How To Properly Store Your Bear Canister When Backpacking

[@sp00nfed]

It's important to remember they're multifunctional. Camp stool, small table, water bucket, laundry sink & so on.

[@mountainmystic1]

Another tip is to put reflective tape around the canister. This way you can find your stash if it gets moved and also to see how far away it is if you are eating in the dark. It’s come in handy for me.

[@HikeOregon]

That’s a great idea!

[@daphneraven6745]

Or perhaps an AirPod

[@mountainmystic1]

@@daphneraven6745 AirTag is a good idea too

[@daphneraven6745]

@@mountainmystic1 : I’ve never used one on camping gear, but we put one on my sisters poor old dog when he got senile, But seem to be still generally enjoying his life. Because he always seem to have the sense to go out, and pull a Houdini. But once he arrived at his intended destination, which only he knew about to that point, that’s what his memory would kick out. Or his hip. It saved him from freezing to death in a pretty miserable spot a few times. and of course, mother is always losing her purse, so there’s one in there, as well as on her keys. (don’t worry, it’s not dementia; she was a teenager when she had me, and was always looking for her purse and keys even then.)

[@bobv7753]

Bottom line is there isn't any thing that I'm aware of to stop a bear from batting around your canister. Put reflective tape on it to help find it the next day. Place away from creeks & ponds. I've been experimenting with electronic tracking devices such as air tags to help locate if needed. So far its been working. Overall im accepting the realty of the benefits of canister use. Like it or not we need to find a way to use them. Not only for bears but all the animals trying to get to your food. Thanks for the good content!

[@ttb1513]

The Air Tag has helped you locate it? I’m skeptical of how often this works because a device like an iPhone has to travel within a short distance, like 30 feet, for you to get an update on the tag’s location. Too remote and untraveled, and your updates will be few and far between.

[@bobv7753]

@@ttb1513 I have an android phone and have been using Tile trackers but I'm sure their pretty similar. I agree that this not a perfect solution. As stated I'm just trying things. Their low cost & weight. Always looking for ideas/suggestions. Have any?

[@ttb1513]

@@bobv7753 Hey Bob, I’ll elaborate, FWIW. I was talking with a friend who got a dog collar that shows the dog’s location. I was curious about the capabilities and limitations. He explained that the collar had multiple modes of communication. When at home, it used WiFi to communicate its location. I believe the collar had a GPS in it, to identify the location. And only sending periodic updates by WiFi doesn’t use too much battery. With this, he could be away from home and an app would show him the current or last location of his dog. And in the event the dog ran away from home, out in the woods, the collar also had cellular communications, like your phone. He paid a monthly fee, like $10, so the dog collar could occasionally send its GPS coordinates from wherever it happened to be. But battery life when this mode kicks in is much shorter. But it still allows identifying the dog’s location for a "short time" (a few days??) if the dog goes missing. The battery life in cellular mode is shorter, requiring recharge going more often, while if the dog is only at home and using WiFi to communicate, it lasts much longer between charges, to the point where I think he charged it maybe a couple times a month. The dog collar was more pricey than a Tile or AirTag. And there is a monthly fee for the collar’s cell plan. And it has a more weight. The main point is, I don’t want people to mistakenly believe tags that don’t have a GPS, cellular communications, or even WiFi, but only Bluetooth that has a short 30 foot range, that these tags will identify their location deep in the woods. They rely, most often, on somebody passing by to use Bluetooth to communicate to a device (that then uses its GPS and cellular or WiFi communications to update the location).

[@HolisticHikes]

Had a black bear and cub approach us @ Rouge Siskiyou NF right after we zipped the tent. Had everything stored properly. Great information! Thanks for sharing! We love that your reppin’ Oregon!! 💚💚

[@grantpowers]

Hi,, good to see you again, my bear canister has a harness around it so I can use some para cord to hoist it up a tree if I want ,, also the harness makes it easy to strap to the top outside of my pack while hiking😊,, have a great day 😎😎😎

[@HikeOregon]

That sounds perfect!

[@weirdshibainu]

Well, this is embarrassing. I thought bear canisters were to be filled with snacks for bears and leave the lid off at night so they could enjoy them. This explains a lot.

[@HikeOregon]

Hahhaha 😂😂😂 I love this comment!

[@UnknownPascal-sc2nk]

Hmm, what did you think the bear bag was for? To hang the bear overnight so he stays out of your tent?

