BearVault BV500 Bear Canister

Bridger-Teton National Forest requires certified bear-resistant food containers in designated wilderness areas. Shoshone National Forest requires them in specific management zones. If you’re packing horses into the Bighorn Mountains’ Cloud Peak Wilderness, a bear canister is required — not suggested, required. The BV500 is on the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee’s approved list (IGBC certification #5339) and is accepted everywhere in North America that mandates hard-sided canisters. That certification covers you in both grizzly and black bear country without having to check zone-by-zone which models are accepted.

The BV500 holds 700 cubic inches — about 11.5 liters — which Bearvault rates at seven days of food for one person. In practice, that’s a four-to-five day trip for one rider eating real food, or two to three days for two people. The clear polycarbonate walls let you see what’s inside without opening the canister, which matters in the dark. The lid is a tool-free screw design; coins, a Leatherman blade, or a firm thumbnail open it. Bears can’t grip the cylindrical shape, can’t find a purchase for their jaws, and the polycarbonate doesn’t compress. The canister also doubles as a camp stool or a table for stove work, which is not nothing at a highline camp where you’re standing on uneven ground.

At 2.5 pounds and 8.7 inches in diameter, the BV500 fits cleanly in a standard horse pannier or a large frame pack. Weight is a consideration if you’re backpacking, but on a horse trip it’s a minor one. The $80 price is reasonable for a piece of equipment that’s legally required, lasts decades, and doesn’t require buying replacement components. For the full four-day Bighorn packing list, see Packing a Four-Day Bighorn Horse Trip.