I've been lurking on BPL for quite some time and have decided it is time for me to share my experiences. I purchased a ULA Ohm 2.0 this spring and found much information about how it is not a good choice for use with a bear canister with a few comments about how it is doable but not recommended.
I hike at least twice a year in the Sierras and decided to take the plunge and buy a Bearikade Weekender. Previously I had used a Bear Vault and once rented a Bearikade Expedition with a REI flash pack. I found they worked well in that pack vertically.
When I first tried using the Bearikade in my new ULA Ohm, I was worried it would not work. I had my sleeping quilt in it's stuff sack at the bottom, as well as my hammock underquilt in its stuff sack. I also had my platypus bladder, filled up to 2 liters. I could fit the Bearkiade in vertically, but it was very uncomfortable. It pushed the hydration bladder uncomfortably against my back. I tried all kinds of repositioning, making it higher, lower, you name it and it was not comfortable. If it was too high, it would move around and touch my head if I looked up. Too low pushed the bladder more into my back. When I emptied the bladder, it felt better but I still could feel it and was worried. It would never stay straight up so the angle would cause either to top or bottom of it to push into me.
At that point I decided to ditch the bladder and move to gatorade bottles strapped to my shoulder straps. These are included with the ULA Ohm. One nice side effect of trying to fit the Bearikade in the pack is that I learned I actually prefer that system over the internal hydration bladder. It also weighs less, which is a plus.
Despite these improvements, I could still feel the bear cansiter in an uncomfortable way. So I decided to take my down quilt and underquilt out of their stuff sacks and just put them in the bottom of the pack and let them fill the space. I then put the Bearikade in on top of them being sure to have a little of the quilt sticking up the pack on the side of my back. After doing this, it was much more comfortable. The canister was able to settle in straight up and down and was not forced into position due to a compression sack.
Two weeks ago, I completed a 40 mile Hike in Sequoia National Park and the Jennie Lakes Wilderness. I was never uncomfortable. My maximum pack weight was around 26 pounds at the start.
So there you have it, it is possible to be comfortable using the ULA Ohm 2.0 with a bear canister.
John
