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You’re planning a backpacking trip into bear country, and you realize that you need a bear canister.
What next?
After doing a search for the “best backpacking bear canisters” online you discover that there are as many opinions on bear canisters as there are versions of bear canisters and you now have more questions than answers.
What is the best bear canister for backpacking? Do I need an ultralight bear canister? What even is a carbon fiber bear canister? What size bear canister do I need? What is a good price for a bear canister?
These are all excellent questions that deserve to be answered, but let’s start at the beginning.
A bear canister is a bear proof container for backpacking, and they are required for backpacking in bear country. They vary widely in size, shape, price, and strategy for deterring bears.
As a conservation trail worker with nearly 7 years of experience in the field in bear country I’ve put together the following list of the best bear canisters to help you avoid wasting your time and money.
Quick Picks
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
To save you reading time if you are in a hurry here is a quick list of every bear canister or bear bag listed in this post:
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
BearVault BV500
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Weight: 2.9 lbs
Volume: 700 cu in (11.5 L)
The BearVault BV500 is the most relied upon bear canister for multi-day or extended trips on the market. A majority of Pacific Crest Trail thru hikers use this canister because of it’s combination of simple design, large volume, low weight, and reasonable price.
Things I like about this canister include the clear-walled construction that allows you to see the food you’re looking for without having to rifle through, or dump out the entire can. This makes a huge difference on cold nights or early mornings before sunrise.
Additionally, the lid of this canister screws off without the need to use any sort of additional keys, eliminating the risk that you’ll be locked out of your food because you lost or forgot a tool. This might be the single most important feature to me. No need to keep up with a coin, or key, or track down a multitool with the hanger raging. With the lid screwed firmly on, the canister also doubles as a nice seat around camp.
One drawback of this canister is that the threads on the lid can become damaged over time, or through not being screwed on correctly. BearVault does sell replacement lids, so this isn’t a deal breaker by any means.
BearVault also makes a smaller version, the BearVault BV450 , but for my vote the BearVault BV500 is as good as it gets.
Below is the BV450:
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Lighter1 Lil' Sami Bear Canister
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Weight: 2.6 lbs
Volume: 300 cu in (4.9 L)
The Lighter1 Lil’ Sami Bear Canister is probably the best bear canister for overnight, or short trips into bear country. This canister also features a see-through polycarbonate construction, which I love, but it comes with a few more tricks as well.
The specially designed metal lid doubles as a cooking pan, and a structurally reinforcing metal bar that functions as a handle for the pan. The lid closes with a screw closing mechanism into the reinforcing bar. The screw features a little handle that is supposed to work without a tool, but in cold temps a tool or key will be needed. The metal reinforcing bar/pot-handle contraption is a great innovation, but it does make packing the canister to its full volume a bit awkward.
Lighter1 also sells a larger version of this canister, the Lighter1 Big Daddy Bear Canister which you can see in the box below.
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Bare Boxer
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Weight: 1.6 lbs
Volume: 275 cu in (4.5 L)
The Bare Boxer is about as bare bones as bear canisters get. It doesn’t feature a see-through construction and it’s lid doesn’t double as a cooking pan, or a seat (actually really don’t sit on this one, the lid closing mechanisms can break or bend), but it is a good value option that will carry you safely through both black bear and grizzly country.
The lid of this canister closes with three screw-key mechanisms that do require some sort of tool to turn. Best to keep multiple around in case one gets lost. The lid is slightly smaller than the diameter of the barrel, and this can be obnoxious when trying to stuff the container full. Also, if the lid isn’t oriented just right all of the closing mechanisms will not work, leaving your food exposed.
However, if you are budget constrained, it is hard to beat the economical functionality of the Bare Boxer. Additionally, this is the canister that the National Parks rent out to backpackers who don’t have their own canisters. If the NPS trusts it to keep bears out of food, then so do I.
Ursack Allmitey Bear Backpack
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Weight: 13 oz
Volume: 650 cu in (10.6 L)
The Ursack Allmitey Bear Backpack is definitively the most innovative device for keeping bears out of food on this list. The Ursack Allmitey isn’t actually a bear canister per se, but a puncture proof bag constructed out of kevlar. If a bear were to get ahold of the bag, your food would be thoroughly crushed, but the bear wouldn’t get to the food. Which is the most important part.
If this isn’t really a bear canister, then why is it included in this list? The answer is simple: ultra light weight. The Ursack clocks in at 13 oz, a fraction of any of the other canisters. It also folds down to the size of an empty stuff sack when not in use. If I were putting together an ultra-light thru hiking kit, I would strongly consider this product.
It is important to note, however, that this bear bag is not approved for use in place of an actual bear canister in many National Parks. But if you already own a kevlar bear bag, then you can probably afford the deposit to rent a canister while you pass through the park.
NO-FED-BEAR Bear Resistant Canister By UDAP
Last update on 2024-11-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Weight: 2.4 lbs
Volume: 600 cu in (9.8 L)
The NO-FED-BEAR Bear Resistant Canister By UDAP is another value minded, utilitarian bear canister. This product is most similar to the Bare Boxer, albeit at nearly double the volume. It also has the added feature of a shaped lid that cannot be put on incorrectly. This is a simple, effective product that will not break the bank.
The key to enjoying a camping trip into bear country is to be prepared with the appropriate equipment. All of the bear canisters on this list will keep you and your food safe, so that you can focus on enjoying your time in nature.
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