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

Just what I need to go to the places I wish to explore.

Good, if you can get away with a chew-proof bag that would be more convenient for backpacking, but for bear country this was great.

Okay, so, I finally got my BearVault 450 and got to take it out on a 4 day backpacking trip. I almost didn't buy this cannister because of all the reviews where people said it was too hard to open. But, I sat down with myself, and I said "self, you're trying to protect your food from animals with varying levels of dexterity. If you have to struggle to open it, at least you'll have the peace of mind that your campsite won't be ransacked." I went ahead and bought it.All I can say is....woa! I had concerns about this thing to be a struggle to open, but it was so easy! The place above the tab where you are supposed to push is clearly marked with ridges, and I didn't have to hold the cannister down or pinch it between my legs. I used one thumb and one hand and had no trouble opening this. Maybe it is because I have small fingers and the hands of a massage therapist? Either way, I do question what is so difficult about opening this.I did see some reviews about it being harder to open in the cold. I was out on a night that dropped into the low 40s and didn't notice any change in the rigidity of the plastic or ease of opening. There might be a lower temperature threshold for that, and if there is, I haven't had the chance to test it out yet.I saw a few reviews about the threads getting stuck. While I was out on the trail, I did get the lid stuck once, but it got stuck on the corner of one of my food bags, not the threading. I made sure to tuck them in below the lip of the opening and never had any snags again! It seems like as long as the cannister isn't over filled and nothing inside is packed in a way that touches the lid, it has less of a chance of getting stuck.The next concern I saw people have was the weight. I packed this cannister for a 4 day trip for me and my dog, including meals, snacks, kibble, and treats. Kibble is not that light and my dog eats 2 cups a day! After all that, the whole weight of the cannister and food was only 5 lbs. I don't know what kinds of meals people are packing to make this thing weigh 10+ pounds for a weekend trip, but if you know your camping food and pack consciously, then weight shouldn't be a problem.Lastly, there are a lot of negative reviews for this cannister in the Adirondacks. In the research I did (assuming it is accurate), you can't legally use any bear cannister in the Adirondacks that isn't approved by the rangers or one you rent from a trailhead. While that might be limiting to this particular cannister, there are thousands of other places around the US that I would love to go where I can bring this cannister. If I ever go to the Adirondacks, I will go in knowing I need to rent one of their cannisters. Easy problem to solve.Other than that, the design is emaculate. The large opening makes packing, reorganizing, and finding what you need so easy, as does the transparency. This can hold a lot of food when packed correctly, and it fits perfectly in my 75L backpack with the rest of my gear. It also makes a nice seat/stool when needed.I'll be getting the BearVault 500 next!

It arrived as advertised and expected. Easy and safe to use.

I review these products from the point of view of a sea kayaker intending to use a bear resistant food container on the Inside Passage from Vancouver Island, BC to Glacier Bay, Alaska, where I have to interface with the containers twice a day for 90 days. I compared the Garcia Backpacker's Cache and the BearVault BV-500 because they're both top of the line, readily available, and they're the two that most long-range voyagers through bear country would likely consider. On the west coast, raccoons are as problematic as bears, and mice everywhere are equally frustrating. Both containers weigh essentially the same, about two and a half pounds, and both are approximately 8.75" in diameter and each about 12" long. The Garcia is the standard loaner/rental used in State and National Parks. It has a more pleasant shape than the BearVault but has only a 600 cu/in capacity, while the BearVault holds 700 cu/in. The BearVault has a screw lid, while the Garcia closes with twist latches. While some reviewers state that you need a coin or object to open the lid latches on the Garcia, on mine I need only my fingernail, and I easily could open the lid without a tool of any kind. It's a matter of reasoned technique that becomes easier over time.I compared the Garcia Backpacker's Cache and the BearVault BV-500 side by side for several days and ultimately chose the BearVault over the Garcia because (1) it has a greater carrying capacity for the same weight, (2) because it's made from clear (bluish) polycarbonate that you can see through (and which light can enter through) and because the lid opening is significantly larger. Neither container is claimed to be odorproof or waterproof, however the BearVault seems more waterproof from ordinary rain than the Garcia. Both units require use of some kind of odor-proof plastic bag inside, such as a 12" by 20" Opsak, and the bags are easier to put into and remove from the BearVault (because the opening is larger) than the Garcia. Although the Garcia seems easier to fit into a backpack or kayak compartment hatch because it is less angular, the BearVault was my choice because light enters the container through the translucent sides and bottom, and it is easier to see inside than the Garcia, so things are easier to find. A bear or raccoon can see inside too, but seeing won't get him the food, and I'd rather avoid the frustration of continuously digging for things I can't see. Although the BearVault is a bit harder to open, overall the increased visibility and accessibility of the BearVault make it easier to deal with than the Garcia. I covered my BearVault with disks of black reflective tape to obscure some of the contents and make it more stealthy, as well as to make it easier to find at night with a headlamp. The reflective tape stickers still let in enough light to see the interior. It's probably a small consideration, but I liked that the BearVault lid was large enough to put things in (contents being emptied from the vault) to keep them off the ground, and that the BearVault had a broader lid to sit upon as a stool. On a long trip I can easily envision using the wide mouth BearVault as a bucket to wash clothes, which would be more difficult with the Garcia due to the narrower mouth of the container. I think both containers are really nice products and the ultimate choice is one of aesthetic and personal preference. Aesthetically, the Garcia was my favorite.One think is certain: On long trips through bear and raccoon country, walking a bear canister 100 yards downwind of camp (and stashing it on the ground) is less difficult and time consuming than rigging drysacks to hang food in, especially where vegetation is dense and good tree branches are scare. Hanging food properly is daily drudgery, and the task gets old really fast.

It’s a bear vault, we all should know what these things are lol.Very durable, great size for my partner and I and with any extra room, we just fill in with things we were already bringing.