Counter Assault Bear Keg Food Container
Head into bear country with the confidence that your food will be safe inside the Counter Assault Bear Keg food container.
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- Smooth sides with round edges leave nothing for bears to grip
- 3 stainless-steel locks are easy for humans to open with a coin or screwdriver, but impossible for bears
- Provides 716 cubic inches of storage (including lid) to hold your backpacking food
Made in USA.
View all Counter Assault Bear-Resistant Food Containers| Best Use | Backpacking |
|---|---|
| Gear Capacity (L) | 11.7 liter |
| Gear Capacity (cu. in.) | 716 cubic inches |
| Material(s) | Polymer blend |
| Dimensions | 9 x 14 inches |
| Weight | 3 lbs. 10 oz. |
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Most Helpful Critical Review
Solid Container
Alright, I go backpacking in the ADK's and these are required. I wanted the clear competitor but the bears can open that one in the high peaks, I have seen it happen first hand. Dont like the black competitor because it is smaller and doesnt have a large hole. This yellow one is great because it has a large lid, and is very visible if the bear takes it. One night, "Yellow Yellow," the bear in the high peaks that knows how to open the clear brand, came to our campsite and decided to play soccer with my container. She took the container down the hill and dumped it in a creek, great. Wet inside and ruined some food, forgot to line it with a garbage bag. But at least we still had food. This container works and mine has the battle scars to proove it.
Keeps your food safe from raiders
I was debating long and hard between the CA and BV bear cans. In the end I chose the CA one and am pretty happy with it. It is a little heavier/bulkier than some models but it is not that big of a deal. One reviewer mentioned it is not waterproof, well all the bear cans I have researched are not waterproof. The BV might be a little more than others but if it falls in a stream or puddle water will still get inside. But waterproofing is not the major concern of bear cans, bear proofing is. So if water gets into your bear can and ruins something of yours that is on you because anything you don't want getting wet should be in plastic bags. Another complaint I have seen is the opening is too small, I checked both the CA and BV models out in the store and checked the opening size and both are almost exactly the same (I mean we are talking mm differences). This is a good choice for groups, it is a little bigger for solo trips but with some smart packing you can make it work.
LIfe is full of great gear surprises
After a season of getting talked to by ADK rangers, reading reviews and seeing pics of smashed clear BV cans. I decided to return my BV475 for this Counter Assault Can. Thanks REI for always letting me swap out gear within the year. At first I was grumpy, this is more weight, bulkier and wont fit in my pack sideways. But after packing it on many duo and solo trips, I've realized this is the superior can. The interior volume is similar as the BV475 but the shape of this one makes packing and fitting especially freeze dried food packets much easier. This one is easier to close, I dont have to sit on the can to try and mash as much stuff in as possible, which also makes it easier to open. It fits vertically in my smaller 48L backpack with enough space around it to fit a tent and shove everything else I need. As far as bear resistance, hopefully I wont need to test it
Necessary
I live in Alaska where greater than a third of bear related deaths and an overwhelming amount of bear related injuries happen. Do not feed bears! Even by accident! In Alaska, they are EVERYWHERE- I have seen some black bears downtown! So despite everyone loving Bear Vault cause you can sit on it, its cute and clear and blue, I bought this heavy yellow buoy looking thing. Now you can rent both types at some parks. After seeing the vault opened by an old bear with more dexterity than myself I purchased a Bear Keg and also a carrier. Now you have proof I have a container, park police. Actually I did not buy it for anything other than I backpack in bear country. I do not want bears associating me with Peak Refuel packets, etc. I saw one play soccer and leave the thing alone as even a bear can give up and look for an easier meal. It was similar to the Bear Keg as you needed a tool to open it or a coin and as bears DO have larger brains than humans but they do not have pockets, the bear thumped it on rocks and finally chuffed and walked away. Defeated. 3 and a half pounds vs 900 pounds (huge griz) Keep this 200 yards from your tent! Its not bear smell proof. I also line mine with a small bathroom sized trash bag. Not the Lavender kind either.
Nice (but heavy!) container
This little bear keg is big enough to haul quite a bit of food. The three screws on the top are easy enough to turn with minimal effort. I usually use a key or something similar. The container's bright color makes it easy to find and the reflective strip around the center makes it easy to find when looking with a flashlight at dark. It's not the nicest of the bear containers to sit on though- the top is curved when fully screwed in.
Which One to Buy?
