Bear Proof Food
September 02, 2008
I spent Labor Day Weekend this year at Rocky Mountain National Park. I have to say that aside from the annoying $20 entrance fee, and the $20 back country overnight permit fee, what was more disturbing was the mandatory requirement that all hikers staying overnight in the back country carry bear-proof containers for food and debris. I wondered what all the fuss about -- after all, bears are always around and there hasn't been more or less sightings than usual around the Park. The cynic inside me thought that http://www.bearvault.com/ may have wanted some consumer exposure and so donated the containers to the NPS. Whatever the case may be, I give you my (glowing) review.I took the container -- a thick acrylic tub with a twist-off lid (more or less) -- and stuffed my provisions inside. The container comfortably fit snacks, dinner for that night, breakfast, lunch, and the hike-down PB&J essentials (the food was for 2). Not bad. While the container appeared overly large at first, it fit inside my pack (Kelty Women's Coyote 4500) with ease and a little room on either side to fit my camp dishes and miscellaneous items I slipped in at the last minute. What I loved most about the container was that it dubbed as a seat -- an important feature considering that when camping, you are likely to sit on the ground or a pointy rock (ouch!) while cooking outside. The container is also see-through, and keeps your food dry (even when you leave it outside in the rain overnight like I did). The lid is also deep, so you can use it to place food on so it is not collecting dirt on the ground while you prepare your food.
What I cannot tell you is whether or not a bear could break open the container, or manage to manipulate that weird little push-in knob to twist the cap open, but it sure was convenient, especially given how large the container was. I don't currently own a bear-proof canister for backpacking, but I think after this experience it may be worth the investment considering that the bears aren't going anywhere else for a long time.
So what did we eat for dinner? Because the Bear Vault kept my food dry, I managed to make garlic and herb flavored cous cous (from Near East brands) -- just add hot water -- with steamed celery and carrots (just add 1/3 c water to your Jet Boil along with chopped vegetables, S&P and boil away). We also ate a small french baguette and apple sauce for dessert. Delicious!
Labels: backpacking, camping
