BV 450-440 Cu. in. : Bear Vault Bear Resistant Food Canister

The smaller can is larger than I expected (compared to my first choice of the Bare Boxer, which is prohibitively expensive to order in Canada) but it does fit inside my Gossamer Gear Mariposa pack as well as my Kriega OS-32 motorcycle saddle bags no problem. Lid is a bit tricky to remove (two locking tabs to work around) and will likely be even harder in the cold or with cold hands. Fits at least 5 Mountain House freeze-dried dinners and with some aggressive packing should take a bunch of snacks and other food items as well. Overall seems like the best option available, although price is high for what it is.

The BearVault is great in every way! Hyghly recommend. However I would say that you’d need to be a world champion at tetris to store 4 days worth of food in there, it’s actually closer to 3 days.

Purchased this product with the intention of using in the Adirondack mountains where bear barrels are required. The reviews seemed positive, however, when I showed up on the first day, the Adirondack Loj had a nice display at the front door of the information center with this barrel and it's larger model torn open by bears (see attached pictures). The "convenient" groove around the lid for a rope makes it very easy for a bear to slip its claws in and remove. In fact, two different people at the info desk and a ranger on the trail said this model was also so thin that bears had been known to chew a hole in the bottom.Despite the fact that my attached pictures say "bears in the Eastern High Peaks" I imagine bears aren't much around the country (except bigger, making it even easier for them to get inside). The point is, this canister is NOT bear-proof.As a result, I had to rent a different, bear-proof container at the lodge, which was fortunate since we heard a bear heading through our campsite to inspect it and claw marks around the area where it had tried to get it out and fool with it.The only reason I can think of for ANY positive reviews on this container at all is those who gave it a positive rating must not have actually had SEEN any bears or had any try to get into it. Also, this is a very wide, fat container that would be awkward anywhere, including on the outside of the pack. The black, thinner models are easier to slide into a backpack and are actually bear-proof.Fortunately, Amazon honored my return...

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!

I purchased a BV500 for myself and a BV450 for my wife. We both had balked at the weight initially but I was tired of trying to find a spot to hang after long days on trail and in the dark. Let's not even talk about when you have finally hung your bag and then realized you forgot something...We took these out on the AT for a 12 day trip and loved them! No hanging issues, camped anywhere we wanted without being limited by a place to hang, and the fact that they double as a seat or a table was awesome.I plan to carry one of the two on every trip going forward.