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BearVault BV200 Black Bear Resistant Food Canister
Field Report
| Reviewed By: | Andrew Mytys |
| Email: | amytys@gmail.com |
| Date Published: | August 8, 2004 |
| Update History: | None |
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Product Information:
| Manufacturer: |
BearVault (http://www.BearVault.com) |
| Item: |
BearVault BV200 Black Bear Resistant Food Canister |
| Year of manufacture: |
2004 |
| MSRP: |
$79.95 |
| Listed Weight: |
2 lb 6 oz (1077 g) |
| Weight as delivered: |
2 lb 5.7 oz (1069 g) |
| Listed Dimensions: |
8.7 x 12.4 inches (221 x 315 mm) |
| Measured Inner Dimensions: |
8.4 x 11.5 inches (213 x 292 mm) - canister
7.4 x 0.75 inches (188 x 19 mm) - lip for screw-on lid |
| Measured Outer Circumference: |
27.3 inches (693 mm) |
| Measured Diameter of Canister Opening: |
7.5 inches (191 mm) |
| Listed Inner Volume: |
380 fluid ounces (11.24 liters) |
| Measured Inner Volume: |
384 fluid ounces (11.35 liters) |
| Construction: |
Transparent Polycarbonate |
| Warranty: |
One Year |
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The information in this Field Report of the BearVault BV200 Black Bear Resistant Food Canister is to be taken in addition to my
Initial Report, where I summarized the basic product features inherent to the BearVault.
Product Description:
The BearVault BV200 is a clear, polycarbonate, cylindrical canister with a screw-on lid. The container is designed to withstand severe impacts and attacks by sharp appliances, including the teeth and claws of bears. The intent of this product is to keep food and other scented items inaccessible to bears.
Field Testing Strategy:
I decided to test the manufacturer claim of a "7-day capacity" by packing common items found in the aisles of my local grocery store.
I limited my menu to no-cook or simple "just add water" food items, with an added goal of requiring little pre-hike preparation. At best, I would re-package the items I purchased - there was to be no dehydration of food during my field-test period.
How Much Food to Pack?:
The amount of food that I need in order to satisfy my energy requirements on any given day varies depending on factors such as temperature, trail topography, the number of miles I plan to cover, and the number of days I've already been on the trail. I find that my food requirements are greater in cooler temperatures than when it is hot. Likewise, climbing up and down hills all day has me eating more than in conditions where I'm hiking over relatively flat trail. If I'm only on the trail for a few days, I can get away with less food than if I've already been on the trail for a period of time - once my trail appetite kicks in, I find that my caloric needs increase by at least 50%. This usually occurs after about four days out on the trail. So, I require less food for days 1-7 than for days 8-14, all other things being equal.
On average, I've found that I need a minimum of 2,500 calories per day. This assumes temperatures are above freezing and daily mileage goals will not exceed 10 miles over flat terrain. For each additional mile, I need an additional 100 calories in order to feel energetic and well fed. Half of these calories are consumed during a formal breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with the other half being eaten as snacks while I hike.
How Many Days of Food Will the BearVault Hold?:
Clearly, the amount of food that I need to fulfill my needs for 7-days is dependent on many factors. Because of the variances involved, I find the BearVault's claim of being able to hold seven days worth of food to be a very loose estimate that has very little practical value, outside of outlining a goal to strive for - if one applies one's self to the task of maximizing the BearVault's space, one should be able to fit 7-days worth of food in the canister. However, the 7-day capacity should not be depended on, especially if the hiker also plans on storing scented non-food items in the canister such as sunscreen and toothpaste. Fitting seven or more days worth of scented supplies into the BearVault, or any other like-sized canister for that matter, requires technique, and can even be looked upon as an art. Hikers that expect to simply drop seven days worth of off the shelf food into the BearVault may find that their needs have exceeded the canister's capacity.