[@bakkila99]

@@UnknownPascal-sc2nkthey aren’t diversion tools? I thought the bear bag was so the bear focused on trying to get it instead of the snacks you have in your tent with you. *This is sarcasm*

[@dvig3261]

I had to sniff my screen carefully, to detect the subtle sarcasm. Well played! 😏

[@BeegEazy]

Great video! Worth noting that if you opt to tie your canister to something, be mindful of how you tie it as it potentially gives a bear something to hang onto to carry it away.

[@chriseidam7319]

Good video I use a light, weak shock cord to tie a bear bell looped around my Bear Vault. Most ultralight packs struggle to carry the V500 model. I shelved my Z-Packs Arc Haul for this reason. ("Squeak, I say, Squeeeeeak! Squeeeeak!") I replaced it with a 79L Seek Outside Divide pack that fits the canister horizontally, perfectly. It weighs about 8 ounces more, depending on how you set it up, but it carries weight better than the Arc Haul and is rated to carry up to a whopping 200 lbs.! Don't tie the canister in rope or strong cordage because the bear can use it as a handle.

[@maxinemead8918]

If your can is truly 100 yards -- a football field -- away from your tent, are you really able to hear your mug and some rocks falling off of it? And will the bear really see/hear and be frightened by your yelling and arm-waving? (100 yards in a hilly/mountainous area -- how likely are you to even have a line of sight at all from your tent to your can's location?) Not snarking, these are genuine questions about how this plays out in real life situations. I have a canister, and I'm trying to commit to using it, even in places I don't yet have to, so I can just get used to it. (Otherwise, I use an Ursack All Mitey, with an Opsak interior bag.)

[@HikeOregon]

You're absolutely right, 100 yards in a hilly area is very far away (approx. 300 feet) and you wouldn't be be able to see or probably hear the bear. 100 yards is what is recommended on the National Parks website, but tbh I don't think anyone adheres to that. Even in certain national parks where they have bear boxes provided in the backcountry, those aren't 100 yards away from tent sites. So yea, just use your best judgement. I would personally rather keep the canister a bit closer so I can hear the bear messing with it and scare the bear away, rather than not see or hear it at all and in the morning my canister is gone. I hope that helps.

[@ms.debourghofrosings6829]

I’ve got a story about a bear encounter… some ways up from Little Yosemite Valley, I was returning from Clouds Rest when there was a great deal of commotion among other hikers, most of whom were headed up. A few hundred feet behind me a very large boar black bear was strolling down the trail. Like a boss. This guy was really big. Could have been 500 pounds. The bear knew it, too. Everybody made noise, some even pitched pine cones and rocks. He kept coming at the same leisurely pace, completely unbothered. When he’d seemingly made his point, he veered off the trail at the same pace with no change in anything but direction and disappeared into the trees.

[@HikeOregon]

Wow what a cool encounter!

[@RS-zy7ro]

Hi! Nice to meet you. I've recently been interested in loosely researching this information on the internet. I also ordered a Hiker's Cache bear canister with some accessories such as reflective tape, reflective stickers, a Counter Assault Bear Canister carrying case (because the reviews for quality seemed good enough) just for carrying it and attaching it to a backpack and not to store it outside somewhere, and some location tile devices. I learned from another source to never attach something to a bear canister (when storing outside with interesting smelling things inside of it). Because if something is attached to the bear canister then the bear (or maybe some other animal) could carry it off somewhere. So I imagine if we were to tie the bear canister up with paracord then the bear could bite it off and then drag it with the paracord in between it's teeth. This idea made me reconsider the idea of trying to hang a bear canister over a tall tree branch in a bag to keep a bear from scratching it and possibly rolling it away somewhere. Perhaps it could be possible to underestimate the bear's ability to remove the bagged bear canister from a tree branch. Especially with the bear's powerful food gathering instincts and big appetite as it prepares for the next winter. *Someone wrote in an article called: How Do I Use a Bear Canister? - Grand Teton National Park (U.S. National Park Service): "Do not attach anything to the canister (ropes attached to the canister may allow a bear to carry it away)."

[@josephdragan7734]

Sounds like a vibration sensitive alarm secured to the bear canister would do the trick. They are quite tiny, light weight and create short alarm bursts that would scare off any animal. Of course a button sets the alarm on and off. Small vibrations wouldn't set it off but a bear...? you bet :)

[@HikeOregon]

That is a very good idea.

[@niesaforster9945]

That's brilliant!

