View Full Version : Just received my bear canister
from REI. I was in the store last week and they only had the short fat one (biggest ?). I decided to order the one that appears to be skinnier. It has come in and is huge. My wife is afraid of bears, I hate to try to find the perfect limb to through my food bag line over, and she will not go without all the precautions. I was wondering if anyone has this item (the clear one) and if they used it on shorter hikes such as 2-3 day hikes. I am thinking of returning it, or using it to store other things along with my food to be efficient with my pack space. I like the thought of having a seat while on shorter breaks, but feel this is overkill for the food part.
Noticed you are in NC- are you camping where canisters are required? If not, you may want to look at an Ursack, which may give your wife peace of mind while giving your back a break.
Sounds like you hae a Bear Vault? I think you should keep it. Since there are two of you, the extra space will be appreciated on some trips and you can put your pots and cleanup kits inside at night. They are approved almost everywhere-though there are some smart bears that have found out how to open them. You don't have to hang them, which is a plus when you are tired and it is getting dark. Yes they are heavy but the trade off in less worry is a good one. There are lighter potions but there are tradeoffs in function and usefullness for each option.
If your pack has room to carry it inside, that will be easier than trying to tie it onto your pack. I have a different brand that came with a nylon carrying case that I thought I would never use. But I pack the canister and then put the overflow, like bread and such, that will be used up first in the nylon bag. Then I hang the bag for a few days until all the food fits in the canister. If you have a bag, it is easier to tie the canister onto the outside of your pack, but don't leave it out overnight in the bag which would just give an animal an easy way to carry it off.
Eventually we will be required to carry some sort of canister nearly everywhere--my theory is that we might as well get used to using them now and make them part of our systems and routines--It will be good for the bears too.
Could you be more specific about which ones you are talking about? The BV comes regular and short, and both are the same width - so, one should not appear more skinny than the other. I have the short one and while its overkill for me as a solo hiker, it provides lazy protection from animal elements, is a good stool or stove table, and holds lots of my little gear in one place in my pack in addition to food. Should be good for you two. I know its only about $10 less than the big one - but the regular one IS too much overkill.
I have the BV500. I see now that I ordered the bigger one from the catalog, thinking it was smaller. It appears to be less in diameter in the picture but that is because it is longer. I saw the other one and it looked like it would not fit in the back of my SUV, much less my pack! To answer one question above, I will not be camping where they are required, but want the peace of mind of thinking I am doing all I can to keep animals away. I had a bear come up to my campsite several years ago. After he left, I found a part of energy cube in my pants. I vowed to do better about storing my food after that. The next year a mouse climbed my bear bag line and chewed a hole through the bag and into a trail mix pouch.
i have the bear vault canister..if you can carry it it keeps fragile food from breaking and works great as a seat. The solid sides make it a pain to pack though.
Ah, lesson learned... always check the specs. Return the huge one and get the BV450.
chiefiepoo
09-09-2011, 14:15
I bought the BV 450 to work into my food plan for travel in Yosemite next year. Containers required there. To gain experience I carried it for a trip to Isle Royal and for a two week period at Glacier NP. Cannisters not required at either place. At IR, I was faced with the prospect of having to carry 8 days of food. I used the BV to cache half the food along the trail at an intersection I'd return to on an extended loop hike. It held 4 days of solo food with room to spare. It's good for storing other things like all of the personal care smellys and, yes, the garbage. On the Glacier trip I had much more experience packing it day to day. I wound up putting it towards the bottom of the pack. In the morning after pc and meal, I'd separate my days lunch and snacks in a gallon freezer bag and load them on top. BV went in the bottom of the main compartment. you wind up packing a lot of your gear around it's round shape to keep it centered. My final comments. It's a pain in the ass to be lugging with its' 2lb + base weight. I would not carry it anywhere back east, week end or week plus. I'll hang a bag in bear country where required. I don't think I'd carry it out west 'cept where it is required. It's a good product. I had no trouble opening it. Makes a good seat or stove stand. Bought it a little cheaper from Austin Canoe and Kayak. Still waiting to see the bears use it as a kick ball.