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We analyzed the calorie density of 12 common backpacking food items. As a result, we calculated the theoretical maximum number of calories a bear canister can contain. The amount of calories that a bear canister can carry varies drastically on the food type.
*The actual number of Snickers Bars and Ramen Noodles that we were able to fit in a BV500 was 143 and 24 respectively.
The difference in the theoretical maximum and actual can be significant depending on spacing between packages. We were able to fit a total of 10 packages of Mountain House meals inside a BV500. This resulted in packing a total calories of 5,945. Surprisingly, this matched closely with the theoretical numbers we derived.
Food Type and Calorie Density
The purpose of the chart above is to illustrate the differences in different types of food. Food type impacts the number of days of food you can pack in a bear canister. We do not suggest you will eat the exact same food every day. We are just showing theoretical maximums in calories for different food types. If you want to maximize the number of calories or days of food in your bear canister it is best to select high calorie density food.
The BV500 used for this test has a measured volume of 10.8 liters or 10,800 cubic centimeters. This did not match the published volume of 11.5 liters. The equation above illustrates how the theoretical maximum number of calories inside a BV500 is calculated. You can use the same equation to calculate the calorie maximum for different sized bear canisters.
A healthy variety of food is important.
Healthy food is generally not as calorie dense as other high fat foods. It is especially important to pack healthy food while backpacking. As a result avoid the temptation to just pack high calorie unhealthy food in your bear canister. I recommend a good healthy variety of food for backpacking.
