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Howdy --

I have BearVault 450 from ~2007. I was just packing for a trip to the Sierra this morn, and noticed the locking tab was apparently so worn that the tab easily moves past the "lock" when the lid is spun off.

I used the BV450 just 2 times before-- normally take just an ursack. However, I loaned it to a friend last year, and though she is a very careful type, she seems to have re-loaned it to someone else in the party. This guy was lagging and decided he needed to camp lower down (hence needed a separate vault-- party of 4). In any case, the BV450 certainly works differently than it did when I last tested it. You can spin the lid off without any interference from the tab.

Three questions:
1) Have you folks heard of a BV450 lock tab failing on its own, in this way? The person whom I loaned it to feels terrible, but I wonder if it isn't just some defect in the design. I know that in the past, it was pretty damn hard for me to get the lid off, and I had to press down that tab pretty hard to get it past the lock. Alternatively, maybe the guy who lagged just manhandled it-- the tab almost looks filed, but it could just be worn.

2) I'll be heading south of Horseshoe Meadow, through Trail Pass, down by the Kern River, for a fairly low-key 10-12 mile per day trip. How bearified is that area? I'm going with another group, and they planned the trip, so I have don't know much about that area. It looks like a popular place... and popularity usually means bears, especially on July 4 weekend.

3) If there is a bear problem down there... should I trust a BV450 without a positive lock, and hope the bears are too intimidated to try turning the lid? I could bring the ursack and hang it from a tree, but I'd sure prefer to have a canister. I could rent a heavy one at the interagency center, I suppose.

Thanks.... nasty last-minute surprise.

H, you'll be fine. I hardly ever use a bear can. I've gone as far as to burn an extra pound of cheese to loose some weight in that area and never had a bear problem. I think for the most part the bears in the more remote spots are of no issue and will actually recognize the canister and not even bother.

Thanks!

For the past 9 years, we've NEVER used a bear cannister. Hate lying to the rangers, but ..... never had any animal issues either. I imagine we'll get our food wiped out by a marmot at some point, but so far so good.

Deb wrote:For the past 9 years, we've NEVER used a bear cannister. Hate lying to the rangers, but ..... never had any animal issues either. I imagine we'll get our food wiped out by a marmot at some point, but so far so good.

I brought a dozen gourmet fresh baked raspberry rugula on a trip to the tablelands once. Saved them for day three. Set them on a rock to warm them for some soft gooey action, then watched a marmot drag the whole bag under his rock as I screamed, "Noooooooooooooooo!" I swear he came back out of the rock and flipped me the bird a few minutes later.

I've carried it in the past mainly as protection against marmots (12000', hoping not too many bears...). In the Adirondacks, the bears have figured out how to defeat these things. Should I store wag bags inside the canister (joking!)?

Funny, but I've had the opposite problem with my Bear Vault (BV450). After years of carrying the tried-and-true GARCIA Backpackers' Cache, I got a different pack that the Cache did not fit well in, so I got the BV450. I discovered, much to my dismay, that if one gets dirt/sand in the lid threads, one may starve in the woods. I have now learned to carefully wipe the threads before storing my food at night.

Bear can... Water Filter... WTF are those?

Neither is a REQUIREMENT outta HS Meadows. I would have a pair of snow shoes though.

Be safe.

MoapaPk wrote:
2) I'll be heading south of Horseshoe Meadow, through Trail Pass, down by the Kern River, for a fairly low-key 10-12 mile per day trip. How bearified is that area? I'm going with another group, and they planned the trip, so I have don't know much about that area. It looks like a popular place... and popularity usually means bears, especially on July 4 weekend.

Despite the rangers claiming that we would need ice axe and crampons for this route, it was almost entirely-snow-free. Nevertheless, I wore my heavy boots with eVent liners, thinking I might need to kick steps. What a joke -- me wearing heavy boots across sand flats at 81F. Crossed at most 1' of snow in Trail Pass. My feet were in bathtubs-- I had to dry them out and retape them often. Would have been much better off in trail runners for this stretch. Kern Peak had snow, but the snow was almost totally avoidable.

MoapaPk wrote:

MoapaPk wrote:
2) I'll be heading south of Horseshoe Meadow, through Trail Pass, down by the Kern River, for a fairly low-key 10-12 mile per day trip. How bearified is that area? I'm going with another group, and they planned the trip, so I have don't know much about that area. It looks like a popular place... and popularity usually means bears, especially on July 4 weekend.

Despite the rangers claiming that we would need ice axe and crampons for this route, it was almost entirely-snow-free. Nevertheless, I wore my heavy boots with eVent liners, thinking I might need to kick steps. What a joke -- me wearing heavy boots across sand flats at 81F. Crossed at most 1' of snow in Trail Pass. My feet were in bathtubs-- I had to dry them out and retape them often. Would have been much better off in trail runners for this stretch. Kern Peak had snow, but the snow was almost totally avoidable.

Sounds like a desert peak!

It's their job to over exaggerate and I suppose it’s for the best overall. I went out on the west side once in late October without snowshoes just before the first storm of the season. Predictions were for 1/2 inch of snow max, but the ranger said it was going to be a blizzard. We were only gonna be 6 miles from the trailhead with plans of returning to the car the day the storm was to hit. Yeah, it snowed on the stroll back to the car, if you could call it that. A friend of mine jokingly panicked and ran of into the wood screaming when the first flakes hit the ground.

Glad you didn't get eaten by a bear Moapa! Welcome back.

I did see one bear poop -- full of berries. Lots of water. Saw almost no one on Saturday, hiking down to the river (bout 11.5 miles) in the afternoon; but lots of folks came in Sunday, including a pack train with about 10 horses and 12 mules. The lead horseman said they were out for a week.

I think the rangers were operating from news that was about 2 weeks old. Old Army Pass still looked very snowy.

MoapaPk, did you ever get your bear can lid issue resolved? If not try emailing Bearvault. The owner Gary is a real nice guy. He would probably sell you a new lid for a few $.

Deb wrote:For the past 9 years, we've NEVER used a bear cannister. Hate lying to the rangers, but ..... never had any animal issues either. I imagine we'll get our food wiped out by a marmot at some point, but so far so good.

+1,000,000

Though I am only going on 2-3 years.

Denjem wrote:MoapaPk, did you ever get your bear can lid issue resolved? If not try emailing Bearvault. The owner Gary is a real nice guy. He would probably sell you a new lid for a few $.

Thanks-- but I think the guy filed down the tab on the base (main bottle). It's hard to tell.

Sarah Simon wrote:Funny, but I've had the opposite problem with my Bear Vault (BV450). After years of carrying the tried-and-true GARCIA Backpackers' Cache, I got a different pack that the Cache did not fit well in, so I got the BV450. I discovered, much to my dismay, that if one gets dirt/sand in the lid threads, one may starve in the woods. I have now learned to carefully wipe the threads before storing my food at night.

After 4 years of use, I just had the experience of the top sticking shut. Fortunately my two friends persisted, and working together, got it unscrewed. The bearvault is tough though.... before my friends took over, I took an ice axe to the lid--- barely a scratch.