Hello y'all,

I am wondering about your opinions on the best afford bear- proof food containers for a solo 6 day BWCA trip? Any tips and maybe the best place to find the item is requested.

Thanks,

K.

Your two best bets are BearVault and Backpackers Cache. You'll want the bigger BearVault 500. I'd just check the major online sites such as REI, Backcountry, Campsaver, etc. to find the best deal at any given time.


BTW, they aren't large and may require adjustments in food selection and packaging, but I can now get 8-9 days in one.

Good morning. If your interested in borrowing a bearvault 500 or Garcia i just live a few miles up the road in cottage grove. Even if you want to take a look you can email me. Pete

I got a used BV500 a few months ago on ebay for 55.00 shipped. I think new they are 80.00 but i couldn't justify new for the one or two times a year i would use it.

Not actually bear-proof, but affordable... 5 gallon plastic bucket with add-on screw lid. Our buckets are from the Chinese Restaurant (soy sauce) at no charge. Bears can pick these up and run away with the entire bucket, I know. We had to wrestle it back. But the bucket keeps my Wonder Bread from squishing.

So have you decided not to bring your dog? Six days for person+dog food would be a pretty tight fit in a true bear canister, which are usually fairly small like 10 liters or less. A 30 liter blue barrel would be an option and could carry some gear like cooking stuff. They are not certified bear proof, but are considered bear resistant and are very commonly used. Many outfitters would rent them.

If you get your hands on a BV500 you should have plenty of storage for a 6 day trip if you bring dehydrated meals and use it for food only.

Still thinking about the dog or not. Will have to see how he reacts to being in a canoe first. As of now, I'm leaning towards a no just because of the added responsibility. We will see. I would love to try a BV500

I will say it again; let me know if you want to see the bv500. As long as we aren't tripping at the same time you can even use it. Pete ( just up the road in cottage grove)

I also have a BV 500 which I could let you use, as long as the dates don't conflict with a trip of mine. Cottage Grove is closer but just in case you would need a second. They work great, used to hang food, never go back. Solo 6 day you shouldn't need both, just offering.