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Bear Canisters
Bear Canisters
123
I personally like the idea of the Ursack. I don't live in grizzly territory and we have hung our food for 34 of my 52 years on this earth. Rigging a correct bear bag hang IS a PIA. I usually use an odor liner bag so migrating to the Ursack seems like a no brainer. And a sidenote; I've had far more issues with coons and mice than with bears ever. They(Ursack) make a critter bag which is lighter and of a finer weave. The high peaks region of the Adirondacks requires the use of a vault so we don't go there any more. (I hate those bulky heavy canisters) We hike/camp around the high peaks instead, hanging our food. The only problems we've seen with black bears are the ones humans have created in dumps &residential areas where bears have learned to equate humans with food. in the backwoods & mountains they are like hen's teeth; usually more scared of you than you are of them.
28
SandmanBravo
" they are like hen's teeth; usually more scared of you than you are of them."
If They were the ones with the high-powered, scoped, hunting rifles, it might be the other way around. One can only hope, since it is we who are the Invasive Species.
1181
Big thumbs-up for the Ursack option! Just my opinion, but I think it's asinine that the NPS (another extension of the nanny-state that the US has become) requires me to haul an overpriced, oversized, 2+ lb hunk of bear canister into black bear country - grizzly territory may be another issue. I've spent a lot of time (40+ years of backpacking, hunting, fishing, and forestry work) around both East and West coast black bears and have never had a problem with a properly hung bag. I primarily backpack with sealed, dehydrated food, with both food and emptied packaging kept in an odor barrier bag (hung in a bear bag at night). If a bear was to crush my food in a properly secured Ursak, I frankly wouldn't care - it's just getting rehydrated with water anyways. I'd rather save 2 lb and a cubic foot of space in my pack while putting in long miles over high passes. Ursack - for adults with the due diligence to make informed decisions and take personal responsibility for their choices!
I use the Ursak for the AT, but should it really be considered here? It is not yet approved for use in many of the parks on the west coast . I personally think responsible use of the Ursak is far better than using any can... but the law is the law.
I've spent a lot more in dollars/oz to reduce pack weight. If I was hiking in grizzly bear country, or in a place that required one, I'd gladly splurge for the Bearikade to lose the 10 ozs from my pack over the BV100. I might use the Usack, but I'd still hang it from a tree. Till then, I'll continue to pack my 2.4 oz, 10L CF bear bag system.
392
I just added the Hunny, which looks the most promising of all 2016 options. I have a few BearVaults and find them very useful, albeit heavy. I love being able to see what's inside my bear can and where it is.
Let's talk about the Ursack for a moment. I don't know why anyone in their right mind buys this thing. Yes you can roll it up. Yes it's light. Yes a bear can't technically break it. Now that we've established that, here's the problem:
1) your food will get ruined and anything in it will likely be destroyed. read the reviews. if it isn’t destroyed by force, it’s soaked in bear spit, and stinks
2) the bears still smell it, since it doesn’t lock odors very well (unless you line it with a thick bag, which increases the weight anyway, so it will still attract bears to your camp
So altogether, what’s the point? You are still attracting bears, and your food still gets ruined.
I have nothing against ursack except for their somewhat unethical techniques in getting the bags approved everywhere. There’s lots of stories about this on backpacking forums if you look around — rangers don’t recommend them, but the governing organizations are acquiescing due to the legal battles.
Let's talk about the Ursack for a moment. I don't know why anyone in their right mind buys this thing. Yes you can roll it up. Yes it's light. Yes a bear can't technically break it. Now that we've established that, here's the problem:
1) your food will get ruined and anything in it will likely be destroyed. read the reviews. if it isn’t destroyed by force, it’s soaked in bear spit, and stinks
2) the bears still smell it, since it doesn’t lock odors very well (unless you line it with a thick bag, which increases the weight anyway, so it will still attract bears to your camp
So altogether, what’s the point? You are still attracting bears, and your food still gets ruined.
I have nothing against ursack except for their somewhat unethical techniques in getting the bags approved everywhere. There’s lots of stories about this on backpacking forums if you look around — rangers don’t recommend them, but the governing organizations are acquiescing due to the legal battles.
392
The ursack sued its way into approval and leaves your belongings crushed and full of bear spit. If a massdrop push can help get the Hunny more $ and approval, I'm all for it.
5
octavecat
I couldn't care less about about ursack. Hunny hasn't ever made one model even of their bear canister. HASN'T EVER MADE ONE. THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SELL BUT A CONCEPT. That concept could take years to get approved let alone actually produced. Wait until its made. It should be removed.
For the love of god, vote for the Ursack! It's now accepted in many parks and forests that require bear cans!!! They are worlds better to pack.
392
cruxpitch
You might want to look into why this is. It's accepted because the creator is a lawyer who has pummeled the NPS into submission. I just added my own comment with more substance about this.
I had never seen the Lighter1 until I ran across this poll. Seems like a no brainer - lighter, cheaper, and the lid has multiple uses.
79
I rented a Bearikade this summer in Winds River. I would definitely purchase one over the others if I can get it on sale. 10 oz is a lot when you are trying to cut down weights...
I've got a BV500 and a Bearikade Expedition, the Bearikade wins just about every time I go out for more than a few days.
check out the video here on the landing page - http://www.ursack.com/
I also would prefer to have something that I could roll up/condense as I go through food!
I also would prefer to have something that I could roll up/condense as I go through food!
4
I have a Bear Vault 450 and it's great, but it's fairly easy to find used or on sale. The Bearikades and the Ursack are much harder to come by at a discount.
I have two sizes of the Bear Vault and they are great. I like the volume, the clear walls to see where things are, and the flat top which allows the canister to double as a reasonably comfortable seat. It's tricky to open however. The best way to do it is to bring an expired credit card or something similar to insert between the lip of the lid and the tabs it needs to spin past to open. Not doing so means you have to struggle to push the side of the lid in and spin it at the same time. It's not easy and even harder at night, in the cold, when all you want is to take out the toothpaste you forgot to grab when you got your toothbrush.
I still vote for the Bearikade because compared to the Bear Vault it's lighter, lid is simple to unscrew, and I haven't heard about any cases of bears having opened one. http://www.bearvault.com/bearvault_productnotices.php
So the Bearikade saves you 10oz in trail weight but at over $250 that seems asinine. Also, carbon fiber isn't all that great for the environment so I'm going to pass. The URSACK isn't approved by SIBBG as a suitable bear container (you'll get fined $125 for using this in containment zones in Yosemite and other parks).
Buttonpresser
Agreed that the Bearikade is overpriced for all but the most dedicated lightweight folk who frequently find themselves in bear can country. However, I see people spending about $15 extra for each ounce they save on sleeping bags and tents all the time, so it's really not *that* far out of whack.
ThomasLC
We're on the same page ThomasLC. I have a general, moral objection to ultralight gear at these price points. I makes this sport methodology supremely cost prohibitive. I want more people to enjoy the outdoors and ultralight should be a means to that.
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