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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/backpackTJ on 2024-03-29 22:54:08.

There is a common misconception that you should wedge your bear can somewhere so a bear can’t move it.

I get it; I did the same thing for years until I learned I was wrong.

From the NPS:

Prepare food, eat, and store your bear-resistant food canister at least 100 yards downwind from your tent.

Store your canister on the ground hidden in brush or behind rocks.

Do not place canister near a cliff or water source. Bears may knock the canister around or roll it down a hill.

Watch for approaching bears. Be ready to quickly put your food away.

Keep your bear canister closed and locked, even when you are near your campsite. The bear canister only works when it is closed and locked!

Do not attach anything to the canister (ropes attached to the canister may allow a bear to carry it away).

If a bear can is wedged somewhere, a bear could use that leverage to open it. Bear cans are smooth and round to prevent the bear from getting a grip on them. Otherwise, the bear could rip the top off, smash it open, or gnaw through the plastic (depending on the specific can). If you wedge a bear can somewhere, you defeat the entire purpose of its design.

Look at this video of a grizzly trying to open a bear can:

The bear can’t get it open because it’s not in a fixed location; it’s slipping and sliding everywhere.

If the can were in a fixed location, the bear’s first problem of keeping the can in one place would be solved, making it much easier for the bear to solve the next problem: opening it.

Imagine trying to get the cap off a beer bottle without gripping it; it’s impossible. As soon as you grip the bottle to keep it in place, it’s incredibly easy to pop the top off. It’s the same idea for a bear and a bear can (luckily, bears don’t have opposable thumbs).

Obligatory images of failed bear storage (scroll down for the cans):

EDIT - I added a different set of NPS instructions recommending hiding the bear can. The instructions from the original post can be found here: (they’re nearly identical)