Canister for Backpacking. 4 Sizes: BV500, BV475, BV450, BV425. Bear-Resistant Food Container for Camping, Hiking, Fishing, Hunting, Bikepacking. BearVault is Bear Safe!

This bear canister functions, is easy to use. With one simple movement you can open this container with ease, it has as a good storage capacity, isn't too heavy, in my opinion the quality of this item is outstanding..

Needed this to hike on the john muir trail. I firsthand watched a bear try to get into another backpackers bear vault, it rolled it around, pushed on it with all its weight, and it never got in, I dont even think they screwed the lid on all the way, maybe that how the bear smelled it. Obviously it will last forever then you have it when its needed. Its bulky, id say very heavy at almost what, 4 pounds? Yeah heavy and takes up so much room in my pack. But it worked. Served its purpose and it was needed. Where its not required I would use a bag and hang it any day. But it's well made, up to the task, and it was worth not getting fined on the trail. If not backpacking and easily carried to campsite its a great item, and if its required its a great item. I was able to cram about 8 or 9 days of food into this thing, had to repackage everything into it. But it can hold a lot if packed properly.

I recently used the BV475 on a 5-day backpacking trip, and overall, I am very pleased with its performance. This bear canister is large enough to accommodate my dietary needs, which include aiming for 3000 calories per day, roughly equating to a maximum of 2 lbs of food. When packed properly, the BV475 provided ample space to store all my meals, ensuring I could eat healthily throughout my adventure.Pros:- Spacious: The BV475's capacity is impressive, easily fitting enough food for an extended trip. With careful packing, I had no trouble fitting in all my meals.- Durable: The canister is sturdy and well-constructed, offering reliable protection against bears and other wildlife.- Ease of Use: The lid mechanism is straightforward, making it easy to open and close even in challenging conditions.- Visibility: The transparent design allows for quick identification of contents without needing to open the canister repeatedly.Cons:- Weight: Like most bear canisters, the BV475 adds some weight to your pack. However, the peace of mind it provides is well worth the extra pounds.- Size: While the size is great for longer trips, it might be a bit bulky for shorter outings or if space is a critical concern.Overall, the BV475 is an excellent investment for any serious backpacker. Its capacity and durability make it a reliable companion for ensuring your food stays safe and secure in the wilderness. I highly recommend it for anyone planning extended trips into bear country.

I dislike having to put one of these in my pack, they add weight and take up space, but I suppose the forest service doesn't want bears to associate hikers with an easy meal. You could always take the chance of hiking without one in areas where they are required, but then you run the risk of getting pulled off the trail.Gripping about the rules aside, this is a great canister and I've used it on countless trips now. It's easy to get your food in and out of since the lid is about the same diameter as the canister. I have friends that use the backpackers cache canisters, and they are constantly stuffing and ripping packaged food trying to get it through its smaller opening. Or they are asking to borrow my leatherman to undo the lid screws that eventually get clogged with dirt or other foreign particles, which can make it nearly impossible to open without a tool.This canister is relatively lightweight, easy to open and close, provides easy access to food, packs as nicely as any other canister, and has provided me with a decent seat on many occasions.If you are forced to pack a canister, then get this one, although I dislike all bear canisters this one is the least objectionable.

Just took my BearVault on a two-week trip down the John Muir Trail.First things first. This product was completely unnecessary, because there are only smallish black bears on the JMT. For some reason, the rangers insist that you carry a bulky, heavy bear canister to do a job that a well-hung bag would do just fine.Now that that is off my chest ...This product works exactly as advertised, with three major problems.1) The reviews stating that it can be difficult to open on the trail are correct. I had dismissed these reports soon after my vault arrived, because I found it to be very easy to open .... at home. Turns out there is a big difference between opening one of these things at home and opening one on the trail with cold, dried-up hands. I found that I needed to have a small, strong stick of just the right dimensions on-hand, and even then it was a pain each time.2) Use as a seat. It can be used as a seat, but it specifically says not to do this unless it is fully closed (to protect the threads I guess), and because of problem 1, I tried not to close it completely unless I really needed to. So it ended up being sat on much less than I would have liked.3) sheer bulk. This is probably a problem with all of these cylinders, but the BearVault seems especially big around. There seems to be no good comfortable way to fit it in a standard backpack. If it is empty you can carry it on top easily enough, but when it is full of food this causes an enormous weight imbalance that I cannot tolerate. Same situation for strapping it to the outside. So down it goes in the bottom of my pack, but then, even with a well-padded waist belt, I was still getting painful pressure on the small of my back. I was able to compensate by stuffing some clothing articles in between, but this was an annoyance throughout the trip.So, for its primary mission, keeping out critters, I guess it did just fine, although I was unaware of any critters trying to get in. It does hold (with devoted cramming) at least 7-10 days of food for one person. But the other annoyances keep me from giving it a full 5 stars.