Bear Canister Food Packing Calculator

Bear canisters are required in many US and international national parks for overnight backcountry camping. The canister must hold all food, trash, and scented items for your entire trip.

Common bear canister volumes:

Packing density of backcountry food:

Freeze-dried food is the least dense thing in your pack, which is exactly why it eats canister space so fast. Nothing here approaches the density of water (1.0 kg/L), and anything claiming otherwise is wrong.

• Freeze-dried meals (in the pouch): ~0.2 kg/L
• Dehydrated meals: ~0.4 kg/L
• Bars and snacks: ~0.7 kg/L
• Mixed trail food (typical): ~0.55 kg/L

Typical food volume by meal type:

• Breakfast (oatmeal, bars): ~250–350 mL per person-day
• Lunch (bars, crackers, nuts): ~400–500 mL per person-day
• Dinner (freeze-dried): ~400–500 mL per person-day
• Snacks and extras: ~300–400 mL per person-day
• Total per person-day: ~1.4–1.8 L

That figure is the one to trust over any manufacturer’s day count. Work backwards from it and a BV450 holds about four days for one person, a BV500 about six. If a canister’s marketing says seven days, they are assuming you repacked everything and eat less than you will.

Pro tips:

• Remove all food from bulky packaging before the trip to save 20–30% volume
• Repack into zip-lock bags or small containers
• Liquid soap, toothpaste, sunscreen, and chapstick must also go in the canister in most parks