- Online: www.REI.com
- URL for this product:
- From the U.S. and Canada — Call 1-800-426-4840
- Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT.
- International — Call 1-253-891-2500
- Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT. English language only.
$69.95
Item qualifies for annual
REI Member Refund (typically 10%)
Made in USA.
Item 624081
Specification | Description |
| Weight | 2 lbs. 12 oz. |
| Dimensions | 12 x 8.8 inches |
| Material | ABS polymer |
| Capacity | 614 cubic inches |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Reviewed by 26 customers
Sort by
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
I have used this Bear Canister on every backpacking trip and although its storage in a backpack is more cumbersome than a food bag, it makes food storage and afterthought. I fill it full in my backpack to make the most of my space but when I get to camp I just need to stash it 100 ft. away, getting a good nights sleep knowing I'll have food in the morning. I've had one encounter with a bear in my camp and although he chewed through and stole my friends tailmix (forgotten in his pack), he just walked by the canisters barely sniffing. It has an extremely easy opening lid that only requires a coin and serves well as a stool for camp. The only snag with this canister is that I forgot to turn it upside down before leaving camp on a potentially rainy day and with light rain will get some things damp inside. Turning it over will cure that problem.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
I just returned from a 110 mile hike in the Sierras and the Garciaworked great. A bear tried to open both my BearVault and a Garcia and both products were successful in keeping our food safe. I even have claw marks marking the exterior to prove the bear tried to break into it. This product is easier to open than the BearVault, but it's not see-through. So, you can't look inside without opening it and don't know where in the canister the food you're looking for is. That makes it easy to dig out. Another positive is that it doubles as a chair.
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
This canister meets the standards where bear canisters are required by the Park Service (areas of the Sierra Nevadas). I used it on two week+ long trips in the Sierras and found it easier to set up than hanging food (especially where there are no trees in alpine terrain). I also used it to wash my clothes in, since I didn't want to put soap into the streams.
If you're on a road trip, you can pack a few articles of clothing, water, and detergent in it. After a half-day of semi-bumpy driving, your clothes will have gone through a full cleaning cycle!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
Pros:
- It will protect your food from bears and other animals. I have had bears play with my canister on two occasions and they did not get any food. On many other occasions the bears looked at the canister but did not attempt to get the food (the bears learn fast).
- You can use it as a seat, it is plenty strong.
Negatives:
- The opening is smaller than the diameter of the barrel. This makes it tough to maximize the provided storage.
- The barrel shape (middle of the container has bigger diameter than either end) makes it tough to pack. I would prefer a cylander. I have tried to strap it to the outside of a pack, but have not succeeded because of the barrel shape. When placed inside the pack, the barrel shape makes it harder to pack around.
- It weighs quite a bit especially if compared to Ursack or Bearicade. Those may not be fair comparisons because one is soft sided and the other is a different price category.
If all you care about is food protection it will do the job, but it you want convenience of use it scores poorly.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
The standard of bear canisters. It does it's job but it is bulky and hard to carry. I personally find the lid hard to open. But it is bear proof and that's what you are paying for.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
I was solo 50 miles from the nearest road hiking in the back country of northern Yosemite at altitude in the winter. When I woke up my Bear canister was gone. It took me a half hour to find it. But I did find all my food!
The bear left teeth marks around the lid area. I was not able to duplicate the severity of the marks with my pocket knife, large sharp rock, or even crampons.
I don't know what is scarier, that I was almost without food so far from civilization or that the bear never woke me up.
Aslo I have a Osprey Atmos 65 and this can fits in the sleeping bag compartment even though its a tight fit.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
I have not used this canister in bear country, yet, but it does a great job of keeping other pesky critters out of your food as well. I evaluated every canister I could find on the market and this is the best overall product I came across. It is almost too good. I was able to pack enough food to keep me going for a week in this canister, with room to spare for my tootpaste, deodorant, hand sanitizer, and more. With the optional nylon pack, it is very easy to attach to your pack, if you don't have room inside. A must-have for any trip other than car camping.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Images shared by chadh1966
Canister is upside down to keep the rain out.
(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
- You may also flag this review
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
Great Bear Canister! Plenty of space for the weekend backpacking trip. Easy to open and close. Makes a great seat!
When this bear canister is not being put to work outdoors. I use it indoors as a cookie jar to keep opened food, snacks, candies away from ANTS and BUGS!!! Ant's and bugs can't get into the Bear Canister.
Another good reason I got this because I wanted to keep the "smart" bears from seeing what's in my canister.
I hope those of you that are reading will find this review was helpful and feel free to give the Garcia Bear Canister a try!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
Used in High Peaks of NY Adirondacks, required by law. Where you would expect the 3rd screw there is a tab you push to pop the lid open, nice. Flat spot to sit or place your coffee cup. A bit smaller and lighter than the yellow ones. Some hikers (August 2008) when I was there lost all their food to a bear.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
I tried opening different brands and the Garcia container was really easy to open! I have small hands, and that clear one that you have to unscrew was really difficult to manage in the store. I think it would be even harder to open in the wild, in the cold, or rain!
So, I bought the black Garcia cannister. I am happy with my choice! I like that it blends into the landscape. It is not obvious-looking in your SUV, and it works really well in bear country car-camps! I use a coin to open lid, although many things will work. It is really easy to open. Heavy duty construction, so it should last forever. I also use it at home to store my freeze-dried backpacking food packages.
