bear cannister faves?

“So is the Garcia still the fave? I like the wild ideas carbon but daaaang, it's expensive.

I also was checking out the http://www.bearvault.com. But it seems as though it is still pending approval in some of the CA Eastern Sierra areas (kinda the testing ground).

Ursack is appealing, but you have to tie it to something and I have heard negative things, like all of your stuff gets crushed (not a big deal really) and that they can chew through them. They have an aluminum insert now???

Anyway, for the price, I guess the Garcia is still the fave...

Any input welcome and appreciated.
last edited: 6/19/06 4:28:30 PM”

“wild ideas bearikade is the lightest”

“I've been very happy with my Bearicade weekender. It makes a great sit stool also.
Crash Bang carried his the length of the AT.”

“I have both the Garcia and the Bearvault 250. The Garcia is heavy and an awkward fit for small to medium packs. I love the BV 250 - it slides right into my Aether 60 pack, holds 3-4 days of meals for me and is lighter than the Garcia.

I looked into the Usrack Hybrid (the aluminum liner version) but couldn't find any in depth reviews, so I went with the BV.”

“Bearikade!”

“Bearikade is probably the best. I ended up getting a bearvault, because I couldn't see buying a bear can that cost more than my backpack and sleep shelter combined.”

“Yes, I bought the bearikade for my Cali trip after it came highly recommended.”

“I rented Garcia's a number of times before the Bearicade was available / approved... once I saw it, compared to Garcia, there was no question whatsoever... Bearicade is clearly a far superior product from many perspectives. I bought the Weekender, so far I've managed to jam 7 days food into it with careful planning!

THEN.. I read about the Ursack getting conditional approval as long as one used the insert, so I ordered two of the aluminum inserts. Purely from a weight perspective, there is no equal to the Ursack. The "bear crushing your food" cartoon stories have no bearing whatsoever on reality, those stories / objections aren't even worth discussing.

I'm guessing the BearVault is a pretty good product from what I've read & heard, but have no first-hand knowledge.

My preferred product is Ursack. It's (conditionally) approved, weighs far less than anything else, and the "extra effort" required to tie it off is not even worth talking about... (sorry for the extra 20 seconds you'll have to expend doing that) :(”

“how much room in ursack vs bearikade or other canister?

price?”

“The Bearicade weekender is 650 CI, sells for $225.00.

The Ursack Hybrid (that is the basic yellow bag + the alum insert) is also 650 CI, sells for $79.90.


I have both, I like both. Since they're the same CI they hold the same amount of food.

The Bearicade can also serve as a stool (not a bad feature after days & days on the trail, and especially in winter in the snow!!) and certainly provides a more "psychologically perceptually secure" means of food storage than the Ursack. BUT.. the reality is that the Ursack is a very secure means of food storage.

Foe me, personally, owning both, I'm probably taking my Ursack on most trips. If I'm going with someone who doesn't own an "approved" container I'll split... maybe loan them my Ursack & carry the Bearicade, or, vice-versa. Really doesn't matter to me, but bottom line is I'd lean toward the Ursack since I want less weight.

BUT... for me... I'd hopefully be camping in less-populated areas than the tourons, I try to plan my trips that way when going to the more popular trails in the Sierra. If you're at a "popular" campground, not the backcountry, that's where you're going to run into most of your bear problems. I try not to stay at those places.”

“How does the lid lock on the Bearvaults?”

“I have the BV. The lid screws on and like child proof pill bottles goes past a little notch. Careful though, when your fingers are cold it is difficult to open.

They are still under conditional use in Yosemite but so far still allowed. Apparently, people don't want the hassle of struggling to get the lid off and don't screw it all the way down.

It can be used to haul water to camp and then pump from it; washing machine for laundry; camp stool; clear so you can spot the goodies quicker. Much lighter than the Garcia.”

“Bearicade”

“Whatever is free...
I use my dads old garcia :-D”

“Bearicade Weekender but I wish I had gotten the larger one (Expedition ???) cause the weekender is a little short and my knees complain when I get up from sitting on it. Oh well next time I have $275 to spare ...”

“If you don't use a bear canister that much I would go with the Bear Vault or Garcia. If you have to use one every weekend go with the Bearicade.

Is the Ursack available now? I thought they had stopped making them since they couldn't get the material to make them.
I hope the Ursack gets totally approved. If it does then I will buy that one.”

“Bearikade if a canister is needed, if it's just for rodents the Ursack.

I find the Scout has enough room for solo weekend trips.

If others are along that don't have their own they can use the Garcia :) I also use that for food drops.”

“LOL. I know I can always count on the TT folks to choose the best, most expensive item (with the exception of Wanderer).

