[pct-l] The latest info on URSACK-Bearikade

[Deems]

I carried a friend's Bearikade standard can when I hiked the JMT in 2005. I 
met the infamous Forester Pass big bad bear in camp at the highest tree camp 
on the north side. He showed up at 9:30pm, and again at 11pm. My Bearikade 
was only 10ft away tucked against a log, and he gave it his best, scratching 
the can as he spun it around. He then went after the two other hiker's 
Bearvaults in the camp, since he was experienced in opening the Bearvaults 
by compressing them until the lid popped off. This bear is significant in 
the improvements in quality and security of the current Bearvaults. I slept 
through his test session, and all the screaming of the other campers, since 
I'm used to living with bears, I blended the screaming into my dreams... 
When they told me about the bear last night, I said, "what bear??" I carried 
a pack of firecrackers for bears the whole JMT that I never got to use!  I 
found this note the next day at Tyndall Creek. On Bearikade's website in 
"news" they show a canister that was very scratched up by this bear's skills 
and craftiness, but it's not mine.
http://www.pbase.com/losthiker/image/55556919
http://wild-ideas.net/news/news.html  Scroll down to see the can that beat 
the big bad bear!

This story is copied off of Bearikade's website in the News area. 'Same bear 
I slept through..

"... the story of the scratches -
We camped one night very high above the tree line and just below the North 
side of Forester Pass. We had heard that a rather aggressive bear had swiped 
one guy across the face somewhere in that vicinity and so were very careful 
to put the cans some 150' from our tents. During the night the bear padded 
past the tents, overturned one of the rucksacks, and then headed up to the 
cans. He / she ignored the Bear Vault (a good job because he has learnt to 
open this type by turning them on one side and then sitting forcefully on 
the can to pop the lid off!) but gave both of the Bearikades his undivided 
attention for 50 minutes. He then went away to return for a repeat 1/2 hour 
session some 20 minutes later. I lay in my tent listening to him chew and 
maul the can until one was just 30 feet from the tent (there's a moral here: 
Never leave the cans 'uphill' of your campsite! Doh!

We were very impressed with the standard of manufacture of your cans, 
especially as even after all that attention the cans suffered nothing but 
scratches, and will be eager to give to anyone who'll listen our strongest 
recommendation"

This legendary bear canister tester may be gone now, however, the next one 
may be even badder. Bear cans can save bears and hikes.

~~~~
Yes. The Bearikade.  However, the weight savings and extra capacity may not 
justify the significant price difference. Carbon fiber and steel is much 
more expensive than polycarbonate.
http://wild-ideas.net/index2.html

Bearikade Weekender
capacity 6 days; 600 cubic inches; 9x10 inches
weight 31 oz
cost $225