Bearikade Intro: What is a Bearikade ?
The Bearikade is a bear resistant container made of a lightweight composite sandwich.
The Bearikade is easily opened by a human using the edge of a coin or other
flat object such as a screwdriver blade. Animals, on the other hand, find it
virtually impossible to open. The Bearikade is available in two sizes; the Weekender
MKII, which will hold about 6 person days of food (2 people for
3 days) and weighs 1 pound 15 ounces or the Expedition
MKII which holds about 9 person days of food and weighs 2 pounds
5 ounces. For some common questions you might have, please check out our Bearikade
FAQs.
Overview:
Enjoying and sharing the wilderness with permanent lodgers such as Black Bears
requires the diligent backpacker to plan how to keep food, toiletries and other
items with odors safely secured from these intelligent, inquisitive and strong
neighbors. The Bearikade food canister was introduced in the 1999 season and
is currently used by Rangers in Gates of the Arctic, ANWR, Olympic, Mt. Rainier,
North Cascades, Yosemite, Kings Canyon/Sequoia and Inyo. It is the lightest
weight food canister approved for use in the Sierra Nevada mountains and National
Park.
New Features:
The Bearikade food canister introduced the use of the highest strength-to-weight
ratio materials developed to meet aerospace requirements. The design geometry
was chosen after reviewing thousands of questionnaires submitted to Park Officials
by backpackers. The large opening answered the number one complaint that existing
products had too small an opening. The external diameter is dictated by the
design goal to keep Grizzly Bears from getting a jaw lock on the canister.
O-ring seals make the unit moisture resistant and limit the broadcast of odor
to a much smaller area. A lanyard is included in order to keep the hatch from
being under foot or lost. The use of automotive/aircraft/watercraft quarter
turn fasteners simplifies hatch removal without special tools (coin or washer
is all it takes).