Loading…
21
Dropped $62 on a Bear Vault for the Sierra before I learned the actual bear can rules at Whitney
So I finally got my permit for the Cottonwood Lakes loop out of Horseshoe Meadows and I was stoked, first real Sierra trip. I figured I needed a bear can so I went to REI in Fresno and grabbed a Bear Vault BV500 for 62 bucks because the guy at the counter said it was the standard. Fast forward to me reading the actual Inyo National Forest rules three days before the trip and turns out most of that area has bear box lockers at every single campsite, so I lugged 2.6 pounds of plastic I never needed. I could have called the ranger station in Lone Pine first, took me literally 4 minutes on the phone to confirm the lockers, and I would have known. Instead my pack was 2.6 pounds heavier for 34 miles and I was mad about it the whole climb up New Army Pass. Not the end of the world, the can still works for other trails, but if you are doing anything in the eastern Sierra check the locker map before you buy gear you cannot return. Has anyone else bought a can for a route that had lockers the whole way?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
robertsmith1mo ago
Congrats, you basically paid 62 bucks to rent a 2.6 pound rock for 34 miles. That REI guy sold you the "standard" can the way a car dealer sells you the "standard" undercoating. Gotta love climbing New Army Pass while your pack is doing its own workout. For what it's worth, that Bear Vault will pay for itself the second you hit a trail that actually needs it, so it's not a total loss. Just don't tell the Whitney crowd, they'll make you carry it anyway just for fun.
4