When you decide to head into bear country, it is very important that you secure your garbage, food and any other item that has an odor. Bears have an uncanny sense of smell and can be attracted to your camp site by anything that smells interesting to them. This includes things like food but also lotions, deodorants, toothpaste, bug sprays and soap to name a few.
That being said, there are many ways to keep your odorous objects away from bears. The way that people have done this in the past is by hanging your garbage and your food so that bears aren’t able to reach it when you’re not using it. Some campgrounds that you visit will even provide what you need to hang your food. If you aren’t sure that you’ll be provided something to hang your food with, bring about 100 feet of cord that you can use to hang your own food.
You can also set up a portable electric fence. When done right, this is one of the best ways to protect your campsite from curious bears.
That being said, if you don’t want to bring all that cord or you are looking for a way to keep your stuff safe without the hassle of hanging it over a tree or using the electric fence, using a bear resistant food container is the way to go. We will share some of the best and highest rated bear resistant food containers of the year for you to look over. We hope that this list will help you to make a more informed decision when you do decide to purchase.
- 1. NO-FED-BEAR Bear Resistant Canister by Udap
- 2. BearVault Bear Resistant Food Canister
- 3. Backpacker’s Cache – Bear Proof Container
- 4. Frontiersman INSIDER
- 5. COUNTER ASSAULT Bear Resistant Food Keg
NO-FED-BEAR Bear Resistant Canister by Udap
The NO-FED-BEAR Bear Resistant Canister by Udap is a great option to hide your food and other odorous items. You can get this for just around $60 and for that amount, you can rest easy knowing that surrounding wildlife will not smell anything coming from your camp. This is made with a bear-proof and tough polymer blend that will turn away any bear. You can use a coin to open up the metal fastener on the canister and it offers a diameter of 8 inches and 10 inches in height.
This canister isn’t too big to take with you and will fit a few meals in there if you’re just bringing food. It is a great option for a campsite.
Features
– Safety and quality test for the toughest environments you can think of
– Protect your family and yourself with this quality canister
– This is a must have for anyone that enjoys the outdoors
BearVault Bear Resistant Food Canister
The BearVault Bear Resistant Food Canister is great for hikers, backpackers, and campers. This canister has been tested by many outdoor enthusiasts and BearVault has been an industry leader for many years. It is probably one of the easier canisters out there to use. As easy as opening and closing it to access your food. It is rugged, lightweight and seals off great to keep the odor out of the air. This canister is 8.7” x 8.7” x 12.5” and comes with a limited lifetime warranty for owners. Another cool features of this canister is that it doubles as a stool.
Features
– Easy and clear to use
– Has a wide opening for easy storing and retrieval
– Black & grizzly bear tested and survived 48 hours in a cage with black bears
– For the volume, there aren’t many containers that are more lightweight and durable
– Packs very easily and it can also be used as a stool
Backpacker’s Cache – Bear Proof Container
The Backpacker’s Cache – Bear Proof Container is another fantastic product for the year. This container is top of the line in terms of functionality and quality. These containers were tested by bears to make sure they hold up and have proven to be very effective in keeping your food fresh inside, but also not letting any odors escape.
This container is 12” x 12” x 12” and weights 4.4 lbs. Overall, this product just works. When it comes to sealing the freshness and odors in, you can’t find many bear resistant food containers that work better than you will find here. Bears have been known to step into camp over a pack of gum so don’t risk it.
Features
– Large, effective and robust
– This container does what is was made to do – keeping bears away
– A little heavier than other models but extremely durable and tough
Frontiersman INSIDER – The New Shape in Bear-Proof Food Storage
The Frontiersman INSIDER is a great product to protect you and your food from bears and other wildlife. There are plenty of great features on this container that will have you understand why this is one of the highest rated bear resistant food containers of the year. It’s got an air and water tight gasket that prevents odors from escaping and keeps the freshness locked in. Its tapered design makes it easy to fit inside a backpack or in the back of your car without taking up too much space and the polycarbonate material with its smooth design leave bears no ridges to dig their claws into. Overall, this is a great product.
Features
– 11.86L – Big container made for a family
– Safe and easy to carry with ergonomic tapered shape that offers great fit and efficiency
– Scent-proof and waterproof
– Easy for you to open while being difficult for a bear to open
– Certified and tested to be durable and stand up to bears
COUNTER ASSAULT Bear Resistant Food Keg
The COUNTER ASSAULT Bear Resistant Food Keg is 716 cubic inches and made in the USA. You can be sure that your food and campsite will stay untouched if you are using this product. This container can fit multiple days of food, your stove, snacks and a first aid kit inside with no issues. Some have said the lid is easy to open and the bright color might attract attention, however, this thing is tough so you can count on your stuff staying safe.
Features
– Meets or exceeds all recommendations from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee
– Bright yellow proprietary polymer blend is used for this product
– Also get a carry pack