Help choosing Bearikade size

I found a thick but light aluminum washer at Ace Hardware that fits the fasteners on my Scout and tied it to a thin piece of cord and taped the end of that to the center of the lid. I don’t remember the weight but it couldn’t be more than a few grams and it’s right there when I need it. Very convenient.

I tape about an inch of thin piece of aluminum bar stock to the lid…and carry a swiss army knife with screw driver. One trip I lost BOTH… don’t ask! :((

I tried bumming a quarter from other campers, but only one guy had a penny… it worked, but it really hurt my fingers to put that much force on that small of an area… next day I found a quarter in the summit register on top of Mt Whitney… problem solved… But it could be an issue if you were solo on a remote hike… if you can’t get into your food you have a problem!

A metal titanium or alloy spoon (in my case I have an assortment of S2S and REI ones) opens a Bearikade.  For avoiding damage to the spoon, use the edge of the handle not the end.  Also the edge (not the end) of the “nail file/screwdriver” thingy on the SAK Classic that many folks carry.  Orient it with the closing edge down so it doesn’t try to close with pressure.  No need to worry about losing your quarter.

Thanks for the advice all, I am a machinist and plan on making a custom tool.

Oh dang. I’d be curious to see what you end up making!

pictures or it didn’t happen!

I use an expedition size Bearikade for my 3 day trips as well as the 8 day trips. On shorter trips there’s extra room for my stove, cooking pot, fuel, etc. On the 8 day trip I pack it completely full of food (plus some booze).
Despite its size, I’ve used it in a Mariposa.
It’s awesome.

Well, to update, I received my Scout today (opted not for the Weekender) and although I could fit my load in there for 3 nights easily, 4 with work and 5 with extreme work, it’s far too short to sit on with my disability. I am going to see if I can exchange for the Expedition. I have enough room in my pack to haul it vertically so no need for the load shelf.

Thanks Joe Vigil. I don’t know why but I was envisioning it as a behemoth. You’d think the machining background would have informed me, but I’m not really good with abstracts, having it in front of me I can see I can completely manage it. I am worried about not being able to exchange it, but if so I’ll chalk it up to hasty nature. It won’t be the last time. I will have to figure out what to do with this though. Let’s see what Wild Ideas says tomorrow.

For trying out packing volume of a Bearikade prior to renting or purchasing:  The cylindrical forms you can get at a large hardware store, for pouring concrete piers, are about the right diameter and come in sufficient length.  Not expensive, plenty rigid, and way easier than trying to fashion something out of cardboard.

Chistopher, I found the Weekender to be a suitable stool. However I have short legs. It may not work for you. Hey, I just found out about an awesome looking hammock chair that’s very light on another recent thread. Buying and carrying an Expedition on a four day trip to use it as a stool seems a bit of overkill…but maybe not! Maybe it works as a lightweight stool. I find I need a back for any camp chair in order to really relax and recover. As a result, I never really used the Weekender as a stool for any length of time. Here’s the ‘chammock.’:

https://www.chammockco.com/

Right on, jscott. My pelvis is held together with a bunch of steel and I have what I call a “jelly” right leg. It’s weaker, slower to react and has less proprioception than the left. My balance is weird at times, particularly entering and leaving a sit/squat. None of the lightweight chairs work for me at all. I’ve had to think outside the box so to speak. I figured I’d try the Scout but it’s impossible for me to safely get on or off it. I can store the Expedition horizontally, mostly empty, either on my lumbar or under the top lid up high. I don’t like either option with its height (width I guess when on its side). I can also store it vertically in my pack (it’s a large bag, 79L, all my other stuff is very small and light) however now it’s a pain to grab at break time. I’ve thought about getting another Scout and stacking them for a height of 16” (2 more than the Exp., not much but very much for my needs). I could then put one on lumbar and one under lid. I rather like this option most for me, the only con obviously being the high cost. But, I choose to spend my disposable income on my hobby and anything that helps me deal with my unique needs, saves me time and isn’t heavyweight I’m willing to do.

On a side note, I thought the locking fasteners had a weird head judging by everyone’s comments about them. Now that I see them I’m familiar with dzus fasteners. It’s just a quarter turn fastener, they make hand tools specific for them. I do carry a bit driver that I use for turning things (weak dominant right hand grip due to screws in the large pinky knuckle area; a nasty motorcycle accident in ‘14  is the cause of all my issues ;-), so I think I’ll grab one, cut off the handle and make it into a bit to put in my driver. Less work for sure then fabbing a custom profiled head. Gripping a washer or coin is not the easiest thing for me.