Bear canisters and regulations

[Gogd]

It really annoys me that each entity has different regulations regarding what is an "acceptable" bear can. The Interagency Grizzly Council approves an Ursack but not Bearikade. Why is that exactly? I would think that if a grizzly can get into a Bearikade, it would also be able to get into the Urasack. I suspect it is the different ways and bear environments of the tests. And then each brand also has a list of exact models that are accepted or not.

I am interested in actual reduction in the chance a bear will get my food. Seriously, in Wyoming I am not too concerned about what is "accepted". There has never been any enforcement. The grizzly population is quite low compared to black bear. In fact, I have never even seen a grizzly yet. I have always used my Bearikade and felt fine about it. Am I wrong?

I have used; Ursack, Bearikade, Bear Vault, Garcia as well as the standard "hang". Never had an issue with bears getting the food. Each have their problems with user-error and I too, have heard of failures for all of these. I am also skeptical of the need of any of these when at high altitude where a bear would have to travel many miles of inhospitable terrain to reach my camp; or in late season when the bears have already migrated to lower altitudes.

I have no idea who the The Interagency Grizzly Council is. My understanding is each park/forest jurisdiction has ultimate policy setting authority in their respective purview. I cannot comment on Ursus behaviors in the Rockies; my experiences are mainly in the Sierra and Cascadia. I have seen bear scat in plenty of passes, and tracks in alpine winter snow, during a time you'd think they would be hibernating, or at least hanging out at much lower altitude. Bear activity in these mountain ranges appears more nuanced than common knowledge alludes.

Our larders may be safer from bears at high altitude, but there still are bears that pass through high altitude basins. I don't think they are intent on snatching our provisions, although our provisions will be perceived as a target of opportunity if we let our guard down. A bear's range often covers several basins/watersheds. I think they venture up high traveling between basins during the three seasons. I also think they have come up with a Yogi The Bear routine of checking out established camp sites, doing an "evening route" inspection. My hunch is based on evidence they leave behind in my own on-trail camps. Such visits happen much less frequently at off trail camps, but they do occur. In winter the bears do not cross high passes, but they are in up high basins, I think in search of carrion. For us such a trip would be a big deal, but the bears can cover distances more efficiently than we do, both because of physical stature, as well as the mountains happen to be their backyard, and they know the best routes from Point A to Point B.

FWIW: I, too, never had a bear problem, regardless they must have checked out my camp dozens of times over the decades. But I am pretty maniacal about bear proofing my camp. I'll use a bear box, or cable if provided; otherwise I've always use a bear hang, suspending my goods between two trees, or a cliff and the ground, or a combination thereof. When the regs mandate, I place my consumables in a canister, but continue to hang my trash, as I don't like comingling trash and food. The regulators have not called me out on this.

Ed

[stevet]

Sounds like I am in the minority, but i love my bear cannister, a bearikade weekender, and carry it whether required or not, and use it everywhere even if it is not approved. I've always found compliance checks a bit loose, never has anyone asked to see if the cannister I have in approved. I've always just tapped the pack so the ranger can hear I've got something solid in my pack and they let me go about my way.

But why do I like it so? On short trips I can fill it with any kind of food item and not worry about crushing it. On longer trips, filled to the brim it keeps a large amount of food in a relatively compact space, the fixed size allows me to organize my pack pretty much the same way regardless of my route, length, time of year, and I've always got something to sit on.

I've it now for more than 25 years. For the first year i did some trips with, some without but found I liked having it better than having it and can't remember the last hike I went without.

[Wandering Daisy]

I too carry my Weekender on almost all trips, required or not. I prefer the Ursack but it is hard to do a route in the Sierra where a Ursack is approved for all portions of the route.

I probably was not clear enough; I am not anti-bear can, quite the contrary. My issue is that each entity has different brands approved or not approved. I use my Weekender in Wyoming even though it is not technically "approved" or even required. Yet Wyoming is where I have had more bears playing with my can, and it has worked every time. Bear cans are just highly "recommended" in the Wind Rivers. If you backpack in several different areas, you could need several different cans and it all becomes quite confusing. And there is an element of politics in which can is "approved".

There is a same disconnect between agencies regarding bear spray. I have carried it in areas where it is not legal; I have never used my bear spray but having it where there are lots of bears gives me comfort. I do not carry it where bears are few and far between. How can carrying a hand gun be legal in Yosemite (if you have a permit) yet bear spray not legal? Makes no sense.

[bobby49]

It is thought that bear spray is an important defensive tool when in brown bear country. Bear spray is generally prohibited in black bear country such as Yosemite, as it is thought to be too dangerous and non-essential.

[balzaccom]

I'll a vote for bear cans. We use ours all the time, in every jurisdiction where there are bears. We just look at it as part of our essential gear.

I hate hanging food. Finding a suitable limb is usually a challenge. remember the study in Yosemite that showed over 90% of people hanging their food were doing it ineffectively--even those who thought they were doing it perfectly. Throwing the rope (and I am quite athletic, although aging fast) is a pain. And repeatedly hoisting and lowering your bag when you find a snack bar in your pocket, forgot the toothpaste, etc. is a PITA.

I've never used an Ursack, but I have had rodents damage my gear--al the more frustrating because they were so quiet I never heard them.

We use both the Bearvault 450 and the 500, depending on the length of our trip, and unless we are in Death Valley or other non-bear habitat, we use them for every trip, no matter what the regulations.

[Wandering Daisy]

You may feel bear spray is a non-essential until you are the first one to get mauled. Given the number of habituated bears in Yosemite at some locations, drought and other stressors for bears, saying they will never attack is not realistic, particularly when you go solo.

The point is other adjacent jurisdictions allow bear spray. Why the disconnect between agencies? I can see why bear spray may not be best in crowded front-country campgrounds, but I do not see the "danger" argument for the back country.

[KathyW]

I love my Bearikade Scout. I tried an Ursack but I never felt like it was much of a deterrent. One night a bear got my bearikade because I found it down a hill from my camp in the morning and it was covered with scratches (I slept through the can attack). I have a Weekender too but rarely use it because the Scout fits better in my pack and it holds at least 5 days of food and my trips are usually 5 days or less. The Ursack is used to store food I leave in bear boxes at trailheads.

[sambieni]

Just placed a custom order for a Bearikade. Total $ impulse buy. I ordered a Blazer cut to 11 1/8 inch height, 695 cubic inches, 32 ounces. Sweet spot between the Weekender and Blazer. I like the BV500 with 700 cubic inches. Always good size for my typical 5-6 day trips w/ room for an extra meal/toiletries. So figured just order a Bearikade with size to match. The new canister will be 1.6 inches shorter and 10 ounces lighter than the BV500.

I was told to expect 4 weeks til delivery.

[JWreno]

We have 3 Bearikade Expeditions and a Weekender. We will be using all 4 of them on a 10 day trip north from Cottonwood pass this September. We haven't taken a trip without the bear cans since the 90s. I used to hang food and never lost any but I did loose sleep multiple times.

I remember hearing a load thud and went out to see a sow and two cubs trying to get our food. The cub would climb out the branch until it wouldn't support it and then fall to the ground. We would put our hiking poles at the base of the tree with the branch holding our food. The banging of the poles would wake us up.

I like that we don't have to search for the perfect bear hang tree branch. I like that we can access our food and scented items easily by reopening the bear can verses having to bring down the bear hang.

We use the bear cans for hauling water far enough from sources that we can wash our clothes or wash up our selves. We use a light 4 ounce cup to wet a handywipe with fresh water and a drop of body wash to clean up at the end of the day. Once Expedition full of water is plenty for the 3 of us to wash off the days sun tan lotion, dirt and sweat. My wife needs to wash of the lotion each day or her skin gets very irritated.

So after 20 years of bear cans, I am not sure if I want to be without it. We pack our sleeping bags, pads, and other soft items at the bottom of the pack liner and put a 60x20x1/8 folding foam pad between the pack liner and the back of the pack. The bear can goes vertical against the foam pad and tent and other soft items go on either side. The rest of the gear goes in the expandable mesh pocket for ease of access. As we eat through the food we use some of the excess space for other items we don't need to access during the day.

The can only weighs about as much as 2 days of food and the piece of mind of not worrying about the bears is worth it. We have managed to pack up to 12 days of food in the Expedition for trips with longer resupplies.

I do wish that the northern rockies region would allow the Bearikades in that region. I suspect that Bearikade has never paid to get it certified by that agency.

[sambieni]

I do wish that the northern rockies region would allow the Bearikades in that region. I suspect that Bearikade has never paid to get it certified by that agency.

What does that mean - you can't use it in Glacier or Yellowstone?