Grubcan Carbon 6.6 Bear Canister Assessment

Backside Line

We examined the Grubcan Carbon 6.6 on a backpacking journey within the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The light-weight, user-friendly design was a refreshing change from notoriously cumbersome bear canisters.

The Grubcan Carbon collection are a number of the lightest bear cans in the marketplace, but they’re additionally extremely robust and safe, assembly each IGBC and WMI requirements. The a number of key-lock enclosure is easy and simple for people to make use of, even with chilly palms, nevertheless it’s a mind teaser for bears.

Though the slender form requires some strategic packing, this canister can maintain as much as 5 to 6 days of meals and simply suits on the skin or inside your pack. The value level is sadly an enormous hurdle, however Grubcan presents a streamlined rental program with quick delivery, making this our best choice for its low weight and accessibility.

For extra choices, try our information to the very best bear canisters and backpacking meals storage.

How We Examined

We examined this canister throughout a backpacking journey within the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, masking over 50 miles with 5 days’ price of meals. We additionally in contrast all options to the main canisters in the marketplace to offer an correct view of usability and acceptance in real-world circumstances.

Weight & Packability

Probably the most difficult function to attain with hard-sided bear canisters is low weight and good packability. The Grubcan Carbon has come nearer than any bear canister we’ve seen. This carbon fiber canister weighs simply 1 pound 13.8 ounces, a fraction of the burden of most rivals, which regularly exceed three kilos.

The Grubhub is straightforward to pack, whether or not on the inside or exterior of your backpack. Its lengthy and skinny design (13.4” tall and 23” round) simply slides vertically into any pack enclosure, however like most bear canisters, will solely match horizontally contained in the widest packs. The wavy outer shell offers a helpful ledge to grip together with your fingers in addition to a spot to safe a strap when packing on the skin.

Ease of Use

The Grubcan hits that good center floor of being a no brainer to open for people however an absolute mind buster for bears. The lid has a multi key-lock design with three notched rotating discs that should align completely for the lid to raise off. As soon as aligned, the lid lifts straight off simply—no buttons or threads wanted. No stress is required, and the discs are simple to show even with chilly palms. Apparently, the lid is definitely extra finicky to place again on than to take off, because the discs can generally shift on their very own when the lid is off.

Our predominant criticism with the Grubcan is its slender opening, which makes it considerably tough to pack bigger meals objects or attain for issues which have sunk to the underside. The canister can also be fully opaque, so that you typically should dump all its contents on the bottom to seek out what you’re searching for. Moreover, in case you like utilizing your bear canister as a stool, you would possibly need to think about a unique possibility. The marginally rounded backside and tall peak of the Grubcan make it simple to tip over simply.

Safety

The Grubcan Carbon retains up with the very best in stopping bears from getting in. The canister is created from carbon fiber and Kevlar, making it extremely light-weight and sturdy. The non-see-through design provides an additional layer of safety.

Though the lid comes off very simply when unlocked, a bear must get wildly fortunate to align the keyed discs. We’re not saying it couldn’t occur, however we consider the locking mechanism on the Grubhub is as safe as every other toolless lid design. Lastly, the slippery plastic shell is tough for a bear to select up and carry away with its bear palms.

Allow CompatibiLity

The Grubcan Carbon holds certifications from each the IGBC (Worldwide Grizzly Bear Committee) and the WMI (Wildlife Administration Institute).

As a result of Grubcan is a smaller firm, it’s much less more likely to be included on the strict approval record for sure public areas the place curious bears pose an enormous drawback.

Capability

The Grubcan Carbon is offered in two sizes – the 6.6L and 4.6L – each of which appear small for what Grubcan claims they’ll maintain. The 6.6L is marketed to hold a formidable six days of meals for one particular person. The secret is to make use of the “repacking methodology,” which includes eradicating your meals from cumbersome producer packaging (similar to cardboard bins, arduous plastic containers, and normal freeze-dried meals packaging) and repacking it into plastic sandwich baggage. Whereas this frees up lots of area within the canister, it undoubtedly provides an additional step to your planning course of.

With out repacking, the Grubcan 6.6 comfortably holds about 4 to 5 days of meals for one particular person. For comparability, we managed to suit 12 dehydrated Good-to-Go meals right into a single 6.6L canister. That gives breakfast and dinner for six days, with no area left for lunch or snacks.

No matter your packing methodology, the slender opening and wavy canister partitions make packing and unpacking a bit extra of a problem than wide-mouth canisters.

Ought to You Purchase the Grubcan Carbon 6.6L?

A full buy of the Grubcan Carbon 6.6L isn’t advisable for informal or newbie backpackers — it’s fairly costly. The people who find themselves almost certainly to get the complete profit from this glorious ultralight possibility are long-distance backpackers who spend lots of time in bear nation every year.

Nonetheless, Grubcan presents a superb rental program that gives nice worth. For this reason it’s our best choice. We discover that for a 3 to 10 day journey, the associated fee per day ($7), plus the flat-rate delivery to anyplace within the US ($15), prices considerably lower than comparable fashions we examined. Nonetheless, this takes some planning. You’ll need to make a reservation ASAP – these top-tier cans get reserved months upfront throughout summer season.

Though it’s not as widely known in some particular areas of the nation, Grubcan meets the identical strict testing requirements as different high bear canisters. Its clever locking mechanism, wavy shell, and opaque materials preserve bears confused whereas making it simple for people.

Our predominant gripe is the packability of the Grubcan. Some design options that make it ultralight additionally make it a bit more durable to make use of, such because the slender opening and tall, slender profile. Nonetheless, in case you’re severe about lengthy, ultralight journeys in bear nation – and don’t thoughts setting issues up forward of time – the Grubcan is our best choice for ergonomic, environment friendly, and glossy meals storage.

What Different Bear Canisters and Backpacking Meals Storage Ought to You Take into account?

Try our full record of bear canisters and good storage favorites for reasonably priced choices that received’t break the financial institution.

Ursack Main Assessment: Possibly you don’t even want a bear canister. In lots of elements of the nation the place bears are much less intelligent, a hard-sided bear canister isn’t vital, and a Kevlar bag just like the Ursack Main will suffice. It’ll nonetheless preserve your meals comparatively protected whereas lowering the burden of your pack.

BearVault BV450-Jaunt Assessment: For journeys lasting not more than three to 4 nights, you will get almost the identical quantity of storage because the Grubcan by selecting the smaller, extra compact BV450. 

Grubcan Wave 6.6: Grubcan offers their canisters in a extra reasonably priced polycarbonate model. It’s fully clear (so much less safe) and barely heavier, however less expensive. It’s additionally price mentioning that it’s at present solely IGBC licensed and has not but handed the WMI’s black bear take a look at