Bear Canister Alternative Uses

Everyone knows that BearVaults are a great campstool, but let’s get even more creative with alternative uses. When backpacking and weight & space saving are so important, it’s essential to ensure every item serves more than one function.

—> New to backpacking? Check out our comprehensive guide. 

At Last Minute Gear, the only outdoor gear shop where you can buy, rent, or borrow gear (including renting BearVaults, of course), we jotted down 5 alternatives for using a bear can!

Although the screw-on lid mechanism is not 100% waterproof, for many trail uses, it’s enough to be super useful, and the hard plastic will never rip like a bag! For example, if you’re concerned about a sleeping bag getting wet (which could compromise its insulation ability), stuff it in your bear can! A BV500 can hold most down bags on the market, while the smaller BV450 can hold most down bags rated to 30°F and above. 

The reverse can also be helpful: if you have wet clothes or gear that you want to isolate in your pack, put it in your bear can (just remember to take it out when you get the chance and let it dry—you don't want it to develop a gross, wet smell).

 The uncompromising shape of the bear can also work in your favor, acting almost like a compression sack.

Since the rigid plastic won’t crack or leak, you can use the bear can as a water carrier! 

This is important to remember—you generally want to bring clean water back to camp rather than, for example, take dirty dishes down to the river to wash. On one trip where we were using very slow in-bottle water filters, we saved time by filling a bear canister with river water and filtering it at camp throughout the night as needed. 

A BV500 holds over 2 gallons, and a BV450 just under that. Thanks to the grooves and raised bumps on the sides, it's surprisingly easy to carry, even when full!

Water at camp is often scarce or difficult to fetch, so the soak-and-scrub method for doing dishes is generally preferable to cleaning items one at a time, as you might do at home. 

Consider using the bear can as an extra basin on hand for soaking (or rinsing). Since it has a narrower mouth than a traditional wash basin, it’s most useful for utensils. Use only mild soaps.

Beyond just holding food, a BearVault's lid can pull double duty. 

It’s useful as an extra surface—think of a plate or cutting board (doesn’t a cheese & charcuterie lid after a long day sound great?).

Want some tunes by the campfire? If you have an empty bear can, prop your phone inside (you want the speaker of the phone to hit the wall, so don’t lay it flat on the bottom)! 

To set expectations, this isn’t going to exactly turn your campsite into a club, but the volume will slightly increase. Just don’t forget to be respectful of your campsite neighbors.

Have other alternative uses? Are you secretly an aspiring bear can drummer? Follow us on Instagram and let us know!