by AlmostThere » Mon Jul 25, 2016 6:35 pm
Things that flow freely within a bag, that can be made to take up irregular spaces, will be the best options for maximizing space / not wasting any air space within the can. You will not only need to get food in, you need to get EVERYTHING WITH SCENT that could make a bear curious in -- toothpaste, tooth brush, any lotion that you have, any scented wet wipe, lip balms, and ALL TRASH. Having only ziploc bags as trash makes this much, much, much easier to do. Boxes, styrofoam cups, heavy Mylar bags -- replace all of it with ziploc bags and you may get 6+ days of food for one person, or 3-4 days for two people. The food for the first day does not have to be figured into that night's canister load -- but only if you eat all of it!
So if I want fresh food on a trip, I make it that first day's food, and I make sure that I minimize packaging materials. I freeze the item and pack it in a BAG. Not a can, box or anything with corners and hard sides. By dinner time it's thawed.
And NO, do not even suggest leaving the cans sitting outside the bear can. Bears CAN and DO eat canned food. I was at a boy scout camp after a bear broke into the kitchen -- ate a whole lot of canned goods. Crunch, slurp slurp, gone.