longri wrote:markskor wrote:They said the minimum span that a bear cannot exert enough force to crush a can. This could explain the 8 inch Scout not being listed as legal?
Maybe, maybe not. I was originally going to send an email to Wild Ideas and ask them but I talked to a couple of backcountry rangers instead. They're the ones who would be writing the tickets. The two I asked had never heard of the Scout model and said it would be fine.
I don't actually have a Scout. I thought about buying one but the weight savings was pretty small over the Weekender. And although it is a lower volume it's still 9" in diameter. The diameter is the main problem with carrying these rigid mini-barrels in a small pack.
I did email Wild Ideas; here is their reply:
We build 82 Bearikade sizes. Every 1/8” from 8” to 18” tall. Challenge to include on short list. We sell Bearikade Scouts to Yosemite NP every season.
So I emailed YNP & SEKI. Got a reply from SEKI:
Good afternoon!
In short, the Bearikade Scout is not approved by the IGBC, which is the first step in getting it approved for use in the Parks. The long answer, from our Park Wildlife Biologist, is below, just in case you are interested. We appreciate your inquiry!
Bearikade Weekender MKII (1766 and higher) and Expedition MKII (1766 and higher) are the only two Wild Ideas products that are allowed for use in SEKI and YOSE at this time. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) has not added the Wild Ideas Scout to its list of certified products (the currently allowed Wild Ideas models went through another process and were grandfathered in to the allowed list of containers). Being on the IGBC list is one of the requirements before we consider allowing a new container.
New containers are allowed, as follows:
1. Containers must be certified as “bear-resistant” by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) testing program according to their most current procedures for testing of commercially available containers.
2. Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite staff will periodically review “new” portable bear-resistant containers certified by the IGBC to see if the products are appropriate for use in the parks.
3. The parks will routinely monitor/evaluate the effectiveness of bear-resistant containers allowed for use in the parks.
The goal of our periodic reviews is to ensure that products certified by the IGBC are suitable for use in the parks. Suitable containers must be safe for use by visitors, effective in preventing black bears and other animals from accessing human food items, trash or scented products, be fully functional as a “stand-alone” device, and not present unacceptable impacts to the natural environment. Once we determine that a container’s performance is likely to be satisfactory, we will add the container’s commercial name and model information to the list of containers allowed for use by visitors in the parks.
Have a wonderful afternoon!
Analisa
Not very helpful on either side, thus my raising the question here.
Thanks to all for the info. Hoping to jump into the Bearikade waters this winter!