[@EricSchwartz-sk8id]

I just hike it out 200 steps from my tent. If a bear got to it, I'd never hear it.

[@DanielBelliveau-y5x]

Putting your BV- 500 inside a 15 liter Ursack and lashing it to a tree might be an idea,; but tie it well, otherwise the bear can snatch more easily by the fabric and whisk it away. The Ursack could also prevent the bear opening you Bear Vault, as some claim that bears have started to figure out how to do.Also, attach bear bells to the bag so you might hear if anything is after your food or where there moving it to, if they've snatched it on you.

[@austinburns4213]

We are from the midwest and moving to western Washington, so bear concerns are new to me. I went on several hikes over the summer there and used a bear can. I put stickers on the can like everyone else for uniqueness; however after struggling to pick these up (particularly the Garcia), I now realize a key part of the bear deterrence is the cumbersome shape combined with the extreme slipperiness of the material. They are even difficult for humans to pick up. Unfortunately, stickers seem to provide a discernible surface grip, and I am concerned that sickers may allow a bear to grab it (somehow). I am considering taking the stickers off of the bear can (if possible), except for a reflector or two around the middle. Thoughts on that?

[@billlottman7339]

What NP does not allow bear spray?

[@HikeOregon]

Kings canyon and sequoia both don’t. I’m not sure what other ones don’t but those are the ones I’ve been to where I would have taken some until I learned it’s not allowed.

[@klgirv]

Yosemite does not allow bear spray.

[@rabbithole8592]

Can't even have a method of defense against aggressive predatory bears? Wow! That's Crazy!

[@CopperCityPatriot]

Clark National Park. Years ago with my parents, we not only camped within a electrified fence perimeter, because of Grizzly bears, Park Rangers had a time as to when we could cook dinner. And at sunset, they'd check to make sure no site had any food around, and all had tightly closed bear canisters.

[@HikeOregon]

Wow!

[@CarlZ993]

I put reflective tape on my bear can. I'm contemplating tossing an Apple Air Tag in my can on my next trip. If the bear knocks it around some, I'd go to where I left it & see if I can find it with the Air Tag.

[@HikeOregon]

Yes that is such a good idea!

[@ttb1513]

My understanding is Air Tags operate by having a compatible device like an iPhone come within 30 feet (10M). Any such device anonymously relays that location back to Apple and then to you. The Air Tag relies on communicating with a nearby device (which in this "deep woods" scenario, 100 yards from water and camp, a long time may pass before someone is in the same vicinity).

[@DartmoorPaul]

I asked this of Apple and same answer as @ttb1513 gave is that unless another Bluetooth device comes nearby you will not find your can until you yourself get close to it. We we wondered about using one on our dog for tracking, hence my question to Apple.

[@gcruishank9663]

Attach an AirTag to the inside of the lid, that way if a bear does roll it away somewhere you can probably find it.

[@1024Pete]

Thanks for the info. I use the Nanuk 905. According to the company, it is polar bear proof. However, it is not an official approved bear canister. I have the Garcia canister. It is good. But, takes up too much pack space. Be well. Happy Trails!

[@HikeOregon]

Polar bear proof!!! Damn that’s heavy duty!

[@1024Pete]

@@HikeOregon There is a video on Nanuk’s site showing that. I never saw official certification. Best wishes!

[@mypinkvespa]

BearVault states NOT to hang the canister because it can break if dropped

[@dath6971]

Thank you for this video. I have found bears regulation to be almost as bothersome as the bears. One of my hiking companions used canned skunk spray on his canister this did not work . I don't hike with him anymore. I tried Poof spray and the bears left my container alone but maybe I was lucky

[@leekanevsky]

How do use store yourself in the bear can when your a smellable bear snack to eat lol?

[@lucybarrington4634]

That’s what I’m wondering. 😂 What about the clothes we cooked in ? No brushing teeth before bed?

[@annaflood1228]

If I cook/heat water for dehydrated meals using a JetBoil, would the smell of food stick to it? And then how should I go about storing it away from bears?

[@HikeOregon]

Yea generally I don’t put dinner meals into my cook pot, I cook in the bags the food comes in or freezer ziplock bags. But we store our cook pots and coffee mugs with the canisters but not inside since they don’t fit.

[@Twotone-ld1fb]

They say to put anything that smells in the bear canister, what if i smell? I mean if I took sunscreen, or chap stick, or a bar of soap, for a riverside wash off half way through the trip, and I was wearing or using this stuff, wont i become a smell target?

