High Sierra Topix

rlown wrote:

Jimr wrote:No way. It could even be lined wag bag style. A false bottom that pushes from one end to the other as food is eaten and, well, what used to be food is deposited? A veritable Gold Mine.

You're a sick man.

I resemble that remark.

I get 9 days inside my Bearikade Weekender. That is 2,600 calories per day. If I know I will catch fish I can get by with about 2,200 calories and get 10 days packed. The Bear Vault has a bit more volume, so I can get 10-11 days in it. The Garcia has the least volume and I can only get 8 days inside it. Remember that you can leave out your lunch and dinner for the first day. I am slightly illegal in that for the first day I rarely can get my non-food "smelly stuff" such as tooth paste, sun screen, etc. in the bear can. You can also plan so that the first few days you camp at a backcountry bear box. That will give you time for the remaining food to fit in the bear can. Another strategy, is that not all places in the Sierra require a bear can. You can plan your trip so that you do not hit a bear can required area until later in the trip when all the food fits.

For me, even though I am in the "hungry all the time" category, I am small enough that I can get by on what I pack, especially if I catch fish. The art of packing a bear can has as much to do with the kinds of food you bring as the amount. You have to be really careful about bulky food and re-pack nearly everything. Trail bars, for example do not pack as well as the equivalent of a bag of gorp unless you break and bend them. Freeze dried meals are actually bulky, even if light and they are not very squish-able; you will just end up with flavored powder. Rice and beans, couscous are examples of dinners that pack well, vs macaroni which as a lot of air space.

I rented the Bearikade from SEKI before I bought my own. They are expensive enough that I wanted to make sure it was what I really wanted. Renting several types of cans is a good way to see which one you prefer. SEKI used to have a good variety. Some places only rent the Garcia.

The bear can requirements are quite fuzzy now. Although technically, the Ursack is temporarily "approved" no ranger will say that and the authorities get around that by stating that food has to be stored so that bears cannot get it. This basically means that if a bear gets your food and you are caught you get zinged. So an Ursack sitting on the ground if you are above timber, is not considered "bear proof" because the bear can run off with the sack, even if he cannot get inside it. If you could somehow attach it to a rock then I suppose it may be "approved"??. After much questioning, I never could get a ranger to be clear about the current regulations. You do have to state what kind of bear container you have when you get your permit. So do not lie about this. If you say you are using a Bear Vault and you only have a Ursack, and you get stopped, you are in violation.