Backpacking Discussions

I am planning a couple trips to the High Peaks in the ADK's this summer and will need a Bearvault. I really cringe at spending $70+ for a glorified polycarbonate Tupperware container.

Has anyone made a suitable replacement or seen something similar from say the food or chemical industry?

They only allow real bear canisters, not home made or substitutes. I googled the regulations, and got this:

"The regulation defines bear-resistant canisters as a commercially made container constructed of solid, non-pliable material manufactured for the specific purpose of resisting entry by bears. These canisters usually are made of hard plastic, weigh three to five pounds and can hold up to nine days' worth of food for one camper. Canisters are available for purchase or rental at many outdoor equipment retailers statewide."

Maybe you should rent one.

I have the scoop here on the regs, but it just seems like a monopoly here and I feel like we're getting gouged.

I think I will probably just rent one.

I have the scoop here on the regs, but it just seems like a monopoly here and I feel like we're getting gouged.

A monopoly would have been several years ago when only Garcia was making Bear Cannisters. You now have 4 companies that I know of making competing produts: Garcia, Bearkeg, Bearikade and BearVault.

If you feel like you are getting gouged, you are free to design and build your own, then have it tested by SIBG. That's what all those folks did.

Then again, you could write your own code for your computer too.

Not everywhere requires a "bear can" as an alternitive I have buckets I get from work that used to hold Sodium Sulfate (Na2SO4) which is non-hazerdous so I'm not worried about dying from trace ammounts on the inside of the container LOL. It's Air tight, with a locking ratchet seal requiring one to push a lever on the lid while twisting it off. I'm using them for food cachers for my Wonderland Trail hike this summer. I'll probably get a real bear vault to take with me however as they are less bulky.

I had never stayed somewhere you have to beware of bears until a couple weeks ago. It was horrible! My family and I were camping near the Teton NP and each time we left our camp or went to bed, we had to pack almost everything in our car. I guess if you had a trailer then it wouldn't be as hard. I don't know if I ever want to backpack where I have to bring a bear canister, it seems like it is just expensive and not needed when you could just go somewhere not in bear country! Makes sense to me.

bpm wrote:If you feel like you are getting gouged, you are free to design and build your own, then have it tested by SIBG. That's what all those folks did.

Be real bpm, you're way off base there. You can never honestly justify $70 for those pretzle tubs. And before you go there, I have over 20 years of successful manufacturing and distribution experience behind me.

the only place I know of that allows you to make your own is Alaska fish and game, and only where other regulators don't require more (Such as in Denali).

http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.c....anniers

That being said, I have thought about the possibility of making one out of high impact resistant plastic resins, or fiber resin composits but I never took the trouble, and I know I'm not making it back to alaska any time soon.