[pct-l] Bearvault locking

[tbache at san.rr.com (Tom Bache)]

I'm just back from a 6 day trip up the PCT/JMT (in at Horseshoe Meadow,
out at Bishop Pass).  I was carrying a Bearvault and heard these stories
from Rangers and other hikers.  I had a struggle opening my Bearvault
each morning (don't lock it in your pack when hiking!).  By Rae Lakes I was
looking for that bear that knows how to open them.  When I concluded
that he/she was not available to help me get at my food, I used a
rock & tent peg to chip off the locking mechanism.  It works a lot
better for me now and adds some nice ballast to my pack.

Moral of the story -- we need to find that bear to give (at least some)
of us hikers lessons on how to open those things -- especially on
freezing mornings. 

tom 




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.