New Bearvaults

Interesting. Thank you for the heads up.

So,  I was wondering about this.  If I own a BV450, what is the value of a BV425?  If I am going for shorter days, wouldn’t it be easy enough to pack the void space withthe other gear that I am taking.  Isn’t is a net zero sum gain?  Just curious.

@Jon if you use smaller packs for shorter trips, want to spend $80 on saving 5oz, then yeah.

Other issue is how long before these are approved for use in certain areas/parks?

This BearVault model has approval from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee

Isn’t that the gold standard? Does that not necessarily mean it’s usable in a particular NP until they decide to approve it?

Not all parks use that list. The new bear vault models are not listed in the IGBC list from Jan. 27, 2022. Maybe updated later or on a different list perhaps.

You would think the new ones would also be approved if using the same materials, etc. but that small one is getting closer to bite sized.

I emailed Bearvault. Their response:

It passed testing, but we’re still waiting for their official letter. They only update their site about twice a year… so likely they will update it around fall? They kind of operate on their own time frame, but we were there to witness the pass :)

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee is not necessarily the gold standard for National Parks. It’s more of a gold standard for National Parks (and selected other agency-managed land units) within grizzly bear ecosystems.

For example, a Bearikade Weekender isn’t on the IGBC list, but it may still be allowed in NP’s in CA or CO but not in YNP (WY). Likewise, there’s no way you can use bear bag hanging in Yose but it’s still allowed in YNP.

This was a fun discussion to have in our last webinar on Food Storage.

I wonder if a ranger is going to write you up for carrying this can? He or she has seen hundreds of the others and knows they’re good. and the canister passed testing. Rangers know better than anyone about the slow pace of the bear-ocracy, given budget constraints and other more important things taking precedence. Maybe bring a copy of Bearvault’s statement about the can passing testing.

My guess is they’d take one look at it realize its a Bear Vault and go on.  Without looking at the label I doubt they’d know it wasn’t a 450.

Agreed.

It seems like we are getting into smaller and smaller dimensions.  I seem to recall where bear cans first arrived the minimum was 8 inches to prevent a bear from carrying one off. This one is at 6 inch height and the grub can is 6.5 inches (width).  Anyone know at what point a bear can get it’s jaws around one and carry if off?

I’d be more worried about a bear getting a good enough bite to break it.  It could be 6 inches is small enough for a bear to bite it but too big to get any force on it?  I don’t think bears tend to carry food far from where they find it.  Though maybe they would if a human was yelling at it?

Here’s the Bearikade Scout dimensions:

1 pound 12 ounces
9″ diameter base by 8″ length
500 cubic inch volume
Bearikade Scout $ 300.00

$300..! Holy smokes! I paid a lot less for mine years ago. This little puppy packs perfectly. I’m often in bear country with no issues with it at all. On the upside, it will last a lifetime or longer. I can carry five days of food in the Scout.

I was one of Wild Ideas first purchasers. Initially the owner just wanted to rent these. I had to convince an owner over the phone to let me buy one outright. I wonder if these can still be rented?

Wild Ideas still rents Bearikades

Bearvault told me they have the approval letter in hand. I’m tryna get a copy. Will update.

I think the point is just because it gets IGBC approval doesn’t mean all parks will allow it.  Every park makes their own rules and while most allow canisters approved by the IGBC not all do.  The big exceptions are the Bearikade which was SIBBG (Sierra Inter-agency Black Bear Group) approved but either failed IGBC testing or never applied for approval depending on which rumor you want to believe, and the UrSack, which is IGBC approved but not allowed in all parks.  The Ursack not being approved is somewhat political (the founder sued SIBBG and it disbanded) and somewhat due to the fact there is less chance of human error.

Yep. Understood.

Follow-up
See the attached screenshot of the approval letter from BearVault. They are shipping me a stack of stickers if anyone needs one. I will post again when I have the stickers in hand. They will start including the stickers with BV425 and BV475 cans in a few weeks.

Just in case anyone missed it: IGBC approval does not mean the can is approved in all parks, wilderness areas, or national forests.

I’m curious.  I bought my BV450 summer of 2014.  I find no sticker or any number of any kind anywhere on it.  Is this “proof of certification” requirement new?  Have the 450/500 been around so long that they are simply recognized/accepted as certified?

Yeah I don’t think ours have stickers on them.

I just got two, still in the boxes, no stickers.