Bear Canisters – size matters!

[Steve Young]

Not haveing used them previously, I’m seeking feedback about bear canisters. Especially as regards number of days food they actually hold.
I would use primarily for weekend to 4 or 5 day northern Sierra trips. As Yosemite and surrounding wilderness areas occupy acreage, the Ursack seems ill suited (unless the liner is approved).
I’m leaning toward the BV 250 but wonder if it will really cache 4 days worth of food.
I’d appreciate any feedback you might offer.
Thanks
Steve

[Ken Helwig]

Hi, I just got back from SEKI and did a four day trip with the Bearvault that you are mentioning. It was a tight squeeze with that cannister, but here is the key. First days food was kept out of the cannister. This enabled me to have sufficient space to store the rest of my food for the trip.

[Steve Young]

Thanks Ken,
Thought this might be the realistic strategy. By the way, are you an epicure, a bag boiler, or otherwise?
Steve

[Mark Verber]

I can fit my .9l pot (filled with my stove and alcohol), food for 4 days (3 nights), and all my smelly things into the BV250 and still have room left.

[Steve Young]

Thanks Mark,
If I run out of room can I have your left over space?

[Mark Verber]

Sure. When are you picking me up and where are we going? I figure my exposure is pretty limited since it just the space left in my small canister.

[Steve Young]

Been working 7 days per for the last 3 weeks. Anxious to get lost next week and try out my new ul rig. My Micropuff vest should be here by then (patagonia’s summer sale is on).

Haven’t been up West Walker River to Bond Pass area in quite a while. Is there enough room left in your canister for us to make Jack Main Canyon and Back? I’m not an epicure but I do enjoy a treat now and then. I love of comfort food rivals your love of a comfy sleeping pad.

Steve

[cat morris]

In Denali where the Garcia is approved we used the Garcia Backpacker Model 812-C & were able to cram 8 people days worth of food into the bear barrel, leaving our first day’s food out. We could not have fit typical mountain house type freeze-dried food packages in, but we used a couple MaryJanes which are paper only & mostly used ziplock-cook-in-a-bag breakfast & dinners. We really had to work it & press the air out to get all that food in. My estimate is that we had 1 1/2 # of food each per day. We used two bear barrels for 4 people for 5 days of backpacking.

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