had to use one of those pain in the butt canisters once, and I'm not very excited about doing it again next month.

Last year I think it was night 3 before I finally got the remains of a weeks food in there.

I can reduce packaging once I get the contents cleared at the border, but there's still just no way I'm getting six days of food in there”

“Cannisters can be difficult to adjust to, but since they're required in the areas of the Sierra where some of us go it's necessary to figure out how to pack them. The reason I broke down & bought a bear-i-cade instead of renting is so I could play with it whenever I wanted at home to figure out how to make everything fit properly. Now that I'm used to it, I will sometimes take it even if I don't have to. This weekend I did a solo backpack farther noryh in the Sierra where containers aren't required, but took it anyway. I get some comfort in knowing that no critter is going to get my food whenever I'm out there alone. I also like using my container as a stool to sit on at the end of the day.

I don't like the Garcia at all, too heavy & cumbersome.”

“wanderer - I've been looking at the bear-i-cade. Trekngirl has the weekender and I've seen it.
I'm looking more at the expedition model for a seven day trip. Any comments?”

“Hey wanderer, where in the North Sierra did you backpack last weekend? I climbed Mt. Shasta. What a gorgeous weekend, eh? YAAAA!”

“If you cut Pennsy up into little tiny pieces, you could probably get an arm, a leg, and a few slices of his torso in a bear can!”

“Buck has trouble stuffing a bear into his can?
TMI!!!!!!! ;-)”

“SS, the menu I posted for 7 days fit into my weekender. Most of my trips are long weekends, 2-4 days, and only maybe 1 or 2 longer trips per year, so I figured the weekender was all I needed. It is just big enough, but no so big that I have trouble getting it into my pack. It even fits into my ultralight, a Granite Gear Vapor Trail pack. Maybe if I was doing more trips of over 7 days I'd look at the Expedition, just didn't thnk I need it tho.

Buck.. I went up to Grouse Ridge trail off I-80. Did some trout fishing at Penner Lake, then bushwhacked over to some of the others. You're right... it was a beautiful weekend!”

“Cool, I've camped at Penner Lake, even packed a float tube in there once. The fishing for brookies can be pretty sweet. From Grouse Ridge I usually pack into Glacier Lake and then over the Black Buttes to Beyers Lakes. Upper Beyers Lake has some Lahontan Cutthroats, as does the outlet creek, and Lower Beyers Lake has some fatty brookies. At Beyers Lakes you escape the crowds that hit the lakes beyond Grouse Ridge and the Five Lakes Basin. I used to backpack this area extensively growing up, before the places got real popular. I still go there on occasion because it's just up the road. Right at snowmelt this year I drove back into Bowman Lake and Sawmill Lake and beyond to Faucherie Lake. I frequent hike into Fordyce Creek, even on some evenings after work here, when the days are long like they are now. YAAAAA! I LOVE SUMMER! Pssst... Culbertson Lake has some big rainbows. You can either get there from Lindsay Lakes or even from Penner, it's just down the ridge from Penner. We'll hafta hook up one of these weekends.”

“Buck, I went over to Culbertson after Penner, had dinner courtesy of Culbertson Friday nite!! Fresh Rainbow trout, YUMM!

I've never been over to Beyers, thought about it a lot but have just never made it there. Like you I go up to that area just because it's so close & easy to drive up I-80. I'm east of Sac near 50 & Sunrise, so usually hop on 50, I can be at Echo trailhead to Desolation very quick... I like the fishing there, Schmidel, Gilmore, some of the off-trail lakes. Prettier than Grouse Ridge too! Next trip I'm thinking maybe south of Carson Pass.”

“"How in the heck do you bear can users get seven days of food into those little cans?"

take 7even days worth of ramen and a mallet............”

“Hey C!B!,
Did you sell your can?”

“lumberzac, my husband fits our compound (bear)can into his pack, and he fills it with his gear.”

“still got my can”

“Here's how to pack 7 days worth of food... First, most healthy humans can survive up to three weeks w/o food. I don't think a weekend w/o will kill ya. Also, the less you eat the less hunger pangs you'll feel.

The pack list:
Pocket Fisherman w/Pocket Tackle box
includes hooks, line, sinkers, rubber worms, garlic scent, kernel corn, Salmon eggs & Powerbait
Marksman Slingshot (collect pebbles 4 ammo)
Aluminum Foil (for cooking)
Chris Reeve Survival Knife &
Parachord for trap construction...
Pistol & Ammo
Fishing & Hunting License
Fill out canister w/Cotton Balls & Liquid Parafin Wax (for tinder)

For close encounters, the pistol should take care of a bear... (at a very, very close range). Just don't bang pots & pans together to scare them off... it draws their attention.

If the bear doesn't get you first... your food troubles will be over. Invite some friends/neighbors (so it won't all go to waste). Either way, one of you will be well fed.

:-)”

“some good info on here about packing a bear cannister.”

“You forgot EUGENE!!!”

“Peanut butter is so fattening in small amounts that it is at the top of my list along with cheese.”

“I fit 6 days of food and smellables (sunscreen, toothpaste, baby wipes, etc.) into my Bear Vault in September and had tons of extra space. I ended up putting my pot, stove, fuel, mug, etc in there and still had space... I repackage nearly everything into ziplocks. If you're just taking a small quantity of something, use the snack sized ziplocks.”