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For the space- and weight-conscious backcountry traveler, the typical bear canister is an abomination to look upon. The black plastic kegs are unweildy and heavy, generally weighing in at about three pounds and taking up considerable space in your pack.
For all the apparent volume, however, they're rather small for extended outings. To cap it off, they're expensive; one of the most popular and economical models, the Backpacker's Cache by Garcia Machine, will set you back $75. |
So what could possibly convince you to carry one? Here are five arguments to consider:
1. In some places you have to.
According to a 1980 study conducted in Yosemite National Park only 3 percent of all backpackers actually stored their food properly while 92 percent said they did.* Frustrated by such stats, many national parks--including Denali, Olympic, and Yosemite--are now requiring that backpackers carry a bear can in the backcountry. (Some parks rent them to users on a limited basis).
2. They're convenient.
Even if you're one of the few who really takes the time to store your victuals properly - i.e., counterbalancing them from an appropriate branch at least 10 feet from the trunk and 10 feet off the ground - you can appreciate the comparative ease of using a bear can which, in effect, saves you the hassle of engineering the perfect cache each time.
3. They really work.
After bear cans were made mandatory in Denali in 1984, property damage by bears decreased by 88 percent and incidences of food theft declined by 95 percent.* Briefly, the canisters work by depriving bears a purchase and because they're too durable and rigid to pop. For humans, however, all it takes is the twist of a coin or knife blade to open the lid.
4. It's not just bears.
While our ursine companions are certainly the most threatening interested party, plenty of other wild animals would love to make off with your dinner as well. Ringtails, marmots, raccoons, crows - any of these critters could raid your stash, sending you back down to the trailhead on an empty stomach.
5. A fed bear is a dead bear.
A common slogan, it is a sad fact that human-fed bears are very often goners. Once a bear makes the connection between homo sapiens and food, it can become brazen, and that brazenness may indeed seal its doom. All too often, "troublesome" bears are "removed from the population."
* Source: Backcountry Bear Basics, Dave Smith, The Moutaineers, 1997.
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