Bear BagFunctional Protection or Archaic Security
Two basic types of bear resistant containers are currently commercially available: the soft sided container, such as a Ursack and a rigid sided container such as the Bearikade, BearVault, etc. Soft Sided A soft sided, light weight alternative to a suspended bear bag is the Ursack. It is made of Kevlar, (think bullet proof vests) and should be accompanied by an odor proof zipper closing bag. Your food is placed in the odor proof bag, securely zipped closed, then placed inside the Kevlar sack. While this bag does not need to be suspended in the air, it is recommended that you tie it to a large rock or tree so it is not hauled off by a curious raccoon. This bag weighs only 7.5 ounces and provides protection from some bears as well as nearly all rodents, raccoons and small critters. It is important to note that, in testing, some bears have been known to slice open the seam and steal the contents. Rigid Plastic A bear canister is a small, rigid plastic barrel with a bear resistant lid. The lid screws onto the barrel with a locking mechanism of some sort. All that is needed is a coin or multi-tool for a human to open the container. No odor proof bag is required as the canisters are smell proof on their own. Depending on capacity, these containers weigh from 2-4 pounds. They are bulky and creativity is required to fit them into your lightweight packing system. A nice advantage is that the canister makes a nice camp stool at the end of the day. Which do I choose? Your choice of bear resistant container will depend largely on where you are hiking. In some areas, it is mandatory to carry There are even some areas where a certain bear has learned to open some models of the BearVault making it unsafe to carry the particular models in that area. As always, talk to the local rangers in the area to determine what is safe for you and the wildlife. What happened to ultralight? I admit that fitting even a 2 pound bear resistant container into your ultralight regimen presents challenges. You will not need a bear bag on every hiking trip. You need it when you are in bear country. For most of my hiking trips, rodents and raccoons are my major predators and a smell-proof bag or Ursack is sufficient.
 For Email Marketing you can trust When hiking in bear country, find a canister that works with your current system if possible, and reap the benefit of a nice camp stool at day’s end. At home, place the container in your pack and see if you can pack around it. If that doesn’t work, you can lash it on top. Play with the configuration until you find one that works for you. Safety—for you and the wildlife—is the primary consideration. You may have to fudge a little on your ideal pack weight to achieve that. Return from Bear Bag to Hiking Safety
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Gone are the days when a bear bag counter-balanced over a high limb in camp ensured the safety of our food supply. The bears have acclimated well to humans in their territory and have become much more adept at robbing us of our cache. It is now advisable, even mandatory is some areas, to store your food and other “smellables” in a sturdy bear canister.
rigid plastic canisters or face steep fines or even expulsion from the area. In these areas, bears have become quite habituated to humans and are well aware that we carry food wherever we go. It would be unwise for your safety and the well-being of the bears to carelessly wander off into the woods with your food and other “smellables” unprotected. A bear that becomes so acclimated to humans as to become a danger is first relocated and if that doesn’t correct the problem, the bear is destroyed. I don’t think any of us want to lead to the destruction of this magnificent animal. Much better to be cautious and responsible.