SectionHiker.com Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs 
The BearVault BV425 is a 1 lb 12 oz (800g) bear canister capable of carrying 2-3 days worth of food. It has an internal capacity of 305 cubic inches (5 liters). It’s the perfect size for weekend backpacking trips and fits easily inside most backpacks. The BV425 has an opening with a diameter of 7” which makes packing and organizing your food easy, and being transparent, it’s pretty easy to find what you’re looking for and to know how much food you have left.
Specs at a Glance
- Volume: 305 cubic inches, 5 L, (2-3 days)
- Tool-Free Operation: Yes
- Material: Clear polycarbonate
- Weight: 1 lbs 12 oz (800g)
- Dimensions: 8.7″ x 6″
- Diameter of opening: 7″
- Approvals: IGBC
BearVault also makes several other canister sizes, the BV450, BV475, and BV500, but the BV425 is optimal for short backpacking trips in areas where a bear canister is required because it’s easy to pack inside your backpack. I pack mine in the middle of my pack, just above my sleep insulation, and shim out the sides with loose clothing. It’s that small.
| Make / Model | Weight in oz. | Cubic In | Days Food |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bare Boxer | 26.3 oz | 275 | 3 |
| BearVault BV425 | 28 oz | 305 | 3 |
| BearVault BV450 | 33 oz | 440 | 4 |
| BearVault BV475 | 36 oz | 565 | 6 |
| BearVault BV500 | 41 oz | 700 | 7 |
I started using the BV425 this summer for the 1-2 night backpacking trips I like to take in the White Mountain National Forest, where you have to either hang your food (12 feet up and 6 feet out), use a bear canister, or one of the bear boxes available at designated tent sites. Unfortunately, Ursacks are no longer permitted in the Whites.
Advantages
While hanging your food in the Whites is a lightweight option, it can be difficult and rather time-consuming to do. Moreover, a small bear canister like the BV425 has a lot of advantages over hanging a bear bag in a tree. For example,
- It is impervious to mice and small rodents.
- Requires no skill to hang or tie knots.
- Bear canisters can be stored on the ground.
- A bear canister is easy to stash (preferably 200 feet from your campsite), even after dark.
- Easy to clean.
- Fits inside ultralight backpacks easily.
- You can sit on it as a camp stool.
If you’ve ever spent an hour or more trying to hang a bear bag at the end of the day or as dark approaches, those are pretty significant advantages.
Locking mechanism
The BearVault BV425 has a black screw-top lid. There are two little locking tabs on the lid which are sloping on one side so they can pass through the locking tab on the canister when screwing on the lid. They are blunt on the other side so they will not pass back through the locking tab until you forcibly depress them. To unlock the canister, push in the tabs on the lid until they clear the tabs on the canister and unscrew the lid in one motion. It takes a couple of tries, but you get used to it pretty quickly.
Competition: The Bare Boxer
I also own another small bear canister, called the Bare Boxer, which has close to the same volume as the BV425. While it is slightly lighter weight, I like the BV425 because it has a much wider top opening (7″ instead of 4.75″ on the Bare Boxer), it doesn’t require a tool to open, and it’s easy to see how much food you have left inside.
Recommendation
The BearVault BV425 bear canister is a great option for short backpacking trips up to 2-3 days in length if you know you will be backpacking in places where bear canisters are required. Its small size means that you can easily pack it inside your backpack and you can stash it on the ground at night, even if you get to camp after dark when hanging a bear bag in a tree would be virtually impossible.
Disclosure: Bearvault donated a bear canister for review.
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Amazon US$76.95ViewAmazon.com Price: $76.95 (as of 04/26/2024 14:05 GMT-0400) Details
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They’ve figured out how to open it? Sneaky bears. I’d love to see how they do it… unless it’s my food and it ruins my trip.
Only other option in this weight range is the Bearikade Scout at 28 oz with 500 cu in of space, but is four times the price. It does have a nice wide 9” opening but needs a tool to open and is not transparent.
When did the Forest Service prohibit Ursacks? Were bears getting into them?
2019 – they’re only now starting to tell people. I believe it’s related to the bans on the AT farther south. And to answer your question..NO. The reasoning isn’t based on facts, but “beaurocratic” expediency.
Thanks for your reviews, all very helpful! If the ADK Bears have figured it out, it is only a matter of time NH, VT and ME bears do the same! The canisters have been required there longer,so they have had a bit more time to work on them. Why buy something that a year or two from now is not allowed? I was about to buy an Ursack but thanks to you didn’t make the mistake. Will lug my old school 3lb black “beer”keg until???? Thanks again.
I just looked over the NYSDEC website re bear canisters and while they do mention that clear canisters like the bear vault have been defeated in the Eastern High Peaks they still qualify under the canister requirement. Obviously that could change and probably will so the penny operated ones are more future proof for camping there.
Phillip – thanks for all that you do.
Between a Bare Boxer and the BV425, what’s your take on which is less uncomfortable to carry in a frameless pack?
Either should be fine if you pack them right.
I am experimenting with two BV425s in place of one BV500. UNDERSTANDING that there is a significant weight and volume penalty I nonetheless enjoy not having the round side of the BV500 near my spine. I place the flat top of the BV425’s against my back with a pad between the tops and my back. With a Kakwa 55 room is just enough. Also experimenting with losing the individual sacks that organize my gear. I can squeeze my gear around them with my tent rolled on the top. Somehow I can’t get into a BV500 on top. To somewhat balance the weight penalty, I have decided to diet and lose the added pound or so. Just sayin!
It does make sense! One thing that works well with a BV500 is to carry it empty on top of your pack and pack your food inside in a separate bag, transferring it at night for storage.
Holy cow you just made the proverbial light bulb go on over my head. I HATE carrying my BV 500 with food because I can’t get the weight to balance and it is annoying and dangerous.
Use a separate bag to hike, vault at night, genius!
Thanks for the information!
I add that the canisters warn to keep harsh chemicals (esp those with DEET) away from the plastic. I think you covered the effects of DEET on plastics in an older article. Also- keep threads clean. This is easy to accomplish by wiping the threads with your pot bandana just before sealing it up for the night.
In the desert we really had to make sure to keep sand out of the threads. It degrades the threads and can lock on the top where you can’t get it open.
You’ll wish for those ingenious Adirondacks bears then, I tell you!!