View Full Version : extra large bear canister recomendations
petedelisio
08-17-2019, 11:41
60, 70, 80 liter or there abouts bear canisters you could recommend or not recommend for carrying long hauls? , weight and durability definitely a consideration.
nsherry61
08-19-2019, 12:10
Yeti Tundra coolers are rated as bear canisters if they are padlocked shut.
You can get them up to 312 L in size. Some even come with wheels.
For backpacking bear cans, 10 to 12 L is the biggest I've ever seen listed.
HooKooDooKu
08-19-2019, 12:38
The largest "bear canister" I know of that is available is the Bearikade Expedition from wild-ideas (https://www.wild-ideas.net/the-expedition/).
At about 900 cu-in, that's a little less than 15L.
Beyond that, you're not looking for a "bear canister", you're looking for a "bear locker"... be that the fixed lockers some national parks use, or Yeti coolers as nsherry61 mentioned.
LazyLightning
08-19-2019, 16:08
thanks for this, I'm also in the market for a big bear canister, since I carry a lot of food and I'm done with bear hangs (thanks to ME flying squirrels).
I'm also in the market for a new pack, and one that could handle 50-60LBs on a full resupply - 50 will be about my usual max but I want it to be able to handle a little more for excessive water when dry or whatever...
I'm hoping I could find a reliable place that makes custom heavy weight packs - plenty of custom light weight ones out there. It'd be nice to find exactly what I'm looking for in a pack but I think there's a slim chance of that. I need a pack that works good with a big canister, either inside or strapped empty on the outside and then I like my outside pouches, shoulder pouches, big hip belt pockets, strapping on top and bottom of pack, multiple zip compartments ect… I'm not trying to be cheap or find a good deal - I want to find/build the pack that's best for me.
If everything doesn't fit in the canister I always felt ok with sealed dehydrated meal packets in the tent with me. No bear or animal is smelling through that, only concern I could think of is if any minimal residue was left from manufacturing, but there's more residue then that on any thru hikers clothes and skin. Some stuff I would worry about being punctured but you'd be able to tell if one of those thick dehydrated packets was punctured. I wouldn't trust a Knoll side or a cliff bar in the same way as those could puncture easy without notice, and the Knoll side probably wouldn't even need to be punctured for an animal to smell it.
FreeGoldRush
08-19-2019, 16:26
Do you have a donkey to carry it?
HooKooDooKu
08-19-2019, 18:05
I'm also in the market for a new pack, and one that could handle 50-60LBs on a full resupply - 50 will be about my usual max but I want it to be able to handle a little more for excessive water when dry or whatever...
When I was preparing to hike the JMT, I purchased the Bearikade Expedition so that I could do a 10-day stent from MTR to Mt. Whitney without an additional resupply.
With 10-days of food weighting around 20lbs, and there was no way my REI Flash was going to handle it.
I purchased an Osprey Volt 75.
To pack it, I had to put my cloths and sleeping bag in the bottom of the pack. The bear canister was then placed on top to compress cloths/bag down. Everything else fit around the canister (sleeping pad, cook pot, etc).
When I resupplied at MTR, I estimate the pack was about 55-60 lbs.
The pack worked great, and is only about 4lbs empty.
The largest "bear canister" I know of that is available is the Bearikade Expedition from wild-ideas (https://www.wild-ideas.net/the-expedition/).
At about 900 cu-in, that's a little less than 15L.
Beyond that, you're not looking for a "bear canister", you're looking for a "bear locker"... be that the fixed lockers some national parks use, or Yeti coolers as nsherry61 mentioned.
Multiple Bearikades, different sizes maybe, should be the lightest solution.
What you carry and the packaging will dictate what you can carry in a given size bear can.
Wayne
Custom packs for ridiculous loads?
Dan McHale. No other choice.
Wayne
Berserker
08-20-2019, 19:49
60, 70, 80 liter or there abouts bear canisters you could recommend or not recommend for carrying long hauls? , weight and durability definitely a consideration.
I'm not sure what you are looking for, but the Bearikade Expedition mentioned in a previous thread is the largest bear can I am aware of, and it's way smaller than 60 liters. 60 liters is the capacity of a typical pack. Not sure why you would be carrying enough food to fill an entire pack, but this would require multiple bear cans if you wanted to go that route.
Berserker
08-20-2019, 19:51
Custom packs for ridiculous loads?
Dan McHale. No other choice.