For backpacking, I plan on hitching it to the outside of my backpack, by placing the empty cannister inside an REI compression sack, then strapping it the outside of my pack. Then I can stash the food inside my pack while hiking, like usual. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but hopefully it should work.
Good stuff!
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REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Reviewed by 26 customers
Sort by
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
I have used this Bear Canister on every backpacking trip and although its storage in a backpack is more cumbersome than a food bag, it makes food storage and afterthought. I fill it full in my backpack to make the most of my space but when I get to camp I just need to stash it 100 ft. away, getting a good nights sleep knowing I'll have food in the morning. I've had one encounter with a bear in my camp and although he chewed through and stole my friends tailmix (forgotten in his pack), he just walked by the canisters barely sniffing. It has an extremely easy opening lid that only requires a coin and serves well as a stool for camp. The only snag with this canister is that I forgot to turn it upside down before leaving camp on a potentially rainy day and with light rain will get some things damp inside. Turning it over will cure that problem.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
I just returned from a 110 mile hike in the Sierras and the Garciaworked great. A bear tried to open both my BearVault and a Garcia and both products were successful in keeping our food safe. I even have claw marks marking the exterior to prove the bear tried to break into it. This product is easier to open than the BearVault, but it's not see-through. So, you can't look inside without opening it and don't know where in the canister the food you're looking for is. That makes it easy to dig out. Another positive is that it doubles as a chair.
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
This canister meets the standards where bear canisters are required by the Park Service (areas of the Sierra Nevadas). I used it on two week+ long trips in the Sierras and found it easier to set up than hanging food (especially where there are no trees in alpine terrain). I also used it to wash my clothes in, since I didn't want to put soap into the streams.
If you're on a road trip, you can pack a few articles of clothing, water, and detergent in it. After a half-day of semi-bumpy driving, your clothes will have gone through a full cleaning cycle!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
Pros:
- It will protect your food from bears and other animals. I have had bears play with my canister on two occasions and they did not get any food. On many other occasions the bears looked at the canister but did not attempt to get the food (the bears learn fast).
- You can use it as a seat, it is plenty strong.
Negatives:
- The opening is smaller than the diameter of the barrel. This makes it tough to maximize the provided storage.
- The barrel shape (middle of the container has bigger diameter than either end) makes it tough to pack. I would prefer a cylander. I have tried to strap it to the outside of a pack, but have not succeeded because of the barrel shape. When placed inside the pack, the barrel shape makes it harder to pack around.
- It weighs quite a bit especially if compared to Ursack or Bearicade. Those may not be fair comparisons because one is soft sided and the other is a different price category.
If all you care about is food protection it will do the job, but it you want convenience of use it scores poorly.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
The standard of bear canisters. It does it's job but it is bulky and hard to carry. I personally find the lid hard to open. But it is bear proof and that's what you are paying for.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
I was solo 50 miles from the nearest road hiking in the back country of northern Yosemite at altitude in the winter. When I woke up my Bear canister was gone. It took me a half hour to find it. But I did find all my food!
The bear left teeth marks around the lid area. I was not able to duplicate the severity of the marks with my pocket knife, large sharp rock, or even crampons.
I don't know what is scarier, that I was almost without food so far from civilization or that the bear never woke me up.
Aslo I have a Osprey Atmos 65 and this can fits in the sleeping bag compartment even though its a tight fit.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
I have not used this canister in bear country, yet, but it does a great job of keeping other pesky critters out of your food as well. I evaluated every canister I could find on the market and this is the best overall product I came across. It is almost too good. I was able to pack enough food to keep me going for a week in this canister, with room to spare for my tootpaste, deodorant, hand sanitizer, and more. With the optional nylon pack, it is very easy to attach to your pack, if you don't have room inside. A must-have for any trip other than car camping.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Images shared by chadh1966
Canister is upside down to keep the rain out.
(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
- You may also flag this review
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
Great Bear Canister! Plenty of space for the weekend backpacking trip. Easy to open and close. Makes a great seat!
When this bear canister is not being put to work outdoors. I use it indoors as a cookie jar to keep opened food, snacks, candies away from ANTS and BUGS!!! Ant's and bugs can't get into the Bear Canister.
Another good reason I got this because I wanted to keep the "smart" bears from seeing what's in my canister.
I hope those of you that are reading will find this review was helpful and feel free to give the Garcia Bear Canister a try!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
Used in High Peaks of NY Adirondacks, required by law. Where you would expect the 3rd screw there is a tab you push to pop the lid open, nice. Flat spot to sit or place your coffee cup. A bit smaller and lighter than the yellow ones. Some hikers (August 2008) when I was there lost all their food to a bear.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:
I tried opening different brands and the Garcia container was really easy to open! I have small hands, and that clear one that you have to unscrew was really difficult to manage in the store. I think it would be even harder to open in the wild, in the cold, or rain!
So, I bought the black Garcia cannister. I am happy with my choice! I like that it blends into the landscape. It is not obvious-looking in your SUV, and it works really well in bear country car-camps! I use a coin to open lid, although many things will work. It is really easy to open. Heavy duty construction, so it should last forever. I also use it at home to store my freeze-dried backpacking food packages.
For backpacking, I plan on hitching it to the outside of my backpack, by placing the empty cannister inside an REI compression sack, then strapping it the outside of my pack. Then I can stash the food inside my pack while hiking, like usual. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but hopefully it should work.
Good stuff!
