Bear canisters?

[BRPORSCHE]

Anybody have any experience with these?

I am used to the traditional method of hanging a bag from a tree, but am reading more and more reviews about the canister.

Thoughts?

[porsche4life]

Lots of articles about these on backpacker magazine's website.

I've always done bearbags too...

[craigster59]

I use them, they add a bit of weight but would hate to be in the backcountry with no food. I've seen what bears can do firsthand. It's a long walk and a bit of hitch hiking to get some grub when you're back in the Sierras.

[BRPORSCHE]

BTW,

This is for a trip above the treeline. I will probably go with a canister and cover it up with some rocks away from camp?

[RWebb]

they work well & can provide amusement if you "get" to watch a bear try to open yours

put it on the outside of your pack so the bear won't tear thru your chest cavity trying to find the nice smells...

[MT930]

They Work fine, hard to pack when backpacking. Above the tree line ? it's your only option. Make sure the bear doesn't roll it off the mountain. They will try and take it even if they can't get it open. They bury them.

If it's in Griz country good idea. Black Bear country I would not be real concerned.

[BRPORSCHE]

Also, if anyone has ever been to the Wind River Range and has advice that would be much appreciated.

I went about ten years ago and am planning a trip for this summer.

[MT930]

Lots of trips to The Winds, I was wondering where you are going.

[Evans, Marv]

I don't know about some other places, but years ago in the Sierras bears learned about getting at food bags hung between trees. They are good problem solvers & learn fast when it comes to a meal. In well traveled placed they have provided bear boxes to store your food in at campsites. Bear canisters work well, but limit how much you can take to an extent when campared with bagging your food & stuffing it into the pack. They usually fit in pretty well horizontally in the top compartments. I don't like them, but use them most of the time. I always put them decently far away from camp at night along with cooking utensiles stacked around them. That way you can hear it if something disturbs the cannister. You can use them to sit on around camp. Bears used to not go much beyond between 9 & 10K feet in the Sierras unless they were going from one place to another, but that's no longer very true. I love it above the tree line.

[jeffgrant]

You also might want to look into one of these: UDAP Bear Electric Fence, Other Hunting Accessories, Hunting Accessories, Hunting : Cabela's

They work REALLY well, and are well worth the investment.

[vash]

they are the only option if you are going to leave a food supply for an extended period (cache?)..

my buddy made some. they had shoulder straps. we would take them full of food into the Sierras and hide them. then bring up our regular packs with hunting gear. not 100% it is legal to do tho..

it was sometimes the only way to do these trips without a mule train.

[porsche4life]

I would find some way to secure it if at all possible....

[ODDJOB UNO]

1st read the laws as per "food storage". we watched a ton and i mean a TON of people get citations like really OFFICIAL FEDERAL CITATIONS, in jellystone park for "storage violations". mainly ice chests and food left in camp or on tables. its beyond amazing watching these morons and then they are INDIGNANT to the LEO for their stooo-pidity, despite 16 bill-yon signs stating "place all food items in bear containers." i shuddered when we smelled bacon or sausage cooking in the mornings.


the ones(containers) we have used are the round cylinders that fit in the back packs. then the hole damn enchilada goes up in the tree(including cook clothes). you cant comply with the law any more. after that............ well its 12 gauge/socom-16(168BTHP ONLY!)/.44 mag w/corbon meplats/marlin 45/70 time w/405 gr or 500gr bullets.


and yeah crap and brush yer teeth 200yds from camp.


we are not affiliated nor part of ANY "save the bears" propaganda. and we hate sharks and rattlesnakes. ask me how i know?


i was NEVAR SO DAMN HAPPY TO GET THE HELL OUT OF WYOMING/MONTANA/I-DEE-HO because of "DA BEARS"! entering utah/colorado i knew i was safe back country camping again.


during the day.............the next time i will be on horseback. during the nights it can get rough with horses and "da bears" in the aforementioned states. but more than likely a DAWG will be present and thats another "distant early warning system."


i like the idea of the ELECTRIC FENCE GIG! must see if this really works????


or is it another one of those cliches from xanterra concessions..... "DONT FERGIT YER BEAR SPRAY!" aka "DONT FERGIT YER ELECTRIC FENCE IF YA GO BACK COUNTRY!"

[porsche4life]

There are bears in Colorado there hotshot.... They are in NM as well....

[ODDJOB UNO]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

There are bears in Colorado there hotshot.... They are in NM as well....

i aint afeared of no black bears. i grew up with dem in pinetop,az. we deal with them all the time picking berries in the gila wilderness and elswheres.

signed hotshot.



its a whole nudder world dealing with mr ursus in the back country or sitting watching "ol faithful". the guns really need to be much heavier for mr. ursus............TRUST ME!



see where yer heads at while trout fishing and not 2 feet away is a grizz track big as freeking PIE PAN! grizz fecal turds the size of (2) chimi-changas and (2) 1/2 eaten bison RIB CAGES not 20 ft across the snake river!!!!!



but then WTF do i know???????????????

[futuresoptions]

Couldn't ya make some out of some sch40 pvc with those twist off caps on the end?

[ODDJOB UNO]

Originally Posted by futuresoptions

Couldn't ya make some out of some sch40 pvc with those twist off caps on the end?

yeah yer good no problem. butttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt.................. .the problem is SCENT!



no different than gawd damn sharks. their olfactory system is insane keen. any and i mean any scent is bad ju ju.

no perfume/no shampoos w/scent etc.


sharks and bears are naturally curious.

1-2 divers in water is bad.


20 divers in water......................thats a good thang as they will circle a distance away unless blood introduced.


damn near samo with bears. 1-2 people not good.


20 happy campers making all sorts of racket(ghetto blasters/dawgs/etc/)thats a GOOD THANG!


one you introduce ANY scent or blood(like a hunter or fisherman) cooking camping.......................well ya gots problems.


so whats the solution????????????



we use NO SCENT SPRAY! avail at any happy hunter/happy camper store. that keeps them less curious while around camp. plus we dont cook odiferous food as best as possible.


but bee-bopping down da trails...............well now you have tricked them so well with the scent(if wind in yer face), you end up sneaking up on THEM and thens ya gots problems.


always make noise is the best bet. dawgs are a better bet.


we got a pilot here who will NEVAR EVAR go back to wyoming for elk again in his life after he and wifey got (2) dead bull elk on the ground with horses DEBACLE/NIGHTMARE with a silvertip grizz.