[@HikeOregon]

We smell more like humans than the stuff we put on our skin so the bear isn’t going to confuse you with a tube of sunscreen to snack on.

[@1024Pete]

For me, carrying the can is the issue. Not the weight. Just the proper carry position. For my pack, the can is vertically tight on the inside of pack. Although, it fits. Horizontally, the can fit is awkward but doable. Now, I am considering a top outside mount.🤔 Thanks for the info. Best wishes.

[@MrsStevenBrown]

Try having it surrounded by a loose sleeping bag at the bottom, fill in the space around it with sleeping bag, add rest of gear, tie off water proof insides. Close pack. Having the sleeping bag wrap around and secure it also helps keep it centered and even for balance in pack.

[@guillermoraya4967]

what about pepper spray or sun screen?

[@HikeOregon]

Yes sunscreen and chapstick go in the canister. I don’t think pepper spray or bear spray has to go in the canister.

[@edj9978]

There are National parks that don't allow Bear spray? I would love to hear the reasoning behind that.

[@HikeOregon]

Yep Yosemite and kings canyon/sequoia national park being two of them.

[@MaxIsRetired]

Some research has shown it isn't as effective as first thought. Thus it just pissed off the bear.

[@dlabelle0201]

Had a bear bite the lid of my canister and walked off with it in its mouth in Colorado

[@bakkila99]

I typically Bear hang my canisters in a giant Kevlar bag, that’s wrapped in heavy duty chain mail, and then kept in a fireproof safe incase there’s a forest fire. Seems to work pretty well.

[@jamess7181]

In the bottom of a 25 foot deep hole filled with rocks is the lightweight option - you already have a trowel.

[@pinchpeak5203]

@@jamess7181 and inside my tent where I can easily defend it

[@lightwalker4558]

If you had 3-4 trees and a trip-wire alarm, you could put it between the trees. Just warn nearby campers so they don't freak out if/when they hear it. 😁📢

[@SultanofSpey]

I love trying to outsmart the bears but if they're determined and spiteful enough they usually win. My next project is going to attaching a bear can to a fixed location with a ratchet strap like a tree or huge log. Also going to play around with proximity alarms and trip wire devices that make annoying noises near the can.

[@MaxIsRetired]

Just don't use Claymore mines. 🤪

[@sockymcblackface7698]

I just took one of those Keychain alarms, or personal alarm. It lights up, and makes a heck of a racket. I velcro'd it to my can, and tied some rope to it, which I tie around a tree. If it gets moved, it goes off, and the alarm stays with the can.

[@SultanofSpey]

@@sockymcblackface7698 yeah that’s the idea.

[@SultanofSpey]

@@MaxIsRetired No. But there is a simple trip wire device that actuates a 209 shotgun shell primer and that would make a decent racket. Can’t remember the name of the device even though I own a few. I’m going to start using a few of those because I have a ton of 209 primers and carrying a dozen of those and the little devices is no trouble at all

[@suzannecartwright6504]

@@sockymcblackface7698where did you buy it?

[@dennissnyder6330]

From all of that it just sounds like the Bears in that area have evolved and figured out how to take your canister so no matter what you do they will get it

[@HikeOregon]

potentially, but this can happen anywhere really.

[@travisgrimm]

A bear approaching while you're eating? Holy crap.

[@HikeOregon]

Yep that’s happened twice.

[@timothydurkan]

Bear Vault has four sizes now.

[@HikeOregon]

Yep, I linked them all in the more info box.

[@McBlamin]

No bear spray in California? What a messed-up state!

[@HikeOregon]

Just in certain national parks.

[@jyc313]

Calm down 😂

[@SultanofSpey]

Cops are afraid of getting hosed at ANTIFA and BLM rallies.

[@MichaelDiPirro]

I was thinking this was amazing!!!

[@billlottman7339]

Not sure this is accurate about no bear spray

[@cpwatching5647]

Anywhere you can put a canister a bear can get it. Make no mistake. Setting with a noise trap is recommended. Then you can chase it away. Take care.

[@Autonomous15]

So damned long winded.

[@HikeOregon]

👍🏼giving you all the tips in a 10 minute video. I think that’s pretty good, but I can’t wait to see a better video on your channel 😁

[@BLUECREEK333]

100 yards away from camp. There saved you over 9 minutes of fill dirt.