Bears Ears Pack
Frustrated with the absence of a light pack focused on a low base weight but also capable of a secure, balanced and comfortable carry of a large bear canister I took on to design one for myself.
I ruled out improving on the ’empty on top’ carry primarily because it’s insecure but also inconvenient. Most small pack makers recommend this method, but we haven’t seen much development to make it integrated and working well.
‘Vertical inside’ takes careful packing/padding and a larger pack than I care for, especially with expedition sized canisters.
Executed as a UL pack both these options lack substantial weight transfer to a hipbelt. Which is probably fine if rushing between resupplies, but not ideal when the goal is spending a large chunk of time in the wilderness.
From the early sketches and brainstorms it was clear this pack needed the canister to go near the bottom, but only years later, in 2017, did we begin building prototypes.
The Bears Ears design phase was a long road of dead ends and almost there concepts, until finally in 2021 we identified the one key feature that would increase the comfort to a marketable level.
Developing and improving the Bears Ears have taken me over 74 Sierra passes to date, 56 of which were cross country; plus many more in the Winds and Colorado.
All these hard miles made it clear this idea is a winner. A large part of the allure is how well it utilizes the bear canister as a frame like component for weight transfer to the sturdy hipbelt. Without a real frame, no load lifters, and the low center of gravity the fit can be close and snug with as much weight on the shoulders as one desire. This is ideal for cross country travel, the raison d’être of the Bears Ears.
I came from big McHale and Seek Outside packs because they had enough circumference to carry the canister horizontally near the bottom, the absolute best balanced placement for the densest mass in one’s kit. Arguably those packs were more comfortable than the lightly supported Bears Ears, but much heavier and way too voluminous for a summer setup.
Using the Bears Ears I can achieve a sub 30 lb total pack weight a for 10 day trip (TPW is everything that goes in the pack including food and water on day one), and keep it very compact.
I have gone up to 35 lbs on trips of two weeks without resupply; or those needing a packraft. When the bear canister creeps above 15-17 lbs I find it beneficial to carry 4-5 lbs of food low inside the pack’s main compartment to lessen lumbar pressure: and/or upgrade to the optional Expedition hipbelt.
It is clear from my experiences the Bears Ears is most efficient with a low base weight (this is everything you carry, minus food and water).
From the beginning of the UL movement the goal for many Western US mountain travelers was the heralded 10 lb mark. Ultralight gear is now better and widely available allowing ten pounds to be a comfortable starting point to improve upon, instead of an end goal. This modern realm fits the Bears Ears pack perfectly, especially if chairs, camp shoes, pad inflators and Kindles are considered needless distractions!
I make the pack in a variety of models that all share the concept but differ in volume and features.
The original is still the most popular and breaks down size wise thus: 32 L main compartment; 8 L wraparound pocket; 10 L typical bear canister, 1 L water bottle holder > 51 liters. This is a large volume in the UL realm. With a 30 lbs carry comfort it’s possible to overload the pack, but I think most users will find the volume/weight ratio reasonable and allowing for uncompressed storage of delicate insulation pieces.
I also have a 25 liter option built on the same chassis/well padded hipbelt as the OG.
The Expedition Bears Ears is still a 32 liter base pack, but with a sturdier harness to take the biggest canisters available. The hipbelt is wider with dual buckle cinching; and the pack comes recommended with a light frame sheet installed.
For the future two packs are in the works centered around the 6 day capacity Bearikade Scout. This size canister does fit well in many medium sized framed packs, a reason I was holding off with the development until now.
However the circumference needed to hold the Scout is actually larger than what’s offered in most frameless packs, especially if positioned low down. Yet a six day food capacity pared with a UL load results in a sub 20 lbs TPW – an ideal weight for the packs not able to carry this canister optimally.
The two prototypes are very light (~500g), minimally cushioned with less stiff support, while still offering the core Bears Ears benefits of balance and convenience. One is 18 liter with a vest harness; the other 25 with a minimally padded hipbelt. Spring 2026 is the goal.
