What do you use for bears?
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Before they closed the entire Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness due to fires, the US Forest Service issued a bear advisory. With the extreme drought and limited food, bears were coming into camps. There was concern that bears were searching for low-hanging fruit, so to speak. The USFS issued the advice that the preferred method of food storage was a bear-resistant container, but included advice on how to bear bag, and the preferred methods to use in Superior National Forest. That got me thinking about how much I hate bear bagging and bear-resistant containers. If the BWCAW reopens this fall, I’d like to try a container.
Single Tree and Pulley Bear Bagging Method
The Superior National Forest suggests using the Single Tree and Pulley method for bear bagging. This makes a lot of sense in a Boreal forest, because you’re not likely to find a tree with a limb big enough to do the PCT method or other over branch method.
For the Single Tree and Pulley method, you’ll need two ropes. The first you toss over a limb that’s about 22-25 feet into the air. On the end of that, you tie a pulley or a carabiner then you run another rope through that pulley. That second rope pulls the food bag away from the tree and off the ground, like shown in the diagram. You need to get the bag 12 feet from the ground and six feet away from the tree. Then you hope that the bear doesn’t find either of the ropes and bite through them. Using something like Cloud Gear’s Dyneema Bear Bag and Rock Sack, keeps your system light, a couple of ounces depending on the rope you pick.
Bear-Resistant Containers
I’ve avoided these things because they seem to be big and bulky, but I’m also sick of dealing with bear bags. Bear bags take time and they are a PITA. With a bear-resistant container, you just show up, pull it from the pack, eat, and stash and you are done. Since I haven’t used these before, I’m looking for a bit of advice on which one to try.
It seems like it would make a lot of sense to get one of the sizes of BearVault’s containers. They have two sizes. The BearVault BV500 Food Container is 700 cubic inches and the BearVault BV450 Food Container is 440 cubic inches. We have a family of three and when I do solo trips, they tend to be over a week, so I think the BV500 would be the best way to go on these.
But, I’ve also seen the Grubcan Bear-Resistant Container. It’s 574 cubic inches and long and narrow instead of short and wide. It looks like it would work better in a pack, but it is a bit heavier with less volume than the BV500. It’s crazy-looking, so it’s worth checking out.
There’s also the Garcia Bear-Resistant Container, which is 614 cubic inches which uses a closure system that the reviews would have you believe work better in the cold than the BearVault containers.
The Udap NO-FED-Bear Bear Resistant Canister is another one. It’s 8×10 inches. and 455 cubic inches.
I’m curious if you have used any of these. If so, what are your thoughts? What do you use to protect your food against bears? How well do they fit in your pack?
Additional Thoughts on Blue Barrels
Since blue barrels haven’t survived any testing by the various groups that test these things, I’m not interested in them. This is especially true after seeing what the barrels look like after encounters with bears in the Boundary Waters.
Bryan Hansel
Bryan Hansel is a freelance writer, award-winning photographer and a former American Canoe Association L4 Open Water Coastal Kayaking Instructor. His home port is on Lake Superior in Grand Marais, Minnesota. He also teaches photography workshops.
11 Comments
Titus Seilheimer
I’ve always wondered about hanging food but haven’t done enough stuff in bear country to try it out. I’ve seen some folks on paddle trips in Canada using RECREATIONAL BARREL WORKS barrels and carrying with a harness. It’s another thing to carry but there are several sizes for different trips lengths and party size. Looking forward to seeing what others do as I think about planning more wilderness paddling trips!
Bryan Hansel
I see a lot of people using those blue barrels with a harness as well. They aren’t bear-resistant though and then I see pictures like these.
Chris Norbury
Bryan,
I’ve used an Ursack bag (S29 I think) for years on my trips (mostly solo). For a longer solo, or with one other person, I also use a Garcia Backpacker Cache. Both should be used with odor-proof ziplock poly liners, of course.
