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Lighter1 Big Daddy

rated 4.0 of 5 stars
photo: Lighter1 Big Daddy bear canister

Reviewed by
 Elizabeth McCoy   RETAILER TOP 10 REVIEWER +2,331
rated 4 of 5 stars September 11, 2025

The best feature of this bear canister is the dual purpose lid/pan. I have used the pan to make pancakes, Frittatas, and brownies on the trail.

Pros

  • Bear tested and and approved
  • Dual purpose lid/pan
  • 650 cubic inches

Cons

  • Heavy at 2 pounds 11 ounces
  • Without the 2 screws it is useless !
  • The plastic part that holds the screws can be chewed my rodents over time

I have used this bear canister since 2016. I have brought it on every trip since then. It definitely has pros and cons, but I find that it is still the bear canister I choose to bring with me on every trip due to the capacity and the dual purpose lid/pan.

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Big Daddy Specs

  

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                           It is available in two different sizes seen below

 

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Big Daddy on left. Lil Sami on right
I have never brought the pan lid on any trip. I do not have a need for it out on the trail, so it eliminates 2 ounces of weight. 
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Lil Sam

 

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Big Daddy
I find that even though I bring a lightweight small cook pot on my trips, I still like to use the lid/pan to make some of my favorite meals out on the trail.

 

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Scrambled eggs & sausage
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Browning up some flour tortillas 
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Griddle cakes on the trail

 

 

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When I hiked the Snow Creek Trail in Yosemite, there was quite quite a lot of bear activity in this area. One bear in particular that everyone who has stayed at Snow Creek past the footbridge knows about this bear. She has been a problem for 10 years. She happened to come out at 0200 with two cubs, and play with my Lighter1 bear canister for hours. She and her cubs attempted to get into the canister, clawing it and rolling it around, hitting trees with it, pouncing on it, and causing me to lose sleep. I scared her away, but she came back. Then some other people heard her and they came and scared her away too. I was very thankful that I had food the next morning. She couldn't get into the canister. 
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BV 500 on left, Lighter1 Big Daddy on the right
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Here it is with a Nalgene for size comparison, the lid with a top on the left, and the handle which fits inside the canister to screw the top on (see below)
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The handle is used as shown above to secure lid; it sits on a ledge inside the canister
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Put lid on, it lines up with the metal piece so screws can go in to secure the lid (see below)
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Screws easily go in using no tool. You can bring a coin to tighten if you choose. I have never had a problem tightening the screws with just my fingers
I bought an extra set of screws, and they are in my first aid kit, just in case, I need them. As you can see above the piece that holds the screws on each side is plastic. I have had to replace them once in the last 9 years due to some rodent out there chewing away the plastic. The plastic piece is just a means of holding the screws, it is not technically needed to secure the lid in place. It would be nice if they attached them with something more durable. I'm sure I can rig some kind of better securement device.
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Extra screws

I have never lost the screws out in the wilderness to the lid, but the thought of losing a screw is disturbing because the effectiveness of this particular bear canister 100% relies on these two little screws. 

This canister has been used by me over 100 days on the trails. It has been messed with and fondled by bears in multiple places and never has been gotten into. For this reason, it is my canister of choice still after almost 10 years. My husband brings the BV500. We would like to try the Bearicade by Wild Ideas, