What size BearVault do I need?
What size bear canister do you need? Generally, 100 cubic inches (1.6L) per day for food—plus your toiletries and other smellables.
How big is the Bear Vault 450?
| BearVault® Model BV450 | |
|---|---|
| Weight | 2 lbs. 1 oz. (0.94kg) |
| Easy to slip into backpack | Yes |
| Material | Super rugged polycarbonate housing |
| Dimensions | 8.7in. dia. (22.1cm) x 8.3in. (21.1cm) |
Should I get BV450 or BV500?
The smaller BV450 is good for shorter treks, whereas the BV500 is best for thru-hiking. In summary, the rugged BV450 and BV500 can take some serious abuse from a hungry grizzly. While both are exceptional, the 7.2 liter capacity of the BV500 offers 7 days worth of meal storage, making it the better value.
How much can you fit in BV450?
While the BV450 bear can holds 80 Snickers bars (20,000 calories), or 15 ramen noodle packages (5,550 calories) or 6 Mountain House meals (3,490 calories).
How do you open a BearVault 500?
To Open
- Unscrew the lid counterclockwise until the black nub bumps up against the blue stopper.
- Use your finger or thumb, whatever is more comfortable, to press the nubs in towards the can and under the stopper.
- Wedging the BearVault® between your knees can provide extra leverage if needed.
How many days of food can you fit in a bear canister?
Canisters typically hold 3-5 days’ worth of food and toiletries for 1 person.
What is the largest bear canister?
| Model | Weight | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Ursack Major Bear Sack S29 | 7.8 oz | 650 cu in (10.7 L) |
| Big Daddy Lighter 1 | 2 lb 10 oz | 650 cu in (10.7 L) |
| The Bare Box Contender | 1 lb 10 oz | 275 cu in (4.5 L) |
| UDAP No-Fed-Bear Bear-Resistant Canister | 2 lb 7 oz | 455 cu in (7.5 L) |
Can you use an Ursack instead of a bear canister?
Ursack is also a lot easier to pack than a bear canister. It won’t dig into your back like a canister and is flexible. (Tip: Carry a bear canister sideways up high on your pack or under the lid and it won’t dig into your back so much.)
Are Ursacks allowed in Yosemite?
Note that in Yosemite you can’t use an Ursack, a soft bag made of an extremely tough fabric impenetrable to prying bears that came out a few years ago. Yosemite bears are black bears, not grizzlies, but you still don’t want to get too close and personal with one.
What is the difference between the bear vault lighter1 and bv500?
For example, the Bear Vault BV500 offers 30 percent more volume per ounce than the smaller Bear Vault BV450, even though they are identical construction and materials. The Lighter1 models may be unfairly represented in this chart, because the 6-oz lid and 1-oz handle can double in a kitchen set, saving the weight of a pot and pot grip.
Is the BearVault 500 better than the Big Daddy?
This puts the Big Daddy ahead of the BearVault 500. In actuality, they are probably about even, since a conventional pot and pot grip weigh less than 7 oz. In the table below, I have sorted the approved canisters by their volume-per-price calculation (specifically, cubic inches divided by $USD). A higher ratio is better.
What is the difference between the bv500 and Ursak allwhite?
The BV500 and Ursack AllWhite S29.3 are both about 650 cubic inches in volume. But the Ursak is 60 percent lighter and is soft-sided. Which would you rather carry? Where are canisters required?
What is the difference between the bv500 and the Weekender?
For example, the Weekender is 22 percent larger for its weight than the BV500, which is made of transparent polycarbonate. Notice that larger canisters and sacks perform better than smaller ones.