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Garcia Bear-Resistant Container

$69.95

(46)

Item # 624081

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Don't feed the bears! This bear-resistant container from Garcia provides 614 cu. in. of storage to hold your backpacking food.

Made from a tough ABS polymer with smooth sides and rounded edges so bears have nothing to grip onto
Stainless-steel locks are easy for humans to open with a coin or screwdriver, but are difficult for bears to open
Includes food-grade plastic bag for wrapping food for storage

Made in USA.

Item 624081

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Garcia Bear-Resistant Container Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Garcia Bear-Resistant Container

4.4

(based on 46 reviews)

98%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Durable (18)
Good capacity (13)
Resilient (8)
Unbreakable (8)
Easy to open (5)

Cons

Heavy (6)
Heavy / bulky (4)

Best Uses

Backcountry camping (25)
Camping (15)
Day trip (6)
Transportation (6)
Kayak / canoe / rafting (5)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid adventurer (13), Casual/ recreational (11), Casual cook (4), Avid cook (3), Casual adventurer (3)

Reviewed by 46 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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Dec

2008

(32 of 32 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

teeth marks

By tuswm

from MD

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

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.

Apr

2010

(24 of 33 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

%&*#! Container

By BeautifulBrownBear

from The Wilderness

About Me Avid Cook

See all my reviews

Pros

Air Tight

Cons

Claw Resistant

Best Uses

Maintain Freshness

Comments about Garcia Bear-Resistant Container:

Stupid container. Oh sure it's fine for those of you with opposible thumbs. But for us members of the Ursine order it's hard to get our stuff out. I mean there was almost a full package of hot dogs in there. And peanut butter. Got to love that peanut butter. The human who owned it seemed ticked when I started whacking it against rocks to open it up. But one snarl made him lock his door and cower behind the curtains. It took me nearly an hour to crack it open. Censored fine container if you're a soft skinned human though.

Sep

2007

(23 of 24 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Useful, but heavy

By CKL

from New Mexico

See all my reviews

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!

Sep

2007

(22 of 23 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Sure Thing

By cherylswan

from Garden Grove, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Bears Ignore

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds

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.

Oct

2008

(19 of 20 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Bear & Ant PROOF! Keep Smart Bears Away!

By The Green Way

from Beach Cities, CA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Good Capacity
Good Grip
No Plastic Taste

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds
Day Trips
River Trips

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!

Sep

2007

(18 of 19 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

It Really Does Keep Bears Out

By Whiskers25

from Fort Mill, SC

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Retains Temperature Well
Unbreakable

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping

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.

Nov

2008

(13 of 13 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Almost too good...

By chadh1966

from Wilmington, NC

About Me Casual Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy To Drain
Good Capacity

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds

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.

Aug

2008

(12 of 19 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

Too small opening, too heavy, near impos

By Hoysch

from San Diego, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable

Cons

Loose Lid
Opening too small
Shape
Too heavy

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds
Day Trips

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.

May

2008

(11 of 15 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

easy open protection

By rockanroller

from colorado springs

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Easy to open
Good Capacity
Unobtrusive color

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds
Day Trips
Survival

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!

Sep

2007

(7 of 12 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

The standard

By Kepler Tracker

from Bay Area, CA

About Me Backpacker, Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Unbreakable

Cons

Bulky
Hard to carry
Hard to open

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds

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.

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