Bear canisters and regulations

[JWreno]

Not an expert but the Bearikade isn't on the list...

https://igbconline.org/wp-content/uploa ... s_List.pdf

It costs $800 to test. It also costs some annual administrative fee but I don't know that amount.

[Lumbergh21]

I agree that it would be nice if there was some reason given for why a food storage device works in one juridiction but not in another. That said, I have come around to using a bear cannister on all of my overnight trips. Honestly, I have yet to see someone hang a food bag correcly. Everyone seems to prefer the "bear pinata" style of hanging. I have even shown people how to do a "PCT hang" only to see them hang their food less than 10 feet off the ground with the cordage tied to the tree trunk. Given the conifer forests that I hike in, there have been times when I have not met the requirements for distance from the tree trunk myself, lieing to myself that at least it is high enough and a PCT hang so it is good enough. Finally, I just got tired of hunting for the right tree branch and trying to throw a rock tied to some cordage over that tree branch.

p.s. My argument against the Ursack is that not only do I want to keep the bear from getting my food; I want to keep it edible for me, not crushed and slobbered on by a bear. That's just a personal thing, not a reason that other people shouldn't be allowed to use it.

[Gogd]

..I have yet to see someone hang a food bag correcly. (sic) Everyone seems to prefer the "bear pinata" (sic) style of hanging...

OK, I'll bite. This is how I hang food. Been doing it this way for over 50 years without incidence. I've camped all over the Sierra, Cascadia, and many parts of the Rockies. It places food far out of reach of anything larger than a squirrel. We've used this technique to position caches during the summer season, to be accessed on ski treks in the next spring (albeit we used metal trash cans with lids wired shut to keep out the varmints and birds). And I have yet to have one of those wise bears figure out what to do with my lines.

The red line has a carabineer on the top end, while the low end is tied off to something low. The hauling end of tan line passes through the bineer, and is tied off somewhere beneath the bineer; while the far end of the tan line is tethered to an object. Variations on the concept can be tree to tree; tree to precipice; precipice to precipice; flat land structure to precipice; or just dangling off of a precipice. My food bag typically hangs 15' above the nearest object below, and 8' out from any limbs larger than 1" dia. The binner on the red line greatly minimizes damage to trees caused by the haul lines sawing into tree bark, reduces the effort required to hoist the food bag, and eliminates the specter of gear getting fouled on trees and structure.

That said, I use a bear canister, if for no other reason than it makes a good stool. But I still hang garbage as I hate comingling food and trash.
     

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Ed

[sambieni]

Not paid to promo, but putting a plug for Wild Ideas customer service. One gear upgrade this year is lightening my bear can from a BV500 so ordered a custom Bearikade can for 695 cubic inches - matches sizing of BV500, but 9 ounces lighter and nearly 2 inches shorter - should make it fit better in my new Durston Kakwa 55 pack!

Wild Ideas quoted 4 weeks shipping; I gave myself 6 weeks just in case. Well, I just learned it will really be 8 weeks and sadly not in time for my July 4 weekend gear shakedown trip. Short story long.... Wild Ideas is shipping me a rental can - for free - to make sure I have a can for the trip while I wait for the final custom one!

[sambieni]

Not an expert but the Bearikade isn't on the list...

https://igbconline.org/wp-content/uploa ... s_List.pdf

It costs $800 to test. It also costs some annual administrative fee but I don't know that amount.

I emailed Bearikade directly - shared the list and inquired about their absence from inclusion. They did not appear to address it specifically, but def. appeared unconcerned. Below is the response.

Yes good for Grizzly Bear. National Park Service arranged a captive Grizzly test at the Fresno Zoo in 2000. Betsy and Ross weighed 950 pounds each. Starved for 2 days and then given a chance to get food from our Bearikade. No progress made after an hour. Rangers felt sorry for their prized animals and called it good. Ranger Roger Semler introduced Bearikades to Alaska and they served well for 14 years. Roger's office is now in Washington, DC. He is head of all wilderness activities governed by the National Park Service.

The National Park Service stopped involvement in testing and approving portable food canisters in 2012. Gave the job to IGBC and they soon learned the liability and funding issues were important. They passed to a private group. The "list" survived and can be found on canisters that are breached frequently. We know because we sell to those disgruntled customers who lost food.