Paid $240 for a Bear Vault canister for the JMT and it saved my trip, but not how I thought

Paige Wilson · 2026-09-21T19:05:03.842917+00:00

Bought a Bear Vault BV500 for a 9 day stretch on the John Muir Trail out of Horseshoe Meadows. I figured the main win was not getting my food stolen, but the real save was that it doubled as a stool and a table when my knees were wrecked. The burn part is that it ate so much pack space I had to strap my tent outside for the whole trip. Has anyone found a lighter setup that still keeps bears off your food?

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Paid $240 for a Bear Vault canister for the JMT and it saved my trip, but not how I thought | Backpacking Routes - Chatter Central