[BULK] - [pct-l] BearVault status in a portion of SEKI

[sales at bearvault.com (bearvault)]

Mike as you will see when we get the URL up, we think some of these
failures are due to the bear(s) jumping up and down on the sides of the
canister, not due to incorrectly closing the lid.   We don't have any
samples back yet, but for both BearVaults and Bearikades to fail in this
area this seems a probable reason. As the BearVault have passed
stringent bear attack requirements from bears much larger than a black
bear during certification, this is a surprise. We have to wait and see
if it is just this bear(s) in this area or if this becomes a more
widespread problem.
 
Jamie
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Saenz [mailto:msaenz@mve-architects.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 4:18 PM
To: alec; bearvault; pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: RE: [BULK] - [pct-l] BearVault status in a portion of SEKI
 
What's happening here is that SOOOO many people so desperately want
these cans to work. A client base any business has wet dreams over...
 
"10 BearVault failures".... Oh my.
 
Again, I'm curious as to the percentage of defective lids out there. I
know I'll be scrutinizing my BV300 for any lid gap problem. The defect
may not be perceptible to the human eye, but it seems obvious to a
bear's claw...at least a Sierra bear's claw. The zoo-bear these things
are tested on may be ready for retirement.
 
Michael Saenz, Associate Partner
McLarand    Vasquez    Emsiek   &   Partners,   Inc.
A r c h i t e c t u r e  |  P l a n n i n g  |  I n t e r i o r s 
MVE       MVE    Institutional       MVP    International
 <http://www.mve-architects.com/> w  w  w   .   m  v  e   -   a  r  c  h
i  t  e  c  t  s   .   c  o m 
 
 
  _____  

From: alec [mailto:amr10009@yahoo.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 4:06 PM
To: Mike Saenz; bearvault; pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: RE: [BULK] - [pct-l] BearVault status in a portion of SEKI
i'm just back from a 25 day trip on the JMT and it's interesting to see
read about all of these developments.  it became apparent to me and
others while on the trail that the bearvault cannisters are not working.
a friend met someone last year in the sierras who had lost all of his
food in a bearvault that didn't live up to its name.  i chalked this up
to "user error."
 
last week, while meeting this same friend at the top of kearsarge pass
for a resupply, we ran into a charlotte lake ranger (a tall skinny guy
with the longest legs i've ever seen) who asked us what type of
cannisters we were using.  when we replied that we were carrying garcia
cannisters, he replied, "good."  he said that there had been 10
bearvault failures in the last 2 weeks.  i can't substantiate the truth
of this assertion, but this is what the ranger said.  
 
i understand that there are some technical manufacturing anomolies with
the bearvault cannisters and i understand that some of these purported
failures may be due to user error.  when i broached the issue of user
error with the ranger, he said that in the past he had found it easier
to accept this explanation, but that now the rate of failure seemed to
indicate otherwise.
 
in my opinion, a high rate of user error leading to repeated failures
indicates a serious overall problem with the product.  if so many people
are failing to properly secure their bearvaults, that says to me that
there is something wrong with the design of the cannisters.  i've never
heard of a user failing to be able to open or close a garcia cannister.
 
perhaps the folks at bearvault should go back to the drawing board.  i
think they have a great concept with a lexan cannister, but they need to
rethink the lid/locking mechanism.  when they do so, i will be the first
to purhase one.
    
 
   


Mike Saenz <msaenz@mve-architects.com> wrote:
Great.
I'll be in this exact area week after next...

And my new BV300 is grizzly approved???
(maybe the Rae Lakes Loop yogis are just "smaaarrrtter than the average
bear!")

To BearVault: Send me an extra BV300 and I'll stuff it with smoked
bacon, slather steak sauce on it and leave it out to see just how well
it performs... Of course, I'll follow the directions and secure the lid
properly...

I better catch a lot of fish.


Michael Saenz, Associate Partner
McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners, Inc.
A r c h i t e c t u r e | P l a n n i n g | I n t e r i o r s
MVE MVE Institutional MVP International
w w w . m v e - a r c h i t e c t s . c o m

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
[mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf Of bearvault
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2005 8:48 PM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: [BULK] - [pct-l] BearVault status in a portion of SEKI

We wanted to let you know of a development that affects the use of the
certain bear canisters in a specific area of the Sierra. The Kearsarge
Lakes/Charlotte Lake/Upper Bubbs Creek areas have had several BearVaults
and Bearikades broken into by a bear(s). At this time these incidents
are isolated to this specific area and possibly one or more bears. Due
to the local and specific nature of these incidents the enclosed
document was sent out by the Whitney Ranger Station concerning this
area. BearVault is obtaining several of the canisters from the
incidents in this area in an effort to determine the cause of the
failures. 

The Sierra Interagency Black Bear Group has pointed out that at this
time this does not affect the approval status of any BearVault models.
The local rangers will attempt to tag the suspected bear (s) and observe
its behavior during interactions with bear canisters put in the area to
observe what is happening.

Thank you.

Jamie


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