Initially, I planned on packing 7-days worth of food into the BearVault with each day's ration containing 3,000 calories at a weight of 1.76 pounds (0.8 kg). The carbohydrate, fat, and protein were to be distributed in a 55-35-10 ratio. The image below shows the food required to fulfill this need, as it was packaged in the store. Obviously, some repackaging was necessary.
| Daily rations called for: |
| | 1 Quaker Oatmeal Breakfast Square - Brown Sugar Cinnamon |
| | 1 packet Hershey's Goodnight Kisses Hot Cocoa Mix |
| | 2 tbsp Delallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil |
| | 1 pouch Lipton Pasta Sides |
| | 1 Marochan Beef Flavor Instant Lunch |
| | 29 Cheez-It Crackers |
| | 55 Goldfish Crackers (cheddar) |
| | 3/4 cup Cheerios - Apple Cinnamon |
| | 1/2 cup Master Choice Multigrain and Fruit Muesli |
| | 1 Starkist albacore Lunch To-Go |
| | 24 Kraft Sharp Cheddar Cubes |
| | 3 packs Fun Sized M&M's |
| | 9 Mini Oreos cookies |
| | 2 packets Bottle Caps |
| | 1 Clif Bar (Chocolate Chip) |
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After repackaging, I found that only 4.5 days worth of my food would fit in the bear canister.
Next, I packed my minimum needs of 2,500 calories into the canister, continuing the carbohydrate, fat, and protein ratio at 55-35-10. I found that by going this route, I could fit six days worth of food in the BearVault. Note that, in the image below, repackaging of the more bulkier food items has already been completed.
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| Daily rations called for: |
| | 1 Quaker Oatmeal Breakfast Square - Brown Sugar Cinnamon |
| | 1 packet Hershey's Goodnight Kisses Hot Cocoa Mix |
| | 1 tbsp Delallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil |
| | 1 Marochan Beef Flavor Instant Lunch |
| | 29 Cheez-It Crackers |
| | 55 Goldfish Crackers (cheddar) |
| | 3/4 cup Cheerios - Apple Cinnamon |
| | 1/2 cup Master Choice Multigrain and Fruit Muesli |
| | 1 Starkist albacore Lunch To-Go |
| | 16 Kraft Sharp Cheddar Cubes |
| | 3 packs Fun Sized M&M's |
| | 2 packets Bottle Caps |
| | 1 Clif Bar (Chocolate Chip) |
|
The Benefits of a Little Planning:
Effective and optimal use of the BearVault's space comes down to careful planning in terms of individual meal and snack components, measurement of portions, and packing techniques.
- Meal Planning - The first step to efficient use of the BearVault's space is careful planning of individual meals. This planning must go beyond simply walking into a grocery store, buying items that one would like to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and throwing them into the BearVault. My field-testing has shown that this technique can easily result in a practical capacity that's half of what the manufacturer claims.
In addition, the level of meal planning that's necessary to make optimal use of the Bearvault's space requires a careful inspection of the type of food that is selected - choosing ingredients that waste little space in the canister is a good start. Pasta can be on the menu but the bear canister will be able to hold more servings of spaghetti than other types of pasta (e.g. mostaccioli, with its large, hollow core, would be a poor choice of pasta to pack from the standpoint of space efficiency).
Another desirable characteristic when selecting what types of food to pack is compressibility. In this regard, powdered ingredients such as flour and powdered milk are excellent choices.
- Measuring - The quantity of each individual item must also be carefully measured if the goal is maximizing the BearVault's capacity. If a daily intake of 3,000 calories includes a 1/3 cup ration of powdered milk, make sure that 1/3 of a cup is packed... not a "fistful." Measuring will ensure that caloric needs are met and that there's no "extra" food that's robbing the BearVault of space reserved for other ingredients.
- Packing - Packing is an art in itself. One of the first steps towards efficient packing is examining the packaging that food came in at the time of purchase. It would be a waste of space, for example, to place a BOX of six granola bars into the canister - less space is taken by leaving the box at home and simply taking the bars. What about each bar's packaging? Is there air that's trapped within the wrappers? If so, puncturing a needle-sized hole into each package and letting out the air will save even more space. Sometimes, the contents of a package packs much more efficiently if taken outside of its wrapper altogether. For example, small candies like my M&Ms can be loosely dropped into the canister as other, larger items are packed. This way, rather than composing a "layer" themselves, the candies find small gaps in existing layers and fill them. Another example is powdered cocoa. This often comes packaged in single serving envelopes that take precious space in the bear canister. An efficiency can be gained by measuring the actual amount of powder in a serving, then pouring the amount of powder to make the desired number of servings into a single plastic sandwich baggie - for each serving, simply remove the precise amount of powder that is needed.
The order in which items are placed into the bear canister can also make a difference in realizing the most amount of space in the BearVault. If the amount of food needed cannot be crammed into the canister, changing the order in which items are placed into the canister, in addition to what items are placed next to each other, may result in getting all the food to fit inside.
