the Hunny bear canister

http://www.hunnycanisters.com/ Hunny Canisters is coming out with an interesting bead box. Cheap, light, strong, it looks like it will replace all the others once it passes the bear tests. But I have a few questions that I submitted to the company:
why black when brighter colors would be easier to find in the wild?
why that shape? to be different or is there a practical reason for losing the space were it a cylinder?
how difficult will it be to open?
will reflective tape stick to the thing?

What are your thoughts on this container?

The sizes, weights, and prices look good. They only have artist renderings of the canisters on the website, but no actual photo of one. I watched the video and it had the same picture, no video of an actual canister in use. I’m unclear about how the end lids secure. I do see a side door with the usual key locks like a lot of the other brands use. The shape is cool looking and being able to get in on either end would make it easy to find stuff I guess. Looks like they aren’t certified yet.

prices are the best I have seen.

It doesn’t matter what I think, it matters how “Yellow-yellow” thinks…
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/nyregion/25bear.html

It’s hard to see what is inside a black bear proof container. They ought to use a brighter color plastic, such as yellow or white. Better yet, use clear plastic.

I have read an article about Yellow-Yellow and her skills before and it made me laugh. I can’t get the lid off those Bear Vault canisters myself. Someone on one of my Grand Teton kayak trips last summer brought one and couldn’t get it open either. It took the two of us working together to finally get it open. I guess we aren’t smarter than the average bear.

I figure it is like my cell-phone.
If I cannot get it to work, I call my kids to help.
If I cannot get a bear canister open ,I should leave it out for a bear or raccoon to open, then chase them off.

So far, no reply to about three e-mails to the company.
I looked over the pics again and ‘think’ that I saw threads on the inside of the canister openings.
Also I wonder if the side door is for the top-line box or if it is standard on the mid-line box.

I found a plastic container about the size of the smaller one and will spend the weekend seeing how much I can pack into that and if it will fit through my hatch.
Maybe a couple smaller boxes would be better than one large box. Divides the load among the group and if one box vanished with an animal, you have a second to eat from.

Comparison specs with my Bare Boxer. I can get 3-4 days of food in mine if I am conservative with packaging & bulk. I have 2 of them. If the Hunny canisters do indeed get certified and are then sold to the public, they would be a bargain at a good size and weight. I’d have to see the locking mechanism first to see how difficult it is to operate. My Bare Boxer with the coin/screwdriver operated locks are simple & secure. It looks like the side port only comes on the largest canister.

Bare Boxer - weighs 1.6 lb. 8X7.4 inches 275 cu. in. capacity $72 shipped

Hunny Ursa Minor - weighs 8 oz. 9X7.2 inches 288 cu. in. capacity $19 + shipping ?

I use a a Greek olive barrel that I bought from a local deli for 50 cents. A day’s soaking in baking soda and peroxide removed any olive smell. Threaded lid has a gasket and is waterproof, having stood up to Cl. IV rapids. Not “certified,” but then again, I don’t camp any place where I have to meet a ranger’s approval…The barrel has been nosed/pushed around by bears, but never opened or bit into… :smiley:

I paddle frequently in places where a certified bear canister is required for backcountry camping (Grand Teton Nat. Park & Yellowstone). The certified canisters are required for backpackers in these parks, but paddlers do have other options. The campsites in Grand Teton have bear boxes, and the ones on Yellowstone Lake have bear poles to hang food. I’m not positive if all the campsites on Yellowstone Lake have the poles? At Grand Teton, you can get a free loaner bear canister when you pick up your backcountry permit. They have the medium sized Garcia type canisters.

So why did I get my canisters if I have other options you ask??? Well, at Yellowstone Lake, I much preferred having my food in the bear canisters over hanging all of it. I did hang my cook kit at night, but my food and toiletries were in my canisters. When you have a group of 5-6 people, all hanging their stuff over one very high bear pole, it gets kind of complicated. At Grand Teton, my group of 6 folks filled the bear box pretty darned fast. I could set my bear canisters on top of the box & allow some extra room in the box for others. Sometimes I paddle in areas where there is bear activity, but no specific requirements for a certified canister. Having my food in the canister gives me a little peace of mind. It keeps my food safe from other critters & keeps it crushproof. It also kind of forces me to pack my food more efficiently. Certified canister are definitely an investment, but one I thought was worth it. If you decide to get one, just make you it fits in your boat, through your hatches, and that you can actually open it without a major headache :smiley:

@Raftergirl said:
I have read an article about Yellow-Yellow and her skills before and it made me laugh. I can’t get the lid off those Bear Vault canisters myself. Someone on one of my Grand Teton kayak trips last summer brought one and couldn’t get it open either. It took the two of us working together to finally get it open. I guess we aren’t smarter than the average bear.
I can’t open some Bear Vaults with my bare hands, but it’s easy to open them with any hard object, like a stick or the handle of a pocket knife. Just push down on the tab and turn the lid.

I think my friend’s Bear Vault must have gotten sand or fine grit in it, because she tried to open it on her own with my screwdriver and couldn’t get it to budge. After struggling with it for about half an hour she asked me for help and together we got it open. I pushed down on the tab with the screwdriver, while she twisted really hard on the lid. That finally worked.

@Raftergirl said:
I think my friend’s Bear Vault must have gotten sand or fine grit in it, because she tried to open it on her own with my screwdriver and couldn’t get it to budge. After struggling with it for about half an hour she asked me for help and together we got it open. I pushed down on the tab with the screwdriver, while she twisted really hard on the lid. That finally worked.
That’s good to know. I will try to remember to wipe off the threads on the body and lid of my bear vaults before closing them, particularly when camping on sand. This problem probably doesn’t affect bear proof containers which close with tabs which you turn with a coin or a screwdriver.

I first purchased the smaller Bear Vault, but returned it when I discovered it was too big to fit through my kayak hatch. I was glad that I returned it when I saw this poor gal’s frustration with getting hers open. Sand in the lid was the only thing we could figure, because she was doing everything right to open it, but the lid wouldn’t turn correctly. My Bare Boxer has the 3 locks that open with a coin or screwdriver. I always carry my Leatherman multi-tool knife, plus a back-up small screwdriver. It’s a simple mechanism to operate, so I’m happy with it.

I was reading some posts on another outdoor forum I belong to about the Hunny canisters. The posts were from last fall when the product first appeared. Some folks tried to contact the company with questions, but never got a response.

I just noticed that the company is based in Park City Utah. I might have to find them, next time I’m up to Park City. Since I don’t ski anymore, I don’t go up to Park City quite as often.

I first purchased the smaller Bear Vault, but returned it when I discovered it was too big to fit through my kayak hatch.<<

I was looking at some bear vaults at REI and wondered the same thing. I have an oval hatch on my Dirago and Whistler and round hatches on my Carolina and Whistler and added a round hatch on my Dirago but these are standard sized openings.
Since I know the sizes on my boats I carried the bear vaults to the REI Kayak section, looked over the kayaks until I found one with the right sized hatch and played with that until I found a Vault that fit. No sense listening to a salesperson tell me that “this vault will easily fit through a 9” hatch" then find that it may fit but not turn and sit inside. Nor am I happy with a bear vault sitting on the deck of my 'yak. I HAD to carry a round toilet with me on my deck for a female paddle-partner (do not ask why) and the looks I got from passing boats were worse than the wind.

Still no reply from the Hunny company re my questions.
This gives me pause on the thing.

The last post on the Hunny was May 2016 so I suspect that they gave up and quit.
Pity as it was a good idea at a decent price.