More than 400,000 bears roam the US, and they're all hungry — particularly for calorie-dense human food. As they pad quietly through suburbia (and as you camp not-so-quietly on their turf), run-ins are on the rise. But so, too, is a nascent bear-proofing industry, which aims to protect half-eaten Krispy Kremes and wilderness provisions from the ursine menace.
Bear-Proof Gear
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Reinforced and complicated closures frustrated all comers. Interior remained impervious to attacks by bear, orangutan,even the UPS guy. Holds 95 gallons of critter-tempting refuse.
Even for a human, it's much trickier to open than a standard trash can, making it difficult to delegate garbage duty to the kids. Axle yielded to bamboo pry bar;unsuitable for areas with serious ape infestations. 0, BearSaver.com
- 1/10A complete failure in every way
- 2/10Sad, really
- 3/10Serious flaws; proceed with caution
- 4/10Downsides outweigh upsides
- 5/10Recommended with reservations
- 6/10Solid with some issues
- 7/10Very good, but not quite great
- 8/10Excellent, with room to kvetch
- 9/10Nearly flawless
- 10/10Metaphysical perfection
We tested four bear-resistant products — a BearVault food bin, a 95-gallon trash can from BearSaver, Ursack's food bag for backpackers, and a Yeti ice chest — by filling them with peanut butter, fruit, and honey and dropping them in with Betsy, the Fresno Chaffee Zoo's 500-pound grizzly. She acted just like a wild bear,going from product to product looking for the easiest entry. Betsy gave each a quick paw and nibble, then set her 4-inch claws and 2-inch canines on what she deemed the easiest target: the Ursack. Yet after half an hour of unsuccessful nom-noming, she gave up and opted for a19-hour nap instead. Bears are lazy.
Orangutans are not. What's more, their strength is legendary, and they're exceptionally smart. Evenbetter, "they're the most destructive animals here," promised zoo director Scott Barton. Perfect. We took our gear away from Sleeping Beauty, rebaited it, and gave it to the great apes.