- Other Factors - While a bear canister filled with flour, rice, and oats might hold a very high meal count, that does not mean that this combination is ideal. Preparation time, nutritional content, fuel requirements, and taste must also be factored into food choices. If I resolved to eat oatmeal for every meal on the trail, I might be able to fit two weeks worth of food into the BearVault. Unfortunately, my system rejects the oatmeal based on its consistency and I gag at the sight of it - I need food that contains more texture.
Notes from the field:
- Backpack Compatibility - So far, I've used the BearVault only with narrow packs where the main compartment has measured between 2,200 and 2,600 cu/in (36 - 43 l). The BearVault slides into such packs vertically, with room to spare on either side. Once in the pack, I typically still have enough room to either side of the BearVault to fit a summer-weight sleeping bag, insulating layer, or other such compressible items.
- Everyone knows what's in my stash - When hiking in groups, I've found that everyone around me can see what's in my BearVault. For the hungry hiker, the sight of snacks that are different than what's in their own food bag often results in excessive amounts of saliva forming. I found myself sharing my food more than I have in the past with my BearVault.
- Camp Chair - The BearVault makes for a convenient camp chair. In terms of comfort, it beats the stump of a tree. I've also used it as a convenient footstool.
Locking Mechanism - The initial BearVault BV200 lid that I received was one of the first produced, and lacked a food grade silicone lubricant on the treads. As a result, the lid required more force to open than it should have. The manufacturer has since sent me an updated lid with lubricated threads. However, I noticed that my local REI's stock of BearVaults did not have lubricated threads either, so I spent my field-test period using the original, non-lubricated, lid that I received. I found that the lid got easier and easier to open as time went by, and today I see little difference in the working of the lubricated and non-lubricated lids. I used two BearVault containers in my testing, ensuring that one container's threads were never exposed to the lubricant. In fact, I notice very little resistance being delivered when the two "lips" meet each other, and I can now open the lid of the BearVault with one hand, holding four fingers on the side of the canister while unscrewing the lid with my thumb.
Other Considerations:
- Land Manager Acceptance: The BearVault is a new product on the market and its locking mechanism is unlike any anti-bear container that existed before it. While the Sierra Interagency Black Bear Group (SIBBG) has certified the BearVault, it is only "conditionally" approved at this time (August, 2004). This means that the BearVault has passed a visual inspection, an impact test, and a zoo test with a live, hungry, and curious bear. In order to be fully approved, however, it needs a successful three-month field trial over the summer. Either type of approval may be revoked due to product failures in the field and, in fact, the old BearVault BV100 design is no longer approved by the SIBBG. BearVault stands behind its products though, and now offers customers with the older model BV100 anti-bear canisters free upgrades to current lid technology.
I find myself wondering what the current approval status is of the BV200, particularly as the lid seems to be getting easier and easier to open for me as time goes by. Fortunately, BearVault keeps its customers informed on the latest status of the BearVault products via their website, under the "Product Notices" link. As a customer, I want to be sure I have the latest product news and that the web page is regularly updated. It would be nice if this page included a date and was revised on a monthly basis - if there were no updates, only the date on the product notice would need to be updated.
Next Steps:
In the final stage of my testing, I will continue to evaluate the BearVault's storage capacity, this time focusing on trying to fit as many days worth of food inside as I can. I will be using preparation methods such as dehydration and vacuum sealing in my quest to make, and even break, the 7-day capacity rating. I will also report any effect on the BearVault from animal encounters that I observe, and comment on the condition of the BearVault's contents after the test unit has been left exposed in a storm. I also plan to continue discussing the BearVault's locking mechanism, and any changes in its working that I notice after six months of use. Finally, I will be hiking on an extensive trip with my wife in the coming months. In terms of packing the BearVault, I want to see how effective I can be at distributing food between two BearVaults, with a goal of making my load as heavy and hers as light as possible. How many days of food will the combined BearVault's hold, and what will be the weight in each canister?
Personal Biographical Information:
Backpacking Background:
I live in Michigan and have been hiking seriously for 15 years, although I've camped
since I was 6 years old. I consider myself a lightweight hiker. I carry the lightest
gear I can get my hands on which will provide a comfortable wilderness experience and
adequately support the goals of my trip. Unless my goals are time/distance oriented,
my pace is always slow. I rarely exceed 1.5 miles (2.4 km)/hour. I rest frequently,
hike long days, and enjoy whatever nature throws my way.
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