In previous posts I’ve discussed my sleeping bag, sleeping pad, stove, tent, and water purification strategy. If you go back and read those entries be sure to read the comments. There are a lot of great suggestions there.
Before I describe my bear canister, here’s a bit more regarding the rules behind their use.
There are stretches on the John Muir Trail where bear canisters are not mandatory; this map shows where canisters are required and where they are not. Here’s the thing, though: in the areas where canisters aren’t required, the only legal alternative is to counterbalance your food.
Like the Sasquatch, this tree (suitable for a proper counterbalance) is rumored to exist but has never been sighted in the Sierra Nevada.
Counterbalancing is hard to do, effectively, and means that instead of trudging around at the end of the day looking for an empty, flat, legal campsite (which isn’t always easy to find), you are trudging around looking for an empty, flat, legal campsite near a tree with the perfectly placed branch growing from it’s side.
Good luck with that. The practical solution is to carry a canister throughout.
I’ve written about the Wild Ideas canisters before, and after my latest thru-hike I’m as convinced as ever: the Bearikade is your best choice. Although I’ve rented in the past, a few years back I went ahead and purchased a Bearikade Scout. I’ve carried it ever since. (Since I do most of my Sierra Nevada hikes solo, and since I don’t bring much food, a small canister is all I need.)
The Bearikades are the lightest, do a great job of protecting your food, and come in lots of different sizes.
If you decide to rent instead of buy, and if you are hiking the John Muir Trail, you can even call them (805-693-0550) for a substantial discount.
Purchasing, however, may be the better way to go. Why? Because you can have your canister custom made to hold precisely what you want. (They do that by varying the length of the cylinder, not by changing the diameter.) Want a canister that holds a couple of cubic liters more? Order a canister a couple of inches longer. Since the carbon-fiber material in the middle is the lightest part of the canister, you gain less than two ounces of weight per extra inch of length.
The Bearikades are a bit pricey. If you are willing to carry more weight, here and here are lists of other approved canisters.
Much of what I carried on the trail this year will never see the woods again, at least in my backpack. I’ve decided to be much more aggressive in my pursuit of a lighter load. That’s not true of my Bearikade; right now, at least, it’s as good as it gets.
My grade: A
Good hiking, Ray
Great article! I’ve been wanting one of these for awhile. I may just have to take the plunge and buy one. I currently have a Bear Vault, but it’s heavy, and the lid can be challenging if you have cold hands. I used a Garcia years ago, but those are very heavy, and the shape is impractical. I’ve been intrigued by the Bearikade, and have heard nothing but positive comments about them.
Thanks, Kathy. It a great product, and the folks who sell it are really easy to work with.
Ray, the main motivation behind me building the used gear search was purely to try to get my hands on a used Bearikade!
Great post, and great recommendation for a great company!
I have an Expedition and it’s a great canister. Note that it is O-Ring sealed so it is waterproof and even air-tight. You can shove our most precious things that absolutely positively need to stay dry (think sleeping bag) inside it during the day (assuming you take care not to get a bunch of food odors on it).
The one issue I had with it, which is weird, and which I reported to the Rocket Scientists at Wild Ideas is –>
Do not put Trident gum inside unless you double or triple pack it. The gum smell has some sort of weird effect and will make other things inside, like tortillas, stink to high heaven. It creates a nauseating smell. Very weird but reproducible.
Interesting point re: the gum, Byron. I think we all have experienced that certain “bear can scent” that is emitted when you open it. By the end of the hike, it is NOT pleasant. Thanks for the comment!
Big believer in these things, especially Bearikades
(1) After renting a Bearikade last year I was so impressed that I saved my pennies and decided to buy one and can pack for a week just a tad under 20 lbs now. Was happy to make that number!
(2) Canisters are great tables and stools. Multi-purpose items, the cardinal rule of light packing!
(3)The “weekender” holds 10 days of food if you are careful, or 7 days + toiletries and odds-n-ends easily. Order smaller than the website recommends if you are willing to try to pack food compactly.
(4) Canisters save us and bears a lot of trouble, period. I’ve watched a bear walk right by these things (I’ll admit to being shocked, I thought it would at least take a sniff), although I have one report from a friend of going off for a little fishing and coming back to basecamp only to wait it out while a bear enjoyed licking the canister. No harm done other than a little slobber.
So true, Alra. I also use mine do to laundry! Thanks for the comment.
I see the custom bearikades referred to constantly. While they may be OK generally for the sierras, to my knowledge the cannisters approved by Yosemite are very specific, and do not include custom bearikades. The Scout is not approved, only the weekender and expedition above certain serial #s.
Not saying I think its inferior, I dont. No reason to believe so. But custom sized models were not tested and approved.
I doubt you would ever have any difficulties either.
Wow. You learn something every day. I’ve always assumed that they were all approved, but given the bureaucracy involved, I suspect you are correct. Thanks for the info; I suspect there is a subsequent blog post on this subject to come!