High Sierra Topix

This link is to a gear site I belong to. It's a report of a new can a guy is trying to get approved and some discussion about it. It's called the Bearier and I wondered what some of you thought about it. You will see my thoughts on the can posted on the page.

http://www.trailspace.com/blog/2011/01/ ... r-700.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interesting idea, but it does have some drawbacks. Being split in two halves like that, it seem like it would be difficult to fully load. What’s the use of having that much capacity if you can only load it perhaps 3/4 of the way? Also, I like to consider a bear canister to be a multipurpose item. It should work as chair and make a good bucket also.

If you look at the website, the ends are flat, and there is a drawstring to close off each half.

The maker answered questions on a thread at backpacking.net already. Retail is 109 or so, and he's talking to various jurisdictions about approval in parks and so forth.

The extension collar intrigues me. But I question the durability of locking mechanisms. If the canister were rolled around and pounded on by a bear, on granite, would the mechanisms jam? will they stand up to repeated use? radical temp changes? I suspect subfreezing temps and repeated openings/closing had something to do with my bearvault developing failure to lock as the plastic around the tabs fatigued to the point that the lid would simply spin off.

I like the idea of the extension collar too. I'd miss the chair aspect, though. I would be curious about the overall dimensions - diameter and length, given the shape, the 700 cu in, and the advertized 9" opening I would think it would be significantly longer than than my garcia. I carry my cannister inside my pack and I am not sure if the shape would be easier to pack around or harder, but it would take some adjusting for sure. For those that strap onto the outside it looks like the design is such that it has to be broken down into two pieces to strap on, like hiking down the trail with Cadillac bumper bullets on the back of your pack. Maybe they will design a stuff sack to facilitate straping a full cannister.
I am glad to see some innovations coming along in this area, I am happy with my Garcia but it is just too heavy.

kinda looks like those lil' plastic Easter eggs that kids find in the back yard.. Still nice to see someone toying the the idea. I guess the bears will decide during the test phase. Someone must have already jumped off a boulder onto the thing mid seam, cuz, if I was a bear, that's the first thing i'd do, before kicking it to the water.

rlown wrote:kinda looks like those lil' plastic Easter eggs that kids find in the back yard.. Still nice to see someone toying the the idea. I guess the bears will decide during the test phase. Someone must have already jumped off a boulder onto the thing mid seam, cuz, if I was a bear, that's the first thing i'd do, before kicking it to the water.

+10 points... I am still laughing!

I am also glad someone is at least trying to advance the technology though.
One thing I have heard a lot of hikers complain about IS the cylindrical shape of the approved canisters.
I wonder if it is possible to make a sort of "kidney" shaped cannister or at least a squashed oval to better fit inside a packpack and still retain enough strength to pass the testing.
By the way.. with the dissolution of the SBBIG who is doing this testing and how universal would the approval be?
I have heard it is up to the individual ranger districts now post SBBIG.
Anyhow, I have a BV 500 and a Garcia Basecamp at 2lbs 9ounces for 500 cubes and 4.5 pounds for 800 cubes respectively so the only way i would be intersted is if the new canister is lighter or easier to pack AND is approved.

Hey everyone,

I'm Zac, the guy in the post (and video) on TrailSpace, and the designer of the Bearier. Just wanted to hop on this thread to help answer any questions, comments, or concerns you guys might have. As mentioned in the blog post, we're still in our development phase but hope to have units available for sale sometime in May. We'll be selling directly to customers initially while we seek out retailers to carry the Bearier 700 and GrubHub.

There's been a lot of talk on various forums, so I'll just go ahead and point out a few of the more active ones where I've already tried to answer the questions people have had so far. That said, please feel free to ask me any other questions you might have in this thread.

Links:

http://www.trailspace.com/blog/2011/01/ ... r-700.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.backpacking.net/forum/ubbthr ... 310&page=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... d_id=41913" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They should offer an optional seatbelt. I know once the whiskey starts flowing, I am very likely to fall right the hell off that thing!!

Zac,

No disrespect here, but until approved, it's pretty much useless. Also, I can sit on my Bearikade in camp. What is the approval process you're going through and how long will it take?

Russ

Useless for people who go places with mandatory canister rules, anyway. Since those places always have a list of approved canisters they have to follow or risk huge fines, or bears breaking into the canisters.

There are probably some folks who take canisters even when not going someplace they are required - I know a few of those myself. I've also taken canisters to places on the coast where it's raccoons that are the problem.

However, my budget will likely prevent my consideration of the Bearier anyway. Like most people who routinely go into active bear areas, I have an approved canister already. Two, in fact - a bear vault for longer trips, and a smaller and lighter Bare Boxer for 4 day or shorter (three days inside, first day is eaten and never goes in) trips. The Bare Boxer works great in smaller packs and weighs less than any other canister including the Bearier. For most leisure backpackers who only go a couple times a year (if that) and only for a weekend here and there, a $40 Bare Boxer makes more sense, which is why they are all over the shelves in the stores in Yosemite.

Which is not to discourage anyone trying to come up with something that will make it through the approval process - I would love something lighter and easier to carry than a canister to come along! But the reality is that there is quite a bit of competition in the light and packable canister category. A Bearikade Scout would be mine if I had more money - just a few more ounces than my Bare Boxer and it's a wider, forgiving seat for my fat rear end than the narrow little Bare Boxer.