Well, maybe I will have to drop the coin, especially since I am always in bear territory and am just waiting until my hanging food disappears.

Thanks, all.

RM”

“main reason I use it isn't black bears - its raccoons, chipmunks, rodents in general ... plus its multiuse as a stool ...”

“i have a bv and ursack and like them both”

“What about the canister in the Campmor catalogue for US69,96$?”

“Gremlin, I just looked at that, they don't say it but that sure looks like the Garcia. When it was the only "approved" container around, it was OK, but now that there are more options... all of them lighter & more functional, I'm not sure why anyone would buy a Garcia unless they got a hot deal $$.”

“The one in Campmor is the Garcia. It's heavier than the others, but should work fine for you. This also the same canister they rent from the ADK Loj. On thing to note Gremlin, is that the canisters are only required in the eastern zone of the High Peaks Wilderness (the same area of the fire ban). Areas like the Santanoni Range, Seward Range, Dix Range, as well as areas outside the High Peaks region don’t require the use of canisters.”

“That's a Garcia. They work fine. I never found it hard to pack but some do, and it more than fit everything I wanted. I think it's fine if you're only going to use it once in a while. It's just heavier than the Bearikade and the Scout model fit's everything I need it to for a weekend.

I can see a time when I'll want the Weekender next though. There goes another bag of money.”

“The deed is done. I ordered the Bearikade weekender. The wife is gonna kill me. But new excuse is, hey honey, think of all the future surgery costs on my knees if I don't go light now...”

“if i ever do another long distance hike i will buy an ursack. i would think that being malleable, it might theoretically hold slightly more than the equal-capacity bearikade, plus being lighter is a plus”

“i will say this much

i had a problem with the lid on my bv and i emailed their support people (SC will remember me cursing the damn thing in the porkies). anyhoo they had me send in just the lid and replaced the entire unit (they told me to recycle the bottom). the new one is a lot easier to use.”

“Good decision, Rosey. My story to my wife went somthing like "gee, honey, you know I'm out there solo a lot, you're always telling me to be as safe as possible - I'm just trying to make sure my food supply is safe so I'll be OK"

She bought it :)”

“Just another one of my cheap finds in the quest to outfit the camper...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=98893”

“That looks like a Bear Boxer, their site doesn't come up anymore.”

“holy cow that's cheap!”

“That is small in diameter. The conventional wisdom is that you want a 9.5 inch diameter so the bear cannot get his teeth around it. Not sure how true it really is.

I have the Bearikade Weekender and it works great. I think I have had it for about 5 years now.”

“I've never needed a bear cannister, but I'm in the market for one now that I'm planning a trip in Sequoia NP. The BearVault appears to be far more user-friendly than the others.”

“I too have a bearakide weekender. I have also purchased the bearakide scout and it is sweet. 8"tall x 9"dia.
Hey Phil. How ya doin? Yo bear!”

“Songbyrd had her Ursack ruined by a rodent this last summer sometime, the only bad thing about them, not being able to resist the little guys. I put in my request for a Bearicade for Christmas, so I lost some weight in the hardsided canister department, but gained some back with a new pack. Back and forth with weight when getting new gear, then getting something else. Now where is that 9 oz Neo Air pad?”

“toejam,

Not sure the bearvault is more user friendly. I've seen people struggle to open them. The bearikade and Garcia require a quarter or screwdriver tool is all.

Yo bear!!!! How are you? Doing OK here.”

“I used the bearikade on a trip out of Mineral King and when I buy a canister it is going to be a Bearikade.

I rented the expedition and it held everything for a 9 day trip. It would have taken 2 Garcias just to hold the food, a third for stove, pans, and other items.”

“I never carry a quarter or a screwdriver backpacking, so it appears the BearVault would be easier to open - at least they are easy in the gear store. I like being able to see what I'm scrounging for through the side. The BearVault has a much wider mouth than the Garcia. It's way cheaper than the Bearikade and not significantly heavier.

I'll prolly just go with the BearVault to start with and see what I think after a few trips.”

“I used both a bearvault and a bearikade on a 9 dayer last october. My wife couldn't even get the bearvault open in the sub-freezing mornings and I had a hell of a time. The guy who loaned it to me later had the little locking mechanism (just a little piece of plastic) break off the lid.

All I can say is, the bearikade is expensive, but it is a really nice bearcan, beautifully engineered, and I carry it all the time now for rodent protection.”

“BearVault has had numerous issues with their lids, but I never see them or other brands up for sale. I wonder why? I did clear out my new Garcia this winter as I got a Bearicade for Christmas and had a used Garcia already. I had purchased two Garcia's years ago when Pooch was still alive.”

“I'm happy with my Bearikade.”