There is no disputing that backpacking gear has gotten a LOT better in the past couple of decades. Almost everything weighs less, and – unlike the early light gear – it even holds up pretty well in difficult conditions. Backpacks have gotten more features and bear canisters have saved countless trips that would have otherwise ended prematurely (and bears that would have otherwise been relocated or killed). We all live pretty darn well in the woods these days.
But I want more! Here are a few inventions that should be doable without a Manhattan Project level of effort.
- Give me a set of light, inexpensive, box-like bear canisters of multiple sizes. I refuse to believe that this could not be done with current technology; the materials must be out there somewhere. My perfect set would start with one big enough for lunch and a snack, and then scale up in size until you could pack ten days of victuals. The box shape would allow easy packing without wasting space. You could even carry two! The large one would stay in the proper spot of your backpack while the smaller one would slide into an outside pocket of the pack for easy access.
- Add to that a backpack that takes advantage of the new bear canisters. One of the issues with current bear canisters is that they are the heaviest item in your pack on day one, and the lightest on the day before your resupply. How about a backpack with three compartments? The middle and bottom compartment would be the same size, and be dimensioned to hold the appropriate canister. Then, you could start with the can in the middle and transition it to the bottom when it gets lighter.
- Lastly, I want a small battery, weighing less than a pound, that will keep my smartphone charged for seven-to-ten days, while I am using all of its features. We are almost there; I’ve found batteries which will last a week, if you keep your phone in airplane mode for most of the time. But I want it all. Give me the ability to use the breadcrumbs feature of my navigation app, take photos, constantly search for cell coverage, etc.
That’s what I would like to see. How about you?
Good hiking, Ray
Number 2 is trivial, number 1 has a major disadvantage, and 3 addresses the wrong problem.
Box shaped bear cans are no problem – if you don’t mind 3-4 times the weight of a similar volume Garcia canister. The roughly cylinder shape is to keep the strength to weight and volume to weight reasonable.
Number 3 – batteries are getting much better, but I don’t see any battery improvements that phones won’t eat up. The problem is that smart phones are designed for use in urban and suburban areas with as much power draw as possible with the constraint of lasting about one day under normal use patterns. Any charging battery improvements will also end up in the phone battery so it seems to me that the charging battery will always be good for what they are currently good for and no more. I’d like to see some “rural mode” and “wilderness mode” features on my phone that are smarter about being away from the city.
Thanks for the comment, David. Your objection to box-shaped bear canisters is a bit of begging the question. The first descriptor of my “wish list” was “light,” so – if the boxes are heavy they obviously would not meet my requirement. Your comment regarding smartphones, though, I think is very likely right on point. As batteries get better, capabilities in smartphones will expand and eat up the added capacity.
Sorry, I failed to communicate my issue with the boxes, I am trying to say what you asked for is most likely impossible. There is an engineering trade between shape and weight. A box shape has two disadvantages – first is geometry, the surface area of the walls for a given enclosed volume is much greater for the box shape, which means it is necessarily heavier. The second disadvantage is that boxes are inherently less strong than cylinders, so we need a lot more material to keep bears from breaking a box shaped can. Again, more weight. That leaves us with materials improvements. Existing cans, such as Bearikade, are already using the best practical materials available, and improvements are being researched at a level where where any significant increase in R&D would be Manhattan Project level!
Some good stuff in this comment. The second point had occurred to me (and my solution was to find stronger, lighter materials), but the first had not. Let’s say you want about 680 cubic inches of space in your canister. (Both of the following examples have nearly that amount.) The surface area in a 6″ x 6″ cylinder would be about 452 square inches. The surface area in a 8.8″ by 8.8″ cube would be closer to 465 square inches. That’s 13 more square inches (a number which would increase as the volume increased). You’re right – that’s more weight. I think the road to my preferred solution lies in the “best practical materials available” direction. No one is going to do the R&D for my (possibly impossible) bear canister, but the uses for light, strong materials is nearly universal. Perhaps there is a solution out there.
However, that gets back to your first point. Assume we could find a material that is significantly stronger and lighter. The cylindrical version would still give you the most weight savings per cubic inch.
Thanks, David. Interesting subject.
The conclusion that should be spelled out here, since it isn’t directly, is that YES a square shaped can can be built with lightweight materials that is lighter than the current cylinderic designs, BUT if we used that lightweight material on a cylenderic design, it would be even lighter and stronger than the box shaped design. A box shaped design can only win when comparing apples to oranges.
Personally, I’ve never had issues with packing a bear can full, nor with filling the space around it in the pack. Clothes fit nicely in odd spaces.
Thanks, David.
David, for the phone usage, I put mine in airplane mode. This keeps the phone from searching for cell towers. It is this search that drains a cell phone battery as it has to increase power in the attempt to find a cell tower. Putting the phone in airplane mode cuts this out. One can still use the phone for pictures and GPS. However, using the GPS will also increase current drain – thus I use a separate GPS for that purpose.
Titanium is strong and light, buf a third factor can be economics. Fourth factor seems to be the notion that bears can grip box vs cylinder/round shapes better.
All true, Danica. Thanks.
Ray, I have been wondering the same thing. Between carbon fiber, aluminum and or titanium one would believe it possible to build an ergonomic shape with enough integrity to keep supplies and wildlife safe! As for the multi compartment issue, I have been after my cousin Dana Gleason of Mystery Ranch packs to jump into the UL market with such a configuration. Concerning the battery idea, that would be great however I for one have concluded that electronics in the wilderness don’t mix well. Outside of my GPS/EPIRB I won’t be carrying any gadgets in the future… Thanks for your great book and sage advise and hope to meet you the trail this coming year. I’m planning a SOBO with my step daughter!
Appreciate the kind words, Dana. Good luck on this summer’s hike. As you well know, you two will have some fabulous memories to treasure for a lifetime!
Hi Ray,
Regarding item #3: I’m assuming you are already aware of this, but…
The two most power-hungry devices on your phone are the radio (wifi) and the GPS. So, part of the strategy for battery conservation is to ony enable those devices when needed.
That said, when I look at rechargable Lithium Polymer batteries, I see opportunities such as this (https://www.amazon.com/5000mAH-Rechargeable-Lithium-Battery-Yellow/dp/B00HQVTP02) on Amazon. Packaged appropriately and with regulated output circuit (and recharge circuit) your 1 pound, energy dense “spare power” should provide a significant level of backup power.
Seems like it might be an interesting little project to put atop my list of “things-to-try.”
I read your JMT posts on Yahoo with interest. I’m planning a NOBO JMT hike for later this year. I want to reprise my Y2K hike with a better camera (another power-demanding device).
Best,
Bob Dunlop
Thanks, Bob, for the comment and the link, although the “packaging appropriately” part is a bit beyond my capability. 😉 Good luck with the hike this summer!
Hi Ray,
BTW, after a quick look at those batteries, it seems that they are either fakes or just plain junk. However, the idea of a lightweight and compact battery pack is one that has been solved. When I am done with my students today I will send you some links.
Thanks, Bob. Looking forward to seeing what you suggest.
Over the years I’ve found the Anker products to be both well constructed and reliable. This Amazon link ( https://www.amazon.com/Anker-20100mAh-Portable-Charger-PowerCore/dp/B00X5RV14Y/ref=sr_1_1?srs=2528932011&ie=UTF8&qid=1517590328&sr=8-1&keywords=powercore ) points to a specific battery pack, but if you scroll down you’ll find a number of other Anker packs, most under a pound. I’ve toyed with “rolling my own,” but it’s a low priority since the rationale would be educational, not to make a better mousetrap.
Thanks, Bob. I have an Anker set of wireless headphones I quite like.
I use simiar battery packs to power my DSLR when doing night timelapse
Here is what I take on a long trip. I found it very helpful since it includes a solar charger. Small enough to carry. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M3Z1OVD
Regarding smartphones, it’s true that they aren’t engineered for use outside of “civilization”. What we need is a backcountry smartphone built like the original Kindles, using “ink” display technology. Very low power requirements. Would display in black & white but I would presume capable of taking/storing color photos.
You know, Rob, a couple of guys tried this a few years ago. I think it was called “The Earl.” I don’t think they ever delivered a product. Too bad because it’s a good idea. Thanks, Rob.
That “ink” display is a proprietary technology developed by eInk. They were my customer when I was a senior applications engineer for a semiconductor company. Essentially it is a display with small plastic spheres that are attracted or repelled to produce black and white. The beauty of the technology is that once the display is generated there is no power required to keep the image. Furthermore, it takes very little power to change the display. Not great for video due to speed, but fantastic for ebooks.
Ray, as for #3, it is simply battery technology that is a factor. I have been watching this technology for years and lithium is the highest density so far, but not able to meet your needs.
I would like to suggest a fourth item though – flashlight. Problem I see is that many are just too bright and do not last long enough. I am in the process of fixing this issue now. I have designed a light that is about the size of a thumb, lasts for over 200 hours and does not blind the user or others nearby. When I get a decent package put together, would you like to check it out? It does have some other very nice features that I do not want to mention yet, but very valuable based on my talks with some REI backpacking enthusiasts.
Couldn’t agree more, Derek. I have a small headlamp that I love, but it is no longer available. Please let me know how I can help when you get to that point. Thanks!
Very reasonable and modified flashlight technology. Much needed.
Since the size and shape of bear canisters is established by the fact that cylindrical shapes are stronger per unit weight (regardless of the material used) and by the need for them to be a size and shape bears can’t get their jaws around, let’s tackle the “wasted space” around bear canisters: I ordered a few stuff sacks from Cascade Designs, makers of ThermaRest pads, etc. They’re good quality and lightweight, and >>> longer and narrower than typical stuff sacks. It works quite well to put one in each corner of a pack, around a bear canister.
Great idea, Laura. Thanks!
Hi Ray, can’t resist chiming in. My take is that you need a collapsible cylinder that locks in it’s open shape for night time use. Like the dishware that collapses on steroids. This way, your food goes in a sack during the day, and the collapsed cannister can be carried inside or outside the pack. Capacity might be bigger this way too. NOBO 8/24.