The Ursack is best for freeze-dried foods or food that can survive squishing since it’s soft-sided. But it’s very light and will compress as you consume food over the trip. The Garcia works for fruit, bread, etc., that you don’t want to be squished. But it’s heavier and takes up more space than the bag. It can also be used as a small tabletop if you can set it upright. And as it gets emptied, you can store something else in the extra space. I usually end up compressing my Ursack and having all my food in the barrel only.
The Ursack must be tied to a sturdy tree so a bear can’t carry it away. But it’s Kevlar and supposedly bear-teeth-proof. The barrel can’t be opened without a coin or screwdriver, so the bear can’t get in unless he can figure out how to smash it to pieces with a rock.
The key is to hide them well away from your campsite and not on a path so a hungry bear won’t be likely to see it. Used with an odor-proof bag, I feel totally secure that my food won’t get eaten. I’ve never had a bear issue in 30+ trips, but that may be due as much to luck as proper precautions.
Jerry V
Thanks for posting this. I’m anxious to find out what others have preferred. I, too, have resisted the containers not only because I think they are bulky and a hassle, but I simply don’t think there’s enough room to carry everything I need for a week long trip, especially in a group.
This year, I brought up my usual blue barrels (one 60l for group of 4, one 30l for my solo). In camp, I take these barrels out of their harnesses and have a metal strap to tie around a tree. This year I brought – for the first time – some bear spray with the idea that if I put some pots and pans on the tied down barrels, I would wake up and hopefully deter the bear with the spray. Fortunately, I didn’t have an encounter.
Then, the USFS put out it’s mandate that made it appear that my barrels didn’t qualify. I was actually on my way to Buck’s Hardware to rig up a pulley system when the BW closed and I wound up not having to do anything.
Tom Heinrich
…for the first time, we used the bear vault. In the past, we’ve kept our food pack in the tent vestibule/usually late fall/or our trips into the Woodland Caribou…when we set up camp and go fishing we take the food pack along. So, this early August we followed the rules and took barrels…one barrel for 10 days of dog food/dog meds…and then packed barrels with the dried food/med/soaps…at first, they seemed awkward, took up room in our packs…the placing of the barrels beyond the camp was different in a BWCA camp…as lots of paths in all directions so the packs aren’t exactly hidden from potential problems…We need some work on packing the barrels so we can get more food inside the barrels…and making sure that we remember where the barrels are hidden come morning…at this time, we’re still use to the blue barrel for food/and comfortable with how they fit into the canoe…
Jim Palermo
I’m somewhat curious now Bryan;
Over many years I’ve taken Cliff Jacobson’s method to heart: package everything as odor free as possible, remove the items from the camp area, hidden in vegetation or among rocks a couple hundred yards from the campsite. His idea being if the animal can’t smell it, they won’t get it. That’s essentially what I’m seeing said here. I vacuum bag everything, then place again in plastic. Nearly everything is dehydrated first. It all goes into another plastic bag and sealed, then taken from camp. I’ve not had issues over a 30+ year camping career.
Your thoughts…..
Bryan Hansel
Forest rangers say this is a no-no, but I know Cliff swears by it.
Sally Nankivell
Same: friends and I have used the Cliff Jacobson method for dozens of trips with no issues, but my wilderness ranger friends are not impressed.
jrp
😂 Doesn’t surprise me I suppose. Still, it’s worked for me for years everywhere from Georgian Bay to northern Saskatchewan. I do though nearly always double vacuum seal all food.
Rebecca
I have been using an Ursack for the past 6-7 years. Love it! I purchased a BearVault 500 because my understanding is with the new order Ursacks are not allowed. Not looking forward to the extra weight but it was reasonably priced compared to some of the others and I like that it is clear. I plan to go back to my Ursack once restrictions are lifted.
Tom
I have started using an Ursack AllMitey when I can. It has a Kevlar layer for bears and a second layer for chipmunks and raccoons. My sister had a raccoon put some holes in her normal ursack and those are the main culprit in lower MI.
For lighter trips when I can fit everything in I will just use the Ursack. 10L fills quickly when we carry bulkier foods when canoeing. I have also used it for larger groups. Most stuff goes in a traditional 2 rope-2 tree bear hang before dark, and then last minute things like toothbrushes and whiskey go in the ursack before bed.