The Grubcan Wave is the Most User-Friendly Bear Canister We’ve Ever Tested

A bear canister is among the bulkiest, heaviest, and most aggravating items of drugs to lug across the backcountry. Packing one is concerning the equal of bringing alongside an additional sleeping bag or tent. They’re hard-sided and cylindrical, which makes them onerous to suit inside a pack or strap to the skin. To cap all of it off, they need to befuddle bears, which suggests sophisticated latching mechanisms which might be usually onerous to control, even with opposable thumbs.

Grubcan’s latest canister, the Wave, gives a singular design that guarantees to offset a few of these drawbacks. It’s light-weight, at simply 1 pound, 15 ounces. It has a slimmer profile to make it simpler to hold. And its locking mechanism doesn’t require pushing down small tabs or carrying a device to open locks. It’s additionally fairly inexpensive, at $107, and because it seems on the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee’s listing of accredited bear-resistant merchandise, you should utilize it anyplace, together with parks like Yosemite. We examined one this summer time to see the way it fares in opposition to better-known opponents.

How Mild is It?

Grubcan made its identify making costly, ultralight bear canisters constructed with carbon fiber. This new polycarbonate Wave canister is light-weight as effectively, however it’s additionally pretty small, with simply 6.6 liters of capability. It weighs about 10 ounces lower than a BearVault BV500, however it’s additionally simply over half the scale. In comparison with the BearVault BV450, a 7.2-liter mannequin that’s closest in dimension to the Grubcan, it’s solely 2 ounces lighter. Sure, the Grubcan Wave is the lightest can of its dimension, however not by a lot.

A Lifeless Easy Locking Mechanism

So why is the Grubcan Wave worthy of your consideration? First up is the locking mechanism. To place it merely, Grubcan has created the only, lowest-effort method to open and shut a bear canister we’ve tried. It’s intuitive—I didn’t must learn any directions or watch a video to appreciate that when the three rings on the lid align with the tab on the canister, it would open. And it’s easy. The rings on the lid rotate freely with out requiring any muscle, and as soon as all the things is lined up, the lid pops proper off—no jiggling or finagling wanted. In reality, as soon as the rings are aligned, you’ll be able to merely flip the canister the other way up and the lid will fall off. Because it’s a latch system, there are not any threads to get clogged with grime or mud.

In comparison with its opponents, which have tabs to push in, locks that require a device or coin to open, or threads to unscrew, the Grubcan system is a breeze. If these different locking mechanisms are annoying sufficient to be a dealbreaker for you, the Grubcan shall be a satisfying various.

Packability

The opposite apparent characteristic of the Grubcan is its slim kind issue, with “waves” alongside its size quite than straight sides. The slim diameter permits it to slot in smaller packs that merely aren’t designed round shorter, squatter canisters. Working example: it may possibly match vertically in a 38L Gossamer Gear Skala, with room to stuff a 20-degree sleeping bag beside it. Even in slim ultralight packs, the Grubcan is skinny sufficient that it gained’t bulge in opposition to your again. In bigger, wider packs, the 13-inch-tall Grubcan is brief sufficient that it may possibly match inside horizontally, as effectively.

The design is arguably much more helpful for attaching the canister externally. The lengthy, skinny kind is extra akin to a tent or sleeping pad in dimension than different bear canisters, which suggests it may be strapped right down to a greater variety of packs and slots in higher strapped beneath a mind or high lid. The waves serve their function effectively right here—as soon as the canister is strapped down, there’s little likelihood of it sliding unfastened.

A Few Drawbacks

There are a couple of downsides to this slimmed-down design alternative. First up, it’s not an excellent chair. That’s a use I’ve come to actually recognize from BearVault and Bearikade canisters. The narrower, barely rounded lid of the Grubcan merely isn’t comfy to make use of as a perch.

The larger draw back of the slim kind issue arises when utilizing it for its supposed function, carrying meals. The narrower opening and “waves” alongside the physique of the could make it tougher to pack effectively, particularly should you’re stuffing it stuffed with the stiff, outsized packaging routinely used for freeze-dried meals and beef jerky. You’ll have probably the most success utilizing this canister should you’re prepared to repackage your meals into Ziploc luggage that may nestle into the Grubcan’s waves.

Lastly, I’ll point out the scale once more. At 6.6 liters, the Grubcan Wave is just not a big canister. For a solo hiker, it’s ample—should you pack it well, you’ll be able to match 4-6 days of meals inside. With a accomplice, anticipate it to work for 2-3 days. For teams, you’ll desire a larger canister, and Grubcan doesn’t make one.

Who Ought to Purchase the Grubcan Wave?

In whole, the Grubcan Wave is a singular product that’s positive to have some followers however in the end gained’t be the correct alternative for everybody. Its distinctive form makes it simpler to pack, each internally or externally, than different canisters we’ve examined. However that form additionally makes utilizing it a bit awkward when you’re in camp: Packing it effectively takes extra effort, and it makes a poor camp chair. The best buyer is probably going an ultralighter or fastpacker who values how simple the Grubcan is to hold and prefers to repackage their backpacking meals to avoid wasting house. However there are different causes to buy the Grubcan moreover weight. It has the only locking mechanism of any canister we’ve examined, so anybody who’s simply aggravated by different canisters ought to take into account the Grubcan.