Custom Bearikade for the Sierra

Very cool. I like having an accessable bear can on the bottom. I put my stove and all my utensils in it. Much handier. Expedition Plus? Again very cool.

With a frameless pack, do you think the bear can helps with the load,?

The bear can in this design firms up the back panel structure and allows more weight on the hips than one normally associates with frameless packs with hipbelts

The pack is aimed at those BV500/Blazer users that do not think a high center of gravity is ideal; or those vary of strapping an empty canister under a top strap not intended to securely hold it.

At 26 ounces it’s the only UL option that carry a larger canister horizontally with an agreeable mid to low load center. It goes from here to a 70+ ltr Seek Outside, McHale or Osprey/Gregory to achieve this; and with those the limit is pretty much the Blazer/BV500 sizes.

Such packs are of course unacceptable for a lightweight base weight so very few hikers have a chance to experience the virtues of a low center of gravity.

A few options with an aggressive outward flare towards the top are advertised as having the ability to carry a canister inside horizontally. Often this excludes anything bigger than the BV475; and even then the insertion seldom puts the whole canister below shoulder level

Almost all UL pack designers ignore the bear canister issue.  They leave the user with the ‘strap it empty on top’ solution; or vertical carry inside using spare clothing etc to pad the spine from the point load of the canister.

Since UL’ers especially tend to conform to the behavior/appearances of the majority, these subpar methods are widely accepted despite obv shortcomings. Feedback to makers are thus not addressing the canister conundrum much, stifling innovation.

An easy low hanging fruit for a forward thinking UL pack maker is a simple AND effective strap system for the ’empty on top’ crowd. It would not add much weight (I designed a one ounce method in twenty minutes) and most of the hardware can be removable. Just knowning  the canister is unlikely to slip out as the load sags and the regular top strap slackens is a huge improvement.

Having the canister at the bottom and available, turns a liability into an asset. It distributes the weight better. It keeps your food safe and handy. It helps stabilize your load. Adds volume to the pack. You don’t have to hang it and it’s always within reach. I prefer not removing stuff to get into my pack or to eat lunch. I’m lazy that way.