Bear Canisters
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What is a bear canister?
A bear canister is a great modern camping tool - the basic idea behind it is to seal up all your food in a little canister that stops smells from escaping. This lets you avoid all the complicated rope tricks that people normally use when camping to tie their food up in a tree where bears can't get at it. A bear canister is preferable because it won't let the smell get out, it's easier and less of a hassle, and because other animals can't get at it (with food hung from a tree, mice or other rodents often will climb the rope to get into it). The one thing to keep in mind is that while they dramatically reduce the odors created by the food, it's probably still a good idea to leave them a little ways from the camp. A bear can't get into them anyway, so don't take the risk.
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Backpacker's Cache Bear Canister - This is the most popular brand of bear canister. The containers are bear-resistant and basically impossible for an animal to get into. It also reduces food odors by a substantial amount - not totally, but enough that bears probably aren't coming by. It costs about $65 and is available online here. |
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Bear Keg Bear-proof Container - This is a food container that has little latches that can only be opened using a coin or a key to twist them. Bears, lacking both opposable thumbs and currency, can't get in. It stores about a week's worth of food, and it only weighs three pounds. It costs about $75 and you can get it online here. |
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