Bearikades

[jscott]

Gossamer Gear G4. Mine is older; it may be that their newer design flares out a bit at the bottom. It's a tight fit but the weekender goes horizontal in this pack.

[Josh Brock]

Its solid there. I'm not worried how its going to carry, that's the only place I've ever carried a canister. Sure its not ideal to have that amount of weight on the top of my pack but hey I've never had an issue with it. I got it that size because it is more economical. For one I will only have one. I can always put less food in it but I cant always put more. I'm young so I don't know where I will end up and how big Ill need it. Second you get more space per dollar the larger it gets.

Thank you to the members that pointed those points out to me when I was looking for a canister.

[Sean Passanisi]

Great thread. I'm also determining whether I can justify the expense of a Bearikade. For those that own two sizes (BV 450 or 500, Scout or Weekender), I would love to hear how much food you can get into each one. I know this is highly individualized, much like a pack, but I'm curious.

[Scott Bentz]

I too have the Weekender for my 7-8 day trips. The only choice for me is the Bearikade or the Garcia. I have hiked using the Bear Vault and have found it really frustrating to open at the most inopportune times. Something about those threads. So, I use a Bearikade. I used to rent but finally bought one and for the Sierra I will be using if for years to come. I like the wide open top.

I also saw that you had it strapped on the top of your Gorilla. I personally like to put it straight down in my pack, vertically. I can put it in either a Mariposa Plus or a Gorilla that way. I usually pack my sleeping bag loose, and then my clothes, then the Bearikade. I like to leave my down jacket out until I pack my canister. I then pack the jacket loosely around the canister. I have found it acts like a shield from the sun and doesn't melt my chocolate stuff too much. Gotta keep those Snicker Bars from melting!

[Josh Brock]

yeah it does seem like most people on here choose to put it inside their pack. Ive only been on a short over nighter so far this year but it carries fine and all my food along with my seat(bear can) for a rest are really easy to get to. Also, for those of us using a smaller pack, if its on the outside it only adds to the volume of your set up. Instead of taking it away.

I am also looking at getting a different pack (granite gear blaze AC)…. After having gone really light last year and the year before and with the addition of DSLR photography gear I am now wanting something with more space and a lot more load carrying capability. bottom line is I will be carrying more extras with my ultra light kit.

example: two types of fishing gear, dslr tripod and external trigger, extra lenses, Ipad, Gear for two when going with my girl friend. plus in the fringe seasons like now I find my gorilla a little loaded down with some gear I use for winter, such as my feathered friends volant pants, my long and wide down mat and extra base layers. which add a substantial amount of weight and volume. Plus as a change of pace I am going to start bringing a ton of food.

As for the can I loove it and started adding my stickers(which clearly make it lighter and easier to carry). I am also going to cut a round section of pad to put on top of it for sitting. I'm happy with my purchase and would not change anything. and I think most feel the same way.

[Debbie Melita]

Sean, I can fit 6-7 days worth of food & odorous items in my Bearikade Weekender, and I am not a minimalist when it comes to food. I do freezer bag cooking, and my home-made meals in zip-locs pack smaller than pre-made freeze dried meals. I've always carried the Weekender on the inside of my pack; it fits horizontally in my REI Flash 50 pack, and vertically in my GoLite Jam2 women's pack, along with all of my backpacking gear (Tarptent Rainbow Solo tent, MH Phantom 32 bag, Neo-Air pad, etc). If I'm carrying less than 7 days worth of food, I'll pack as many other items in my canister as possible so they don't take up space elsewhere in my pack.

[M G]

Weekender: between 6-8 days of food depending on what I bring. Carry it vertically inside my Windrider 3400 or my old ULA Catalyst. Usually on top of sleeping bag and clothes with more clothes or small items tucked aroundit to make sure it is centered and doesn;'tmove around. Since full it is the heaviest item in my pack I like to have it in the right place in my pack. I think the volume is ideal for me. It's a great long weekend + for a couple or longer trip solo. Think of it as a long term investment.

[Sean Passanisi]

Thanks, Debbie and M G.

I'm finding this purchase much more difficult than others. It seems like the Scout may be the right size for me most of the time, but for 3 oz more, you get a lot more space with the Weekender. Seems like the Weekender is the better buy, as the bigger size yields greater weight savings over the BearVault line (and helps justify the cost somewhat).

On the other hand, as someone mentioned earlier in the thread, you could by both size BearVaults and have cash in your hands. Decisions, decisions…

[Steve B]

I can fit 9 days of food in my weekender, but is choosing everything very carefully and there is no wasted space. Canister weighs about 18 pounds when full. It does not go on top…

Steve

[jscott]

The smaller size of the Scout is just great for packing. I like the Weekender too but its size makes it a bit more problematic fitting in my pack. For 5-6 days the Scout is definitely my go-to canister. So yeah, depending on your pack, the size of the canister may be another factor to consider.

I've never regretted buying these. (Not both at once!)

[Jay Wilkerson]

+1 on the Scout!

[Sean Passanisi]

Btw, I noticed the Scout isn't on the approved container list. Is that an oversight?

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/containers.htm

[steven franchuk]

"Btw, I noticed the Scout isn't on the approved container list. Is that an oversight?"

Probably, The scout is the newest one in the bearikade lineup. I recently aquired one and when applying for a permite I have only replied "I have a bearikade" to the question " do you have a bear proof canister?". They have never asked for the model.

The Scout uses the same end cap and lid and carbon fiber tube as used on the Weekender. The only difference is that the tube is cut a little shorter. So I would suspect the Scout is just as strong as the Weekender. The External size is also about the same as the bearvault 450 which is aproved.

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