These things work! They are worth the 3 lbs extra you have to carry but they are bulky and don't pack so easily. I will compare two popular styles – The BearVault BV 500 Food Container and the Counter Assault Bear Keg. I took them both on a recent trip in the Sierras where we were in heavy bear country and had bear activity on three of five nights. There were four of us, so you can see that they hold about 10 people days of food per canister. Both performed great and no food was lost, but there were subtle differences between the two. Below is a summary to help you make your decision on which one to use. Counter Assault Bear Keg (the yellow one) Upside: - Very easy to open and close. You can use almost anything. I use the quarter which I carry for an emergency call - Reflective tape around it is great! Boy, is this ever handy – especially when you wake at 3AM to the sounds of a bear and need to quickly orient yourself to your canister in total darkness with just your flashlight. The reflective wrap is like beacon in the night. It is also very handy when trying to find a canister in the dark that a bear has knocked far away from its starting position. - Feels a little more sturdy that the other one. Not tested of course, except that both have had multiple bear encounters with no problem whatsoever. Downside: - Rounded top which can be a problem for stacking things on top of it if you are using it as part of your kitchen. It can also make people with poor balance feel a little uneasy. I used it as a seat and had no problem (it was always the second choice though). - The screw latches extend down into the canister (just a very tiny bit) and until I learned to not put ziplocks directly under them when packing very tightly, I tore a few open and had powdered milk and Gatorade spill into the canister. - It scratches more easy. The BearVault had no visible damage from bears, but the Keg has a few battle scars, which are actually kind of cool for telling campfire stories. BearVault BV500 (the clear one) Upside: - It is very handy to be able to see inside. After you have crammed all of your stuff in it, it is great to see where that one small item you are looking for is so you can go right to it instead of having to take everything out. - It is easy to open if you are strong and have something that is pointy for the child lock lid. I used my magic quarter for this and sometimes a rock. - It makes a great seat or table because it is flat on top and bottom and has a wide opening and lid. It was always the first-dibs choice at camp. Downside: - Not easy to open if you do not have strong arms and a strong grip, e.g. my kids can open the Keg without help but they cannot open this one. - No reflective tape, but you could always add this. Both are good choices and your pick should depend on which of the items above are most important to you. A few last pointers on usage - I never placed it 100 yards away from me as the directions suggest. That is just too far to travel in the middle of the night in the dark to scare a bear away from your food; 30-50 yards felt like a good distance. Don't place it near a drop-off or you may hike out hungry if the bear bats your canister down a cliff. Put everything in it even beyond the obvious including candy, gels, wipes, anything with any type scent (even if sealed).
A honest review
I have had this product for two years. It has held up in 3 season temps and rain (no snow). This canister is still is amazing great shape! Yes if you have it facing upwards and it rains, you will more than likely get some water in it. I just have it facing upside down if I’m expecting rain over night. I also make sure I have vacuum sealed my food food or have it stored in the 5 gallon freezer zip lock bags for extra protection. This also helps save space in your canister and keep it organized. The reflecting tape is barely starting to show small wear of falling apart. This is not a biggie. You can always buy some more reflector tape at the store Overall is it worth it? Overall yes I would recommend; however, use this canister wisely. If your backpacking solo it may not be worth it unless it’s a 4+ day trip. This thing is heavy and bulky. I have the 70L Osprey Aether. It takes up 90% of the room. I have to tightly organize my other gear to the sides of the canister so I can have it stay centered and balanced in my pack without moving. This can be an issue depending on what you bring. This is also convenient for a party of 2 backpackers for trips of 1-3 days. I use nothing but ultra light gear so really help me out when carrying my stuff. I would recommend the Garcia black keg canister for shorter solo trips. I recommend the use of this product for solo hikes 1-7 days or party of 2 hikers for 1-3 days. pro: sturdy, easy to locate in dark, can be used as a chair, solo trips, partnered backpacking Cons: heavy, bulky, require coin to open, not waterproof
Gets the job done
After a couple years of taking my chances with bears in Washington state, I decided it was time for a bear can. I'd rented the BearVault from the rangers before and even though I consider myself a fairly strong woman I wasn't able to open it. So, it was down to either the Garcia or the Counter Assualt Bear Keg. I usually do 1 and 2 night trips as a group of three, and the Garcia didn't look big enough. I didn't want us to have to carry two cans. The Bear Keg fits about 12-15 meals worth of dehydrated food easily, along with our toiletries. I'm sure we could have crammed more in there if it had come to it. The wide mouth on the top of the can made it easy to get things in and out. The bright color made it easy to find in the woods. The only cons I can see are that it is pretty heavy when empty and that it's hard to find small items inside since it doesn't have clear sides. We had to take everything out a couple of times to get to the toothbrushes that fell to the bottom. No big deal, though.
it has one job that it exceeds at
Omg, some of the reviews…put your food in a (I use 2) plastic bags and twist closed. No zip-lock type. It keeps water tight and keeps food aroma to a minimum. It’s job isn’t easy access! Take your snacks in the boat in a day pack and open for meals and close back up. Love the yellow. Mine is black and I put reflective orange tape on.
Easy to use
Worked great for a 2-person, 2-night (3 day) backpacking trip. A bit cumbersome (as bear canisters tend to be), but easy to open/close and fit 2.5 days worth of food (we had a total of 4 freeze dried backpacking meals and lots of snacks).