Bear can misery

Nice story and well told! At least we know now that Bearvaults are people-resistant too.

I hate the bearvault lid, and even with the damn credit card trick I find them a pain. But I hadn't ever heard of a pressure issue, that's a new one. Maybe a needle sized hole in all the bags next time.

Another strategy might have been to goad "Big Walter" in to bezerker mode. Maybe he could then crack it open somehow with his momentary bezerker +10 strength buff. At the very least it might keep him from bashing you. :-0

With the very same model of bear canister, a buddy and I had gone to the old secret lake in Yosemite. He had loaded his food along with a small bottle of olive oil. Unfortunately, he left a big air bubble in the bottle. When we got to camp near 9000', he tried to open the canister. Well, the bubble had expanded due to pressure change, and it leaked the olive oil into all of the food bags. Worse, some leaked into the crack between the canister and its lid. Then when we tried to twist the lid off, our hands were oily, so nothing worked.

It was necessary to use every bit of clean clothing to wipe the canister clean enough. Then by sitting down on a log with the canister clamped between two knees, it took four hands to finally twist off the lid after about an hour of teeth-gnashing.

The moral is: be very careful the way you package your olive oil. Also, maybe tighten the lid only 99%.

–B.G.–

Great story. I, too, detest the locking mechanism on the Bearvault. I usually have to get out my SAK and use the screwdriver to press in the tab, because (particularly if my hands are cold) it hurts my fingers to do it.

… and that's why chocolate covered cherries get trucked around the mountains instead of over them. At least that's what my uncle, the trucker, told me.

Russell Stover says that "the internal air pocket left when the fondant liquefies can cause the candies to explode if you take them on your next high-altitude backpacking trip."

…

"use the screwdriver to press in the tab, because (particularly if my hands are cold) it hurts my fingers to do it."

I found that I can push the tab in pretty easily if I use my thumbnail.

–B.G.–

A regular Swiss Army knife has an awl, which can be used to drill holes through wood, plastic, carbon, and some metals. Perhaps that awl could drill the 1/64th inch hole (actually it would be bigger)Rodger Dodger mentions.

Does no one else realize what day it is? Nice story. :)

ha, ha, ha!

I have the same problem. I just leave it about 1 turn shy of tight.

No need to go past the lock. I just use the canister for rodents and rangers.

Good story – sometimes better communicating than "left brain" explanation.

Not drawing any comparison between rodents and rangers.

Raccoons too.

If one makes a single pin hole in each sealed packet before stuffing it into the bear can you can: 1) get more stuff into the canister and; 2) avoid the expanding bag issue.

I lived in Flagstaff, AZ (7000' elev.) for six years. At that time, all of the ice cream sold in Flagstaff was made in Phoenix or some other lowland city. By the time this ice cream reached Flagstaff, the included air expanded the ice cream enough to nearly push the lid off of the container. It still tasted good though.

…

"Does no one else realize what day it is? Nice story. :)"

---

Of course I realized the story was made up (at least once he got to the point about being forced under water by his hiking buddy), but it did have a basis in truth and that's what sparked the conversation (I thought, anyway). It was a cute story, and gave me an excuse to gripe about how hard it is to open my BV.

It's plastic. Relatively low melting point. Seems like a solution would be to heat a tent pole up in a fire and use it to melt a hole in the side of the plastic and then popping a bag.

Bingo… now you have food.

You better hope that your tent poles are made out of metal and not out of carbon fiber.

–B.G.–

I never use zip-locks for that reason.
(and the fact that I am zip-lock challenged… never seem to be able to get them to match up right)
I use the freezer bags that come with twist ties.
Leave the ties at home. Close the bag with a very lose over hand knot.
Easy to get open and does not expand when going to altitude.

Fun story.

Billy

And I might add… I don't own a BearVault… but first time I ever looked at them I figured that screw-on top would be a problem to get open… either from pressure from inside (expanding bags and/or over packing), or from grit in the thread tracks.

Billy

I poke a pin hold in each bag, but that is mostly so I can compress them in the bear can.

I use the bulk food bags from your local health food store. All the granola in one, orza pasta in another, etc. They flatten very well. 10 days of food inside a Weekender Bearikade.

Steve

Uh…guys? It was a joke. 4/1/14.

The real joke will be on all the FBC people with holes poked in their bags now ;)

I never turn mine all the way until I go to bed, even when sitting on it, either.

I learned a few things that can save some misery. Thank you!

I have had this happen but I was eventually able to get it open. My canister was stuffed full and overfilling. I forced down the food with my bear vault lid and closed it. Bad idea.

I'm just now reading this thread on May 6th, but was thinking the same thing. I hope none of the freezer bag cookers like myself would actually pokes holes in their freezer bags. LOL