Wayne
Yep. I have a McHale Popcan that I use when I'm going "Tipi Walter" style. McHale packs are expensive, but they are high quality durable packs. Mine is even a reasonable weight (a little over 4 lbs).
petedelisio (https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/member.php/69360-petedelisio) & LazyLightning (https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/member.php/67249-LazyLightning):
Y'all need to search here at WhiteBlaze for the trip reports from TipiWalter.
He goes on 3 week self contained trips in the wilderness areas south of GSMNP.
He carries food & fuel for 3 weeks in and tied on a McHale custom pack. Ask him how he secures his food load. I have never seen a bear canister of any kind in his photos.
His food is dehydrated at home so it's not as light as freeze dried. It is a lot less expensive than freeze dried.
The IGBC list of approved storage containers. The boxes for horse packing are quite large. And quite heavy for backpacking. http://igbconline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/170509_Certified_Products_List.pdf
Wayne
HooKooDooKu
08-20-2019, 23:45
Y'all need to search here at WhiteBlaze for the trip reports from TipiWalter.
He goes on 3 week self contained trips in the wilderness areas south of GSMNP.
He carries food & fuel for 3 weeks in and tied on a McHale custom pack. Ask him how he secures his food load. I have never seen a bear canister of any kind in his photos.
Tipi is also hiking in an area where bear canisters are not required (nor is hanging your food like is required in GSMNP).
Tipi is also hiking in an area where bear canisters are not required (nor is hanging your food like is required in GSMNP).
All true. But he does want to carry and keep his provisions edible. No?
To the two original posters:
We don't really know what you're hoping to achieve and where you plan to use such large bear resistant food containers.
More information might help.
wayne
Kittyslayer
08-21-2019, 14:56
Custom packs for ridiculous loads?
You could also look at Hill People Gear, many of their packs are designed for hauling meat so are built for heavy loads. You purchase a Prairie Belt along with the pack to get your setup. I have a Ute and it is comfortable and well made. For larger loads they have the Qui-Ya. A new pack is their Decker which might work depending on what canister(s) you come up with and what else you plan to haul.
http://www.hillpeoplegear.com/
LazyLightning
08-21-2019, 15:05
well I'm not an original poster on the thread and not trying to hijack it but for me I'm just looking for the largest canister I can make work with a new pack (thanks for the recommendation, I will certainly be looking into Dan McHale packs). Not for anything/anywhere particular, just for anywhere I end up going on future long trips. I'm not trying to say anything about what people should do with their food but for me, even if a bear canister isn't required I want one. Bears are everywhere and they aren't just for bears, I don't ever want food in my tent and I'm done with bear hangs (once I actually get one). Even if I go out for one night, I don't care about having an oversized canister... I just want the biggest one that works for me.
I know I carry a lot more food then the average hiker and want to be prepared for that... I also don't go crazy condensing stuff for space.
Are most bear canisters also bug proof or is extra protection required inside the canister?
...thank you Kittyslayer also, didn't see your post until I submitted mine. It's some time before I'll get on another long trip but I'm looking into getting a new set up going and will be looking into this stuff real soon. Thanks for all the responses, hopefully helps the OP out some to.
HooKooDooKu
08-21-2019, 16:28
Are most bear canisters also bug proof or is extra protection required inside the canister?
I believe many bear canisters are darn near water proof.
I say "near", because the Bearikade is known for not being perfectly water proof and so those that know store the canister "lid down" at night in case it rains (assuming the canister is placed somewhere that water isn't going to pool around it).
As for the comment about them being good for more than bears... totally agree. That was one of the many things I appreciated about a bear canister when I used one for the JMT. But I currently don't own a bear canister because I do most of my hiking in GSMNP where each campsite has bear cables. So while my food stays safe from the bears, I have to take additional steps to protect it from mice (and I've even heard told that flying squires can be an issue too).
So while my food stays safe from the bears,
the cables are sorta safe from bears.....
they have learn that with the open faced hook that is on the cable, if they shake it (or tightrope walk across it), the bag can drop to the ground...
hence, a redundant system using a carabiner is a must......
(but you knew that.....info is for other people who dont know that)
“60, 70, 80 liter or there abouts bear canisters”
I’m still scratching my head. Is that a typo? I own an 80 ++ liter pack. I couldn’t lift the pack if I filled it with food. And the fuel to cook the food. That’s got to be 4-6 weeks of food. Perhaps more with a lot of freeze dried food.
Dan McHale can build a pack that will accommodate a pair of the Bearikade Expedition canisters. 30 liters. 2 weeks minimum food load. What’s wrong with that?
Wayne
petedelisio
08-26-2019, 15:46
If anybody comes across that extra large bear canister, give me a shout out please... may even do a 30L