BearVault BV500 Food Container

Comments about BearVault BV500 Food Container:

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).

Comments about BearVault BV500 Food Container:

My family just got back from four-days of backpacking in Yosemite with two BearVaults and one Garcia container.

The first thing to understand with this container is the way to open it. Ignore the instructions on the box. An REI salesperson showed me the easy way to open it (for people, that is, not bears). Loosen the lid just enough for it to spin freely and then quickly spin it past the two plastic ratchets. You can hold it in your right arm and spin it with your left hand using a flick of the wrist (put your palm on the lid with your fingers just over the side edges) or hold it on the ground between your two feet and use both hands. It works--really!

I've used the dark Garcia bear container and it works just fine. It's kind of fun to open, but you need a coin or screw driver. (My boys kept opening and closing the Garcia for entertainment.) The Garcia's opening is smaller than the BearVault, it holds less, and you can't see your food from the outside. This last point can be important if you have a group with a few bear containers. The Garcia has a slightly smaller outside diameter, which is good if your pack is small. The BearVault is both bigger inside and it weighs less.

Overall, I'd recommend both bear containers, but I prefer the BearVault.

Comments about BearVault BV500 Food Container:

Here's some tips for anyone that buys one of these:

First, I put a piece of reflective tape on the two spots you have to push to open the container. It makes it easier to find them quickly, at night, and when you're tired.

Second, don't press with your fingers. Use a hard pointy object.
This makes it very easy, especially when you're exhausted from backpacking and mountaineering. I have tried a pointy rock, the end of a titanium spoon, and the rounded end of a small pocket knife. All work well! Be sure to press on the ribbed plastic above the tab. The container easily opens every time.

Lastly, use a piece of sandpaper to smooth the inside edge of the opening. It is a little sharp and can give you a good scrape when pulling out a freeze-dried food pouch that is crammed in there tightly.

Comments about BearVault BV500 Food Container:

Wow!! I am a convert to bear cans. Having traveled extensivly throught grizzly country The easy of storing food could never have been easier. No more looking for the perfect tree. Whats more once you go far enough north there are no trees!! What to hang your food from? I really like the convince as well of being able to access my food. No more pulling down the rope, etc. I like the seat aspect so much I hot glued a sit pad on the lid and cut it to fit just right. What a snack seat!! The no tools aspect is fantastic. I rarely find myself with coin or a screwdriver while packing and don't want to add the weight, or loose it and not be able to get to my own food. This is a fantastic item. I have used to store upto 10 days of food. Fantastic for the John Muir Trail!!!

Comments about BearVault BV500 Food Container:

My wife and I enjoy backpacking year round, and typically find more remote locations with the hopes of encountering wildlife. Thus far, our BearVault has prevented rodents and other curious creatures from stealing our food. We've been able to cram 5-days of food for 2 in one single canister. Only con is it's bulkiness, and the lid can be somewhat difficult to open ... but that's also a positive. Weight, about the same as other similar food bins, so no complaints there. We sleep well at night knowing at least our food is safe. Now if we could keep the raccoons and skunks from chowing down on our salty boots & straps.

Comments about BearVault BV500 Food Container:

First I did not pack the first days food in the coutainer because it would be gone by nightfall. Here is what I managered to get in it!
2 breakfasts for 2
2 desserts
2 dinners for 2
3/4 loaf baguette cut into 3 pieces.
Pancake mix (zip lock)
Coffee (zip lock)
coco
sm. sack jelly beans
4 power bars
4 other bars
6 sm tubes crystal light mix
Sm. salami
sm cheeses
dish soap, oil, spices, syrup, sm tube butter.
AND MORE TREATS!
I used a compression sack for the freezed dried foods. clear container a huge plus, but so many items had to unpack it to get to items. I know that I overpacked but it can hold alot if done properly! I slept better at night with it!

Comments about BearVault BV500 Food Container:

This canister does exactly what you want it to do! It keeps the animals out, and helps keep you fed.

The BV is the best choice on the market. 1) It's size is sufficient for 1-2 people over several days of strong backpacking. 2) Having a container that you can see into from all angles really is an important feature. 3) If fits snug into many med to large packs, or you can safely strap it to the outside. 4) Doubles as a seat, and gear storage at home. 5) Is really not that hard to open. Now if it is so cold out that your hands just aren't warm, it can take a couple tries to get the pressure/spin technique working. However, in regular-old conditions all it takes is a good push of the finger tips to get the BV open. My advice to those who've struggled with opening the BV .. do a few push-ups every once in a while.

Comments about BearVault BV500 Food Container:

Used for a week in Olympic backcountry, and one week car camping. Assuming your pack is big enough to swallow it sideways (many are), and once you get over the 3 pounds of extra weight, the thing proves suprisingly useful for organizing and storing all your food. Because it is hard sided, it is easier to dig around in than a stuff sack. Because it is clear, it is easy to see what you are digging around for. I liked it so much, I would take it on any road trip or car camping trip - bears or not.
Plus: makes a nice camp chair or table, you can put other gear in it when it starts to empty, holds at least 3 wine bottles and any other breakables for airplane travel.
Holds about 12 man days worth of food, assuming you go reasonably dense on calories and repack any store bought dehydrated foods.
Once you get the hang of it, no tools and 5 seconds to open.
Many NPS ranger stations have these for rent at about pretty close to free, and they seem to have plenty of them, if you don't want to buy your own.

Comments about BearVault BV500 Food Container:

I recently purchased a BV 450 and a BV 500 for backpacking in the Sierra. My boys and I used them on a Yosemite backpacking trip. We had zero problems. If you have trouble opening the BV (or are hesitant to purchase one, based on this concern), go to YouTube and watch my 10 year old demonstrate a very easy method. The title of the video is "How to Open a BearVault." The link is: [@]Sure, I would have enjoyed the light weight of a Bearikade, but I can't justify the cost.

Comments about BearVault BV500 Food Container:

Content transparency attracted me over competitive products BUT REI Staff had difficulty opening in the 70-degree store and
I missed dinner AND breakfast at Marmot Pass last night AND this morning because my strong hands were not strong enough to open the "Vault" at an estimated 30-degrees...