"...because the bag failed the zoo test. Specifically, captive bears were able to puncture small holes in the bag and access honey that had been poured inside."
And we have a Nobel Laureate bear:
"We did not pull the approval on the BearVault because all of the problems (12) were focused on a small area suggesting that one bear figured out how to break into them. "
"First, unlike with hard-sided canisters, bears were able to chew the bags, mutilating the food inside and rendering the food inedible due to the presence of bear saliva. In some instances, the aluminum insert was crushed and torn, resulting in small fragments of metal mixed into the smashed food. The ability of bears to destroy the food was problematic for three reasons. First, backpackers might be inclined to dump their spoiled food, allowing bears access to the food and also contributing to wilderness litter. Second, the presence of bear saliva on the food posed a small risk of rabies infection, and the possibility of a backpacker eating food containing shredded aluminum posed its own safety hazard."
Well put Wagga. I have a 2 lb 9 oz Garcia canister which I have lugged with me since I bought it 8 years ago because I have peace of mind from both large and small critters and it makes a great seat while I am eating. Somehow ultralight and bear-proof don't mix. Even if the plastic is improved I still think it would be a few pounds in weight because it needs to be a larger diameter then the bear's jaws.
Went to the Bearikade website and found this testimonial that is relavant to this Whitney forum:
"It is, in practice, bear proof! At least with the black bears in the High Sierras. I have just returned from a backpacking trip from Onion Valley to Mount Whitney. Our first night out, at Kearsarge Lakes, we were visited by the largest Black Bear I have ever seen (it was actually cinnamon colored). Loud verbal abuses and rocks thrown eventually got the bear to leave us alone for the night, but not before the bear gave my 14" Bearikade a good try. The canister now adorns scratch and teeth marks both on the cylinder and the endcaps. It remains perfectly functional and is now complete with the dignity that is earned by battle scars! Thanks again for your ingenuity in creating a large lightweight canister; my back greatly appreciates it!" J. Zimmerman
As a matter of note you can actually contact Bearikade and get even larger canisters if you want. A man on Glen Pass had one and he didn't have to get them to custom make it as they already had it. It was a couple inches longer.
