Bear Canisters

No data, just a belief.

"…I went with the bearikade its lighter at a greater volume with the draw back being a higher price…

About that picture with the grizzly, as some one pointed out to me that is the only case that I have seen a bearikade fail. and I have seen pictures of other ripped apart containers since…" Josh B.

You seem to conclude there is no performance difference between the bearikade and other bear canisters. That may be true, but you are glossing over one major functional difference between bearikade and other bear canister: Bearikade is not an approved canister in grizzly bear areas and the others are. Furthermore, it appears, the lightest bearikade (the scout) is not an approved canister in blackbear areas either!

That's the difference–whether or not they are legal where you are backpacking. For example, in Grand Teton NP, where they mandate containers approved by the IGBC, the Bearikade is illegal. Interestingly, in the Wind Rivers, they allow either hanging (with a method that those who know Yosemite bears would find laughable) or IGBC-approved canisters. In Yellowstone, they allow only hanging, not canisters. These three areas, of course are contiguous, or practically so. Weird!

And, of course, the Bear Vault is illegal in parts of the Adirondacks where the late Yellow-Yellow's progeny abound.

As bears wise up, of course (Yellow-Yellow being a case in point), these requirements are bound to change. Sometimes I think bears are a lot smarter than we humans!

"And, of course, the Bear Vault is illegal in parts of the Adirondacks where the late Yellow-Yellow's progeny abound."

The BearVault is not illegal, it is just not recommended. They only require a hard sided container for food. It really doesn't have to be approved by any agency. But, it does have to be commercially manufactured with the intent of keeping bears out.

Yellow-Yellow was killed by a hunter, last year, I think. She was the only known bear to open Bear Vaults on a regular basis. I have heard one report of one of her cubs trying to imitate this behavior, but I cannot confirm it. Could be rumor…

Apparently, the FBI field office in Lake Placid, New York has begun a program to round up and detain users of the deadly BearVault "bear canisters", which are known to fail under the claw and drool of a vast number of one dead bear in the area.

"These things are illegal and pretty much the next most dangerous thing to the infamous 'Bearikade' canisters that explode in a frazzle of carbon fiber at the slightest touch by a Grizzly, but we don't have any grizzlies here and there's all this Homeland Security cash we can tap into, so you can rest assured: the public will be safe," noted Field Agent Michael McGillicuddy, "unless we catch you with an illegal BearVault, of course."

Priceless.
Next will probably hear about speed limits and "walk, don't run" signs on the JMT.

I've been searching through some threads over the past few days. Is it safe to say that the BV500 is the more appropriate size for most people on the JMT? I know some people have done it with the BV450, but I'm thinking that requires great packing and a fast pace. Not sure I'd want to risk it for 8 oz.