BearVault BV500 vs Ursack Major (2026)
Both are IGBC-certified bear-resistant food containers, but they are not interchangeable. The hard BV500 canister is on Yosemite’s allowed list; the Ursack Major is not. Always read the land unit you are entering — this is not legal advice.
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How this page was made: this is a research-based guide built from manufacturer spec and pricing pages and the findings of the reviewers we name and link. We haven’t field-tested these products ourselves, and we don’t give scores. How we pick.
Check the land unit you are entering. Food-storage rules have the force of law in many parks and change. We cite the pages we fetched and the dates on them; this is not legal advice. Confirm the current rule before you hike.
Quick answer
Choose BearVault BV500 Journey ($99.99) if your trip includes Yosemite, or any unit that requires an allowed hard canister. Choose Ursack Major ($124.95) if the land unit you are entering accepts IGBC-certified bags such as the Ursack Major or packed weight and a bag that shrinks as you eat matter more than hard sides.
Last updated Prices checked Nov 2026
Check BearVault BV500 Journey price (opens in a new tab)Check Ursack Major price (opens in a new tab)
Key facts at a glance
| BearVault BV500 Journey | Ursack Major | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (maker page, Nov 2026) | $99.99 | $124.95 |
| Weight (maker page) | 2.5 lb (2 lb 9 oz / 1.16 kg) | 7.6 oz |
| Capacity (maker page) | 11.5 L (700 cu in / 3 gal); about 7 days of food for one person | About 10.65 L; about 5 days for one person (or 37 freeze-dried servings, per Ursack) |
| Size | 8.7" diameter × 12.7" tall (22.1 × 32.3 cm) | 12.5" × 18" (soft bag) |
| Material | Rugged polycarbonate; transparent walls; tool-free screw-on lid | UHMWP fabric; 6-foot high-tensile cord with reflective tracer |
We compared the two using BearVault’s official BV500 page, Ursack’s official Major page, the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee’s certified-products PDF dated October 22, 2026, and Yosemite National Park’s allowed-container and backpacking food-storage pages (fetched November 10, 2026). We have not taken these containers into the backcountry ourselves, and we don’t give scores. Food-storage rules have the force of law in many parks and change; check the unit you are entering before you hike. This page is not legal advice.
If you are overnighting in Yosemite Wilderness, pick the BearVault BV500 ($99.99, 2.5 lb, 11.5 L / about 7 days on BearVault’s page): Yosemite’s allowed-container list includes the BearVault 500 and does not list Ursack (page last updated May 1, 2015, still valid as of July 2026; we fetched it November 10, 2026). Choose the Ursack Major ($124.95, 7.6 oz, about 10.65 L / about 5 days) only in land units that accept IGBC-certified bags — both products appear on the IGBC certified list dated October 22, 2026.
BearVault BV500 Journey vs Ursack Major: side-by-side
| BearVault BV500 Journey | Ursack Major | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (maker page, Nov 2026) | $99.99 | $124.95 |
| Weight (maker page) | 2.5 lb (2 lb 9 oz / 1.16 kg) | 7.6 oz |
| Capacity (maker page) | 11.5 L (700 cu in / 3 gal); about 7 days of food for one person | About 10.65 L; about 5 days for one person (or 37 freeze-dried servings, per Ursack) |
| Size | 8.7" diameter × 12.7" tall (22.1 × 32.3 cm) | 12.5" × 18" (soft bag) |
| Material | Rugged polycarbonate; transparent walls; tool-free screw-on lid | UHMWP fabric; 6-foot high-tensile cord with reflective tracer |
| IGBC certified list (Oct 22, 2026 PDF) | BV500 — certification no. 5340 (the same list assigns 5339 to the BV450; BearVault’s product page printed #5339, so we cite the IGBC list for the BV500 number) | Ursack Major (previously the S29 AllWhite) — cert. no. 3738, certified 4/11/14 |
| Yosemite allowed-container list (valid as of July 2026) | Yes — “BearVault … 500” is listed | No — Ursack does not appear on the allowed-canister list we fetched |
| Hanging food in Yosemite | Not a substitute: Yosemite says hanging food is illegal throughout the park; use an allowed canister or locker | Same rule — a bag is not a hang |
| Maker extras | BearVault calls it approved in all national parks including Yosemite and Sequoia, and usable as a camp stool | Ursack recommends an OP Sak 12×20 odor-barrier bag inside the Major |
What are the pros and cons?
BearVault BV500 Journey: pros
- On Yosemite’s allowed-container list (BearVault 500), which we fetched November 10, 2026
- Hard sides and a screw-on lid; transparent walls for finding food
- Slightly more listed capacity (11.5 L, about 7 days) at a lower listed price ($99.99)
- IGBC-certified (cert. no. 5340 on the October 22, 2026 list)
BearVault BV500 Journey: cons
- Much heavier: 2.5 lb vs 7.6 oz
- Always occupies the same bulky cylinder in your pack
- A hard canister can be awkward to pack in a small bag
Ursack Major: pros
- 7.6 oz — a fraction of the BV500’s 2.5 lb — and it collapses as you eat the food
- IGBC-certified (cert. no. 3738, Major / formerly S29 AllWhite)
- About 10.65 L is close to the BV500’s 11.5 L for a much lighter package
- Useful in units that explicitly allow IGBC-certified bags
Ursack Major: cons
- Not on Yosemite’s allowed-container list (fetched Nov 10, 2026; list valid as of July 2026)
- Higher listed price ($124.95), and Ursack recommends a separate odor-barrier bag
- A soft bag is not a hard canister; some units require a hard-sided model even when the bag is IGBC-certified
Which should you choose: BearVault BV500 Journey or Ursack Major?
Start with the regulation, not the weight chart. In Yosemite Wilderness, the park’s own allowed-container page lists the BearVault 500 and does not list Ursack, and hanging food is illegal throughout the park. In that setting the BV500 is the container that matches the written rule. In land units that accept IGBC-certified bags, the Ursack Major is the far lighter option (7.6 oz vs 2.5 lb) with similar listed volume, at $124.95 vs $99.99. Both appear on the IGBC certified list dated October 22, 2026. Check the order or ranger district you are walking into the week you leave — lists change, and this is not legal advice.
Choose BearVault BV500 Journey if…
- Your trip includes Yosemite, or any unit that requires an allowed hard canister
- You want a see-through, screw-top canister with about 7 days of listed capacity
- You would rather pay $99.99 and carry 2.5 lb than risk a container that is not on the local list
Choose Ursack Major if…
- The land unit you are entering accepts IGBC-certified bags such as the Ursack Major
- Packed weight and a bag that shrinks as you eat matter more than hard sides
- You will also pack an odor-barrier liner, as Ursack recommends
What the rules actually say (dated)
Yosemite’s allowed food-storage-containers page, fetched November 10, 2026, states it was last updated May 1, 2015 “and still valid, accurate, and complete as of July 2026.” Allowed canisters include the Garcia 812, several BearVault models including the 500, Bearikade, Bear Keg, Bare Boxer, Lighter1 and UDAP models, among others. Ursack does not appear on that list. Yosemite’s backpacking food-storage page says hanging food is illegal throughout Yosemite, and that “food” includes drinks, trash, toiletries and other scented items, stored in an allowed canister or locker. Yosemite’s bears-and-food-storage page notes that these regulations have the force of federal law, with possible fines. Other parks and forests write different rules — Denali’s BRFC page, for example, is a different list — so do not copy Yosemite’s list onto another unit.
IGBC certification is not the same as park approval
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee’s certified-products PDF dated October 22, 2026 lists both the BearVault BV500 (certification no. 5340) and the Ursack Major, previously the S29 AllWhite (cert. no. 3738, certified April 11, 2014), in the backpacking-and-small-storage-containers section. The IGBC document itself says certification does not guarantee that a grizzly will never get in, and that the list is information, not an endorsement. BearVault’s product page printed IGBC certification “#5339” for the BV500; the IGBC list we fetched assigns 5339 to the BV450 and 5340 to the BV500, so we cite the IGBC list for that number. Certification gets a product onto a testing list. The land unit decides what you may legally carry.
Weight, capacity and packing
BearVault lists the BV500 at $99.99, 2.5 lb (1.16 kg), 8.7" × 12.7", and 11.5 L (about 7 days for one person). Ursack lists the Major at $124.95, 7.6 oz, 12.5" × 18", and about 10.65 L (about 5 days, or 37 freeze-dried servings). The canister always takes the same cylinder of pack space; the bag can be cinched down. Ursack recommends an OP Sak 12×20 inside the Major. If a ranger or permit station requires a hard canister, the weight savings do not matter.
Who should skip both — or skip one of them
- Skip the Ursack Major in Yosemite Wilderness (and any other unit whose published list does not include it). The allowed-container list we fetched does not name Ursack.
- Skip the BV500 only if your unit allows an IGBC-certified bag and you are intentionally choosing the 7.6 oz package.
- Skip both if you are staying in a developed front-country site that provides lockers and forbids canisters in the locker — follow that site’s posted rules instead.
- Do not hang food in Yosemite as a workaround. The park says hanging is illegal throughout the park.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Ursack Major allowed in Yosemite?
Are both IGBC certified?
Which is lighter?
Which holds more food?
Can I hang an Ursack in Yosemite instead?
Sources
Prices, specs and land-unit rules were checked on the pages below as of Nov 2026. Brands and land units change prices and rules often, so confirm them on the seller’s or official land-unit page before you buy or go.
- BearVault: BV500 Journey official product page (price, weight, capacity; fetched Nov 10, 2026) (bearvault.com)
- Ursack: Major official product page (price, weight, capacity; fetched Nov 10, 2026) (ursack.com)
- IGBC Certified Products List PDF (dated October 22, 2026) (igbconline.org)
- IGBC: Bear-resistant products program page (igbconline.org)
- Yosemite NPS: Allowed Food Storage Containers (last updated May 1, 2015; still valid as of July 2026; fetched Nov 10, 2026) (nps.gov)
- Yosemite NPS: Food Storage While Backpacking (hanging is illegal; fetched Nov 10, 2026) (nps.gov)
- Yosemite NPS: Bears and Food Storage (regulations have the force of federal law) (nps.gov)
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