Steel Barrels
Steel barrels are heavier than plastic, but come in larger sizes. Those in the two to ten gallon range can be backpacked. Barrels with bear-proof locking mechanisms are also available in sizes 2 - 55 gallons.
Beware that finding Unitech can be difficult. Take this map along , or you’ll likely waste a lot of time hunting for it -- as we did. The Butterscotch vertical bar at left is the Seward Hwy; the wide yellow road curving from left center to bottom center begins as Dimond Blvd., but changes names in the middle of the curve. Watch carefully for the turn-off onto a side street -- which is the remainder of Dimond
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Bear Sack
Various kinds of bear-resistant sacks have been invented. For example, the “Ursack is made of high tech Vectran fabric, the same material used in the airbags on the Mars Rover when it safely crashed onto the planet's sharp and rocky terrain.”
Effectiveness of bear sacks is a matter of debate. An Alaskan brown bear shredded one brand of sack with his teeth and claws. Other bears have chewed sacks so throughly that they crushed the food inside, allow it to leak out where it could be eaten.
To reduce that problem, the manufacturers of Ursack now provide a stout aluminum insert for their sacks. Sacks with the insert are known as the Ursack TKO 2.0 Hybrid. (ursack.com)
As of 2006, Yosemite National Park approves of only the hybrid. So too, according to the manufacturer, “The Sierra Interagency Black Bear Group (SIBBG) has conditionally approved the use of the Ursack Hybrid in the previously restricted areas of the National Parks and Forests in the Sierra: Yosemite, SEKI, Inyo, Devil's Postpile, Stanislaus.”
Although the Hybrid Ursack might resist the efforts of black bears, BVA does not recommend any kind of bear-resistant sack in areas with grizzly/brown bears.
The original and still ultimate “bear-resistant food container -- a porcupine’s coat. (c) 1970 S. Stringham
Plastic Barrels
If you are going to be watching bears only for a few hours, you are advised to avoid carrying any food or drink except water. For longer trips, when carrying food is necessary, it should be stored in plastic bags that are sealed to minimize leakage of odors. The bags themselves should be stored in bear-resistant containers. The plastic barrels I’ve seen have a capacity of 1-2 gallons and weigh up to 3#.
Unlined Ursack
Ursack with aluminum liner
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