High Sierra Topix

I have two large Garcia's and use one or both every trip. Although they are a pain to pack (especially when I carry two), I love them as camp stools. I've only hung food once, at Simpson Meadow, and slept with a food pillow twice (those were the two most nervous nights of my life). I'll stick with the cans.

Hey WD, you may consider using a stuff sack. Get a grommet tool from the hardware store and install two grommets on each end of the stuff sack. Stuff the can into the stuff sack and tie off, then thread lightweight rope in one grommet and out the other on each end and tie them off to either side of the pack. Sort of like a completely enclosed hammock.

My large Garcia fits perfectly in a horizontal potion in the lower compartment of my Deuter ACT65 lite.
If I need additional food during my travel it is easily removed without disturbing anything else in my pack. Although I dont enjoy carrying a bear canister, I would rather not take any chances of loosing my food when I could be day's from a resupply.

WD, i have imagined trying to use some sort of stretchy netting to keep it in place outside the pack.

Also i have carried food seperate the canister, and it seems "lighter" i think mainly because dense can objects create leverage. I also imagine fluffy down objects that want to expand in a way "holds up" some weight. I cant imagine this force to be very strong, but any bit helps!

I once had a bear climb a tree where my food was hung and spend 3 hours breaking off every single branch until the branch with my food fell!
And I don't like to camp in the trees anyway...I prefer ridges and passes and high places with views and breezes to keep the skeeters away....
I use a bearikade.

Nod woods

I would have been chucking rocks at the bear until it gave up. Your experience is an example of why bear canisters are required in many areas.

Mike