My wife and I are new to California and bear canisters. Had heard from a bunch of people locally that the Bearikade Weekender would be a good model and size for my wife and me for most of our trips which would be weekend-long weekend. Before pulling the trigger, wanted to ask, what are your favorites for:

1) solo weekend trips (2-4 days)

2) 2 person weekend trips (2-4 days)/Solo week-long trips

3) 2 person week-long trips

The canister will go inside our Osprey Exos 58 packs.

Edited by mountainwalker on 11/07/2009 12:16:32 MST.

The Bearikade is the number one choice if you could justify the cost. It is the lightest canister.

The other real option is the Bare Boxer Contender. It is a bit heavier but exponentially cheaper as well.

I second Jeff's Bare Boxer Contender recommendation... cheap solo box...

To honestly follow the rules you need to put all food and toiletries, (sunscreen, toothpaste, first aid cream, etc) into the canister. I have trouble getting 5 nights' worth into my Garcia canister. If you like to carry any bulky and/or fragile food you will have trouble. (Bread, crackers, chips, banana chips, etc).

For your situation if cost is no issue I would suggest one Bearikade Weekender and one Bearikade Expedition. The combination of one or both should cover all listed trip types.

The Bare Boxer doesn't seem to be big enough for more than 3 nights solo use (for me).

A big Bear Vault BV-500 probably has 20% more usable volume than my Garcia so it should be good for a weeklong solo trip. Price is 1/3 the Bearikade! California bears haven't figured out how to break into the latest version though apparently some hikers also have trouble. A combination of BV-500 and BV-450 ought to cover all your proposed trips except possibly the two-person weeklong journey.

Edited by jimqpublic on 11/07/2009 16:41:39 MST.

I've used the Bearikade Expedition model for 3 people for 3 days. All the food fit, but nothing else.

I've also used it one person for 7-8 days with everything inside and for two people for 3-4 days with everything inside.

The Bearikades are expensive, but if you're going to use a bear can multiple times, they are definitely worth the cost.

I have both Bearvaults because I had a couple of trips needing multiple canisters. But if you could only buy one and cost is at all an issue then the bearvault expedition would be my pick. It weighs a bit more than the solo but you can place your stove fuel etc and end up not wasting precious space on a shorter trip.

As far as the Bearikade, the cost/benefit wasn't there for me. But they are "rented" at Roads end in Kings Canyon and I believe a couple of other places. Or you can rent one on line. Give it a try.

Solo weekend - the Weekender will be a bit big, but you'll put your stove/pot/cup/fuel in as well to take advantage of the space.

2 person weekend - perfect, hence the name Weekender

Solo week long trip - you'll fill up the Weekender to the brim.

2 people on a weeklong trip you'll need two canisters.

Bearicade Weekender is pricey, particularly as you need two.

The Garcia is very close in size and volume to the weekender. They rent these in Yosemite and other places for just $5 per trip. They weigh 12 ounces more.

Super helpful answers, thank you very much. How effective (bear-resistant) is the Garcia and how much does it weigh?

The Garcia weighs 2 pounds 12 ounces.
Yosemite has been renting them to visitors now for many years and seem to feel that they are working well.

Do you guys use an odor proof sack inside your bear canisters, or are the canisters fairly odor proof?

Also, how far from your site do you place your canister and how much do you do to conceal it?

I've heard that people pile rocks on top of them and that not a few canisters have been destroyed by bears pushing them off cliffs.

PS I think bears are magnificent creatures but would prefer to minimize encounters after my wife and I surprised a mother and two cubs at fairly close range in the White Mountains of NH in September (yes we did everything right in terms of making noise after we thought we heard a bear fight at a long distance about 25 minutes before, but we were downwind of the bears and terrain worked against us with a short hill in front of us right before we reached the bears). We were very lucky to get away with a terrifying roar, threat charge right at us, just a few scratches from branches, a massive adrenalin rush and 2 1/2 hours spent in a 5 ft deep hole in the ground on a cold night. You should have seen us fly right back up Mt Lafayette before we found that hole off trail in the low White Pines.

By contrast first weekend in November last year we stumbled upon a mother black bear in a tree in Yosemite a few feet off the trail head of the Nevada Trail in the Valley shaking acorns off a tree for two young cubs below. She had no fear of people being near her cubs. About 20 people had congregated after a while to take pictures until the mother decided to come down. Have the video and pics. She might as well have invited us all for lunch.

Edited by mountainwalker on 11/07/2009 16:16:18 MST.

No. As jammed full as my canister always is, the sack was too hard to use.

Sierra bears know that backpackers carry food. They also know what a canister is. From discussion with rangers it seems best to put the canister out in the open a short distance from camp, not near any cliffs, steep hills, or rivers. The bear till knock it over and check to see if he can get it open, then carry on.

In theory, if I couldn't fit all the food into the canister there might be an OP sack with vacuum sealed items in it hidden. Of course I wouldn't do that...

Wow, those are some great bear encounters. Scary, but amazing to have had that experience.

To answer your questions. The bear canister is not odor proof in any way. It doesn't need to be. The bears know that backpackers have food and will come to your camp looking for it.

Don't hide the can, just put it in plain view in your kitchen area (where you cooked dinner) a bit away from your tent.

When the bear comes around in the evening it will see your tent, look for your food and recognize that bear can in the kitchen area. Being familiar with bear cans and wicked smart to boot, the bear will know that there is no food to be found in your camp and saunter on. Meanwhile you can be snug in your sleeping bag without a worry. Really.

I did three weeks on the JMT this summer. We went through some of the most bear troubled areas of California: the trail to Half Dome, Cathedral lake, Lyle Canyon, Thousand Island Lake, and Rae Lakes. I saw exactly ZERO bears. Not because the bears were not there, I am sure they were, but because they passed through our camps quickly once they found we had all our food in bear cans.

1) solo weekend trips (2-4 days)

Bearikade Weekender

2) 2 person weekend trips (2-4 days)/Solo week-long trips

Bearikade Weekender

3) 2 person week-long trips

Bearikade Expedition or 2 Bearikade Weekenders

Reasoning: They are the lightest with a foolproof
locking mechanism. The only con I can think
of is the price. Bur if you intend to use
them frequently it will be worth it.