After reading the new Forest Service thread on food storage requirements, what would you say is the best food storage container to deter bears? Thank you!

woodsandwater: "After reading the new Forest Service thread on food storage requirements, what would you say is the best food storage container to deter bears? Thank you!"

Best container that is compliant with the USFS order? The Ursack XL isn't an option since the USFS assumes that Ursacks aren't good enough, so they reject them. All the other options suck. Which turd is the best depends on your priorities. The BV500 is the largest at about 11 liters that doesn't cost a small fortune. If you're made of money, the Bearikade is nicer and can be a little bigger I think, but since I consider BearVaults to be expensive, the price of Bearikade disqualifies them from serious consideration. BVs can be breached more easily than Garcia's, however.

The FS didn't bother to tell us which products pass its 200 ft-lb test, so it is hard to know what the FS would consider acceptable. My best guess is that anything that is approved by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) might be OK. There is no "best". They are all bear-resistant to the test limits of the IGBC. You just have to make a choice based on the price you are willing to pay for the volume you want and the weight you are willing to carry. For what it is worth, I have a BearVault 500.

woodsandwater: "After reading the new Forest Service thread on food storage requirements, what would you say is the best food storage container to deter bears? Thank you!"

I recently bought several varieties of IGBC approved bear containers for an upcoming trip to Gates of the Arctic. They are terrible for large groups on extended trips, as you need so many of them. That said, I like the shape and transparency of the bear vault. The larger ursacks are nice for their volume.

I think the hanging guidelines are still in effect. The change just opens the whole Superior National Forest to the same food storage limited to specific BWCA areas last year. I would still use my Ursacks and hang according to specifications.
Ursacks have been taking some heat on legality, but they are IGBC approved so toss that source as a reference. The Superior National Forest set it's own standards.

On the other hand I've become lazy with age and contemplating base camps more so a variety of hard side coolers seem useful, I have a Lifetime 55 quart that has IGBC approval.

butthead

I used 2 Bear Vault 500 on my last trip and enjoyed spending the time I would be hanging food out on the lake. I find them easy to stow in traditional style canoe packs. I fit two side by side in a #2 Duluth Pack with room on top for tent, tarp and some other small gear. They held 10 days of food for my solo with room to spare for toothpaste, soap, etc. Expensive, but they will last me a very long time.

As they emptied I moved gear from a duffle I use that rests on top of the #2 on the portages. Duffle got smaller as the trip went on.

I wish they made a taller one.

Question for you all. If I hang my gamma seal lid pails, or Duluth food packs up high in trees according to the suggested height will I be in compliance?

Savage Voyageur: "Question for you all. If I hang my gamma seal lid pails, or Duluth food packs up high in trees according to the suggested height will I be in compliance? "

Yep

timatkn: "

Savage Voyageur: "Question for you all. If I hang my gamma seal lid pails, or Duluth food packs up high in trees according to the suggested height will I be in compliance? "

Yep"

+1

Best is a difficult term. For the best volume to weight ratio, it is an Ursack. But if you want the best volume to weight ratio in a hard sided canister then it is the Bearikade. But carbon fiber makes them pricey. The most appealing compromise in a hard-sided container might be the BV500. Plus, a clear container does have advantages.

butthead: "I think the hanging guidelines are still in effect. The change just opens the whole Superior National Forest to the same food storage limited to specific BWCA areas last year. I would still use my Ursacks and hang according to specifications.
Ursacks have been taking some heat on legality, but they are IGBC approved so toss that source as a reference. The Superior National Forest set it's own standards.


On the other hand I've become lazy with age and contemplating base camps more so a variety of hard side coolers seem useful, I have a Lifetime 55 quart that has IGBC approval.


butthead"

Gonna stick with my Ursack and hang it high.

I am trying to convince the Ursack people to make Ursacks in a size and shape that fit in blue barrels. The idea is that the Ursacks could replace the barrel buckets that I now use to organize my food in the barrel. In my case, I would be looking at three Ursacks stacked inside a 60 L barrel. They showed some interest but want to make sure there is enough market demand. Maybe if enough people email them they might do it.

Ursacks inside blue barrels is an interesting idea, even if I don't know if the barrels would meet the FS requirements. An Ursack with the size to fit a 60L barrel seems like it would need a very wide opening. Would that present a weakness in bear resistance?

Bought a Garcia unit about 20 years ago for backpacking out west. Have bought a couple more bear canisters over the years. They are indestructible if you use them right. Have never list any food to any animals since I started using them.

The blue barrels don't meet the guidelines for on the ground storage. I called and asked. I was told they don't meet the 200 lbs of pressure test and are not hard sided.

The test is easy in my mind. If you can take a screwdriver and run it through the blue barrel. . .imagine what a bear can do.

LarryS48: "I am trying to convince the Ursack people to make Ursacks in a size and shape that fit in blue barrels. The idea is that the Ursacks could replace the barrel buckets that I now use to organize my food in the barrel. In my case, I would be looking at three Ursacks stacked inside a 60 L barrel. They showed some interest but want to make sure there is enough market demand. Maybe if enough people email them they might do it. "

I don't like this idea for what my thoughts are worth. Bears can breach the barrel. We know this. So then what? Ursack barrel bags inside would be pulled-out and would now be no different than an unsecured Ursack. Not only is a loose Ursack able to be carried away easily, it is also not actually very secure since being tied tightly and correctly to a tree is a very important component of their security.