Thought that I would post this up as it inspire someone else.

I went out to do the JMT last year, and will be doing more hikes in bear country (Glacier, Lost Coast, Yosemite) again this year, so I built a pack specifically for the job of carrying a bear can. I was tired of digging around, and having to pack around the can, so instead I built the pack around the can.

Weight comes in at 1 pound, 7.5 ounces. It has a corrugated plastic framesheet, and the pack carries like a champ. The can sits right in the arch of my lower back. It is nice to be able to stop at lunch, get food out without having to unpack anything.

Thought I would share.

Cheers



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Brilliant!

Nicely done plus it looks cool.

I like the match up between back and can curvature.

I really like your unique approach to the problem of carrying a bear canister. It looks like your design could also carry a Bear Vault 500 as easily as the Bearikade Expedition shown.
We were all just having a brainstorming session about this very subject recently at GGGIV. Some ultralight packs wont fit a large enough bear canister inside to cover a 10 day hike such as the JMT.
Your solution is very interesting.
Nice Work!

This looks great, what canister is that though? Even if I wasn't in bear country I wouldn't mind carrying this just for the easy access to food. Looks big enough that I could fit my Ikea stove and pot inside.

Edit-Disregard, noticed the logo on the can.

Edited by coreyfmiller on 02/20/2012 20:54:21 MST.

whoa, looking great! Any way we can see the backpanel? I'm curious to see how the waistbelt attaches etc. Thanks!

Very cool concept. Any chance we could see it being worn? Just don't drop that on anything sharp when loaded.

Edited by kthompson on 02/20/2012 21:12:11 MST.

"Just don't drop that on anything sharp when loaded."

HAHHA, i just got this awesome visual of a carbon fiber pinata, with freeze dried food exploding everywhere on the trail as the payout.

That is awesome. I've never liked packs that carry the can on top, since it's in the way and seems kind of awkward. That is an elegant solution to that problem...

Glad you guys like it. A couple more details:

1. The corrugated plastic actually runs underneath the can and forms a bit of a shelf to help keep it in place, and to help protect the can. Though I think the can is pretty dang strong, and can withstand some pretty serious abuse.

2. The hipbelt has a sleeve that it passes through. There is Velcro on the hipbelt and on the inside of the sleeve to help keep it in place.

3. The can feels super secure in when it is on the pack. I did cut a 6" by 8" piece of rug gripper that I place between the can and the bottom 'shelf' to help prevent side to side movement.



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Let me know if there are any other questions.

Cheers!

How much?

What size Bearikade?

Very cool idea, good to see someone 'thinking out of the bag', so to speak. Can't help but remind me of my old REI external frame pack with the sleeping bag and tent stuck under the main storage sack of the pack.

How does this carry with the can almost empty of food? Seems like it might be a touch top heavy at that point, have you found the way the weight distributes over a week noteworthy? that's the only real downside I can see with this method.

If I were a cottage gear guy I'd take a close look at this, it really does seem to solve a big issue with UL/SUL packs, at very little cost beyond the possible top heavy part of the weight distribution, but then again, ul loads aren't that high in the first place. I use a Lowe zepton true 50 liter pack (ie, internal bag volume is really 50 liters), and bv500 fits fine across the top, inside the pack that is, horizontally, but that's not a sul pack, just a quite light one at 2.5 pounds or so.

Edited by hhope on 02/22/2012 16:26:19 MST.

Is that an adjustable torso and a removable hipbelt that I see? Incredible workmanship, and really well thought out.

On the plus side, you won't need a bear can in Glacier. Most if not all of the developed campgrounds have bear hangs, and it can be pretty difficult to get a permit for an undeveloped site (doable, but difficult).

Awesome work! Congratulations.

"Just don't drop that on anything sharp when loaded."

HAHHA, i just got this awesome visual of a carbon fiber pinata, with freeze dried food exploding everywhere on the trail as the payout."

You guys are kidding, right? You know those canisters can survive a 100ft drop off a cliff, right?

One night in the ONP we left our rental bear canisters(same model shown here) out and some wiley raccoons rolled them off a nearby cliff onto some rocks. Barely a scratch. The fabric will burst into a million pieces before the canister will even dent/crack.

Not all canisters are created equal. Does give a good visual though. Like the cushioned flap too.

Ron,
Congratulations on your truly unique idea and bringing it to life.
I don't hike where bear cans are required, but for years have felt the angst expressed on BPL threads from those who do.
This really addresses the problems they express, in the most creative way imaginable, and with the added pluses you noted.
I could actually go to bear can country now.

"One night in the ONP we left our rental bear canisters(same model shown here) out and some wiley raccoons rolled them off a nearby cliff onto some rocks. Barely a scratch. The fabric will burst into a million pieces before the canister will even dent/crack."

You were RENTING bearikades??

As for the back, way cool! I too am always bummed at having to pack around the can. I even bought my last pack mostly because it would fit the bearikade weekender horizontally instead of vertically. I just have one question, does having the can and the associated food weight on the bottom of the pack make it carry awkwardly? I always learned that you want your heaviest items as close to the body as possible and between the shoulder blades.

I love your idea - beautiful job on the pack!

"You were RENTING bearikades??"

Olympic national park was picked by the company that manufactures bearikades as a testing ground for their products. So if you go to a ranger station they will ask you if you have a canister and rent one to you for like $3 and if your trip is long enough or if you are lucky enough, you get a bearikade, otherwise you get a garcia.

Good times!

Thanks for the additional pics Ronald! Quick question, what forms the curving support/shelf that goes underneath the bear canister? I can see the corrugated plastic, and it appears to stop at or slightly after the beginning of the curve, but what material forms the rest of it? Is it just fabric? is there CCF sandwiched in there? or am I wrong and its still corrugated plastic? Thanks!

Edited by Konrad1013 on 02/23/2012 07:31:06 MST.