Backpackers' Cache - Bear Proof Container

Does what it should. You def need a flat head to open this so carry a swiss army or a multi-tool. I read that some parks will not let you carry bear bags (for raising in trees) or those other bear cans (the clear ones) because bears are smart and can get into them. The Garcia is the recommended brand for a reason. It's a few extra pounds in your pack, but this is the safest way to store food in bear country. Proper food and trash discipline are essential for bear and human safety. Bears won't bother us if we don't leave things for them to eat. And when bears don't associate us with food, we reduce the likelihood of deadly interactions. Cook food away from camp, downwind from your tent site (the farther the better but usually a couple of hundred yards will work). Eat everything you cook. Wash your dishes and dry them there, dump water into a sump (I dig a shallow hole with a backpacker trowel), seal your trash in zip locks, food in ziplocks, and put in your can. Leave your can at least 50 yds. from your camp site, somewhere that is is not likely to roll away if a bear tries to take a crack at it (they will not get into this can, will give up and move on). Also leave your toothpaste, deodorant and any other scented products like chewing gum, sunscreen, and bug spray inside the can overnight. I have seen a bear come into a tent for a pack of gum. This is because they associate humans with food and are unafraid. You can think careless campers before you for this behavior (it is learned, not instinctual). But is easily avoidable with the common sense precautions I have laid out above. But just to be safe, carry bear spray too!

All of Alaska is bear country, so having this is a good idea around here. It's not very likely that a bear will ever "test" my bear container, and it adds to my pack weight, but I don't care because I have a dry place to sit while cooking. This is a stool that happens to be a bear-container, not the other way around. You'll use it every time you camp if you're using it right. This is a chair. This holds a small mess kit (with stove) for two, with enough room for 2 days of food for 2 people. It fits perfectly in the bottom of an Osprey Atmos 65. It's tall enough to comfortably sit on, and low enough to reach the ground when you're on it. Perfect. The best part is, if you're packing it, it's YOUR chair. Nobody can take it from you; those are the rules when you carry something for miles. My dog also likes to attack it occasionally, which is funny. It's definitely dog proof. It's also worth mentioning that having a bear-container is "hard core", and earns the respect of novice outdoorspeoples. If you also brought a hatchet and wore a vest, I don't think anyone would question your decisions. You'd be like Burt Reynolds in the first half of Deliverance.

This is my favorite bear canister. Very durable and reliable. It's easy to open for humans but impossible for bears or any other critters. Mine has definitely been handled by some bears in the Adirondacks and preformed flawlessly. Also makes a great seat or table. I recommend putting a little reflector tape on the can to easily find at night. Also, make sure you turn it upside down when putting out at night so that rain stays out. People always make fun of me for carrying this backpacking even when it isn't regulated but not having to hang a bear bag, getting to use it as a seat and it being 100% bear proof is worth the extra weight that I can cut elsewhere.

Holds a LOT more than what you think. I carried about six standard-size Mountain Houses, several snacks, and my toiletry bag in this canister. I used a piece of electrical tape to secure a penny to the lid, which worked great. This does work great as a stool, as others have described, but also works as a stove stand! I carried a little alcohol stove on my recent hike and sometimes had a hard time finding a flat, level surface to set up the stove and keep the cook pot from teetering. Canister worked great for this! However, don't use the lid end - flip it over and use the non-lid end. The plastic did get warm enough that I couldn't open the lid again until it cooled for about 10-15 minutes and the plastic contracted back. If a hotter stove than an alcohol stove is used, put some foil underneath it, don't use a bigger stove directly on the plastic canister. I gave it only four stars, though. Reasons: - it IS relatively heavy. It's empty weight is almost as much as my tent. If I were hiking where there were plenty of big trees with lots of low limbs to choose from, I may skip this canister and hang my food. However, in some situations (like my hike in Alaska where the trees are scrawny, short spruce and pines that could not support a weighted bag) it worked great. - it's too dark! If you hide it in the bushes a ways off from your camp like you are supposed to, then you better remember where you left it. Also, if a bear bats it around and it rolls off a distance or down a hill, it would be hard to see. I put several pieces of reflective tape on it before I used it. Overall, a good purchase. Get the optional carrying bag, though. I tried to attach some straps to hook it to my backpack and it just slides off when jostled during a hike.