Bear Canisters, which one to buy?

I've rented these in the past but find myself started to wander around in the Sierras more and more. Thinking about just purchasing my own. Anyone have a favorite brand or style? I'll most likely want one that fits about 5 days worth of food since that's about how much I eat in a weekend trip.

I personally would get an Ursack if I were in the market although Yosemite and SEKI are still holding out on approval.

Bearvault solo, least obnoxious one allowed by Natl park sevice. Prefer the pct bag hang with scent reducing bags.

I use the Garcia Vault:
store.mountaineer.com/produ…
It's really well-made and stands up to the black bears in the Adirondacks (and presumably other areas) who have cleverly figured out how to open other models. It's rated for all species as far as I know.

There's a list of grizzly-tested products here:
igbconline.org/images/pdf/1…
and the Garcia canister is on the list.

I've also heard good things about the "Bare Boxer".

I believe Bearikade are the lightest on the market.

wild-ideas.net/the-weekender/

I should add that the Garcia and similar (ABS?) ones are HEAVY. (But they make nice camp stools!)

Bear Vault Solo BV450
Approved for National Parks (Even Alaska - no trees in the Tundra).
Should be good for a single for 5 days, but it all depends on the shape of the food stuffs.
You can save lots of space if you repackage the food.
I have the BV500 as well. A hidden bonus of that size is that it doubles as a better than average camp stool.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product//B007PO9WUS/ref=twister_dp_update?ie=UTF8&psc=1

crazy how some of the bear canisters (The Bearikade Weekender ) posted are close to $300...forget that

My friends and I all use the BV500. I used a Garcia for a little while but it's not as good. Smaller, not translucent, not as water tight, tool necessary to open (I taped a coin to it), and the lipped opening made it more difficult to load/ empty. It is easier to put stickers all over, though.

Bear Vault Solo, it will definitely hold 5 days of food if you pack carefully, and also your chapstick, sunscreen, soap and toothpaste. It's also great if you're climbing in a bear area where there are no bear boxes at the parking spot.

Definitely the bear vault if for no other reason is that you can see what your looking for. Being able to see will save you time and will definitely be a welcome benefit when you don't want to unpack all the food that you crammed in there.

I had a Garcia model and quickly returned it for the vault because it was a pain to look for items. In addition, the Garcia model can have the threads freeze in the tundra ( had it happen with a freezing rain and required cleaning out) and that it is pretty much impossible with the vault.

+1 for BearVault I've used the Garcia, the bearikade and the BV500 and 450. The fact you can see where you want to grab makes so much more sense. If you jam your food it's a real pain having to dump it out to get what you want and repack again. It's slightly lighter than the Garcia and slightly heavier than the bearikade but if weight is an issue it's easier to dump a few ounces elsewhere. It also makes sheds rain - and that makes a big difference in summer down pours.

Another +1 for the BV series. Use that $200 dollars elsewhere if you were considering a Bearikade. Also worth noting that the BV can be opened with only your fingers. No coins required.

I have one and a half cans... One is the Garcia backpackers cache which is nice and simple, but I lost/threw out the kid to it.

I had to pay bust out retail for this kind on a trip after realizing the other can we brought had no lid, but will say it's very worth it.

lighter1.com

The lid doubles as a cooking pot. I took a trip with four total people for 4 days/three nights and we used that pop exclusively. It's a bit finicky to use the screws at first, but gets easier after a few tries.

And the REI garage sales are great places to snag a cheap one.

Thank you everyone. Awesome feedback. Bearvault seems to be where it's at.

Rich zz wrote:i wish there was a non-cylinder canister. it's just so lumpy in a pack. i.imgur.com/443Ld4t.png something like that would be neat.

They're shaped that way so the bears can't bite it or get a good grip and carry it away.

The BV500 is only 8 ounces heavier than the Solo. As mentioned, the 500 doubles as a stool. If I'm not using all the space for food I fit my stove, pot, clothing, whatever to fill the space. This keeps my pack profile as small as possible.