High Sierra Topix

I have a Bearikade Weekender and can fit everything for an 8-day trip, do a 9-day trip but really have to be careful about the bulk of ALL the food and cannot fit non-food smellies the first night out, 10-day trip I have to plan on the first day at a location with a bear box. If I do a 10+ day trip I take my Ursack for the overflow. I know this is not 100% legal but the Ursack, if used properly, and if you do not camp in areas of habituated bears, does the job. Another trick is to plan your trip so the first few days are in areas where the bear can is not required and just hang the excess the first few days.

I pack 2,500 calories per day. The key to fitting everything in is to ONLY take very low bulk food and utilize every little nook in the bear can. This means repackaging everything loosely in plastic bags so that thre is enough flexibility in each food bag to ooze into little spaces. I also have to replace bulky grains with more compact varieities (couscous vs elbow noodles) and Malt-o-meal vs oatmeal. I also do more "gorp" than trail bars. This works for me, but not everyone wants to fuss with food that much. I am a "food is only sustainence" type so having limited food options becasue of the bear can is not an issue with me. If you fall more into the "foodie" catagory, you may need the larger size. Because I am small and my pack is small, going to an Expedition bear can is not an option.

You can rent a Bearikade at Roads End in King Canyon. I think they have a few Expedition sizes. I did this on a trip just to try it out before I decided I really wanted a Bearikade. I am really happy with my Bearikade Weekender. It has actually withstood a bear attack!

That is how I pack also, repackaging everything in zip log bags, and compressing all the air out of everything so it all fits. I had not considered the malt o meal instead of oatmeal- that might be worth a try. I usually take trail bars, and figure 3 a day, but they do take up a lot of space, and the weight adds up. I have been thinking about picking up a Weekender this year. I use a BV500, and it is cheap compared to the Bearikades, but weighs 2 pounds, 9 ounces. It supposedly holds 700 cubic inches compared to the Weekender's 650, but a study I read somewhere(Backpacking Light?, Calpidder?) says the BV 500 volume is actually overstated, and it holds less than the Weekender. And the Weekender weighs only 1 pound, 15 ounces, thus the attraction, but it is not cheap!

Do like I did- I put the Weekender on my Christmas List. My kids all got together and shared the cost and gave it to me for Christmas! The volume is surprisingly different depending on if you use the outside or inside circumfrance of the BearVault because the walls are pretty thick. I do think, however, that the BearVault is slightly larger in capacity. I have a BearVault but cannot use it when I solo because several times I could not get the lid off! It tends to air-lock when you change altitude. And if it gets below freezing the lid contracts more than the can, and there is an issue with moisture in the threads freezing. I do not have really strong fingers so these are real issues with me.

One worry of mine, with all bear cannisters, is that the "authorities" will change the rules on us and our very expensive gear will no longer be legal. Note that the Bearikade is not technically "legal" in Montana (Yellowstone) where they do not deem it grizzly proof. For some reason (ha,ha- guess what) the "approved" bear cannisters there are locally manufactured!

I agree, the lid on the BearVault is a pain in the neck. (polite term) Having to press in on the plastic ridges can be difficult. I have the small size BearVault and the BV500. Maybe I can get a few dollars for them on Ebay or something. The Weekender is looking better and better.

Trick to open the BV:

hmm.. people blamed me when trying to open a BV in REI when I cut my finger opening one. Hence, went with a Bearikade. You can actually order all Bearikades to your size reqmts. I picked one in the middle of the weekender and the expedition. Perfect to sit on; no to short to sit on; not too tall to put horizontal in my lower squeaky kelty compartment. They cut to fit. pick a size that fits your pack and you're good to go.

Russ

Are the grey back and bottom side panels stretchy??

Flux....That material stretches about .25 to .50 inches, and designed to be external pockets, but not super stretchy. The bottom ones will hold a Nalgene water bottle and the back one for soft stuffables. The material is a very fine nylon elastic weave that will not snag as easily as mesh netting.

Thanks freestone. Hope that pack serves you well.

fishmonger wrote:followup on my Gregory Whitney 95 repair story - they sent me a new pack. 2nd day air just in time for my April Fools Day Whitney trip, no charge. Not bad for a pack I bought on ebay for half price in early 2008 and have put through 4 Muir Trails since then.

well, snap!

Today, about a year after my original Whitney 95 was mailed to the wrong person and they just mailed me the new one instead, the original pack was delivered, from that address it was mailed to by accident last year. The old one had been fixed before it was sent there, too, so now I have two.

I, too, have the problem that as I have ben going on longer trips to areas requiring bear cans, I have been only using the packs that I have that can fit my Bearikade Expedition bear can. At present, that means I can use either my Dana Designs Arclight Glacier pack, or my Lowe Alpine Scirocco II pack (women's version of the Contour).


Both are wo derful, durable, and ~comfortabler~ backpacks that hold a load well.

Both are also on the heavier side of the spectrum.


I wrote to Mystery Ranch to ask if the Bearikade Expedition or Weekender would fit into the Trance backpack.

Here's the reply:

Update for Case #7600 - "Trance & Bearikade"
Both should fit without a problem.
Ryan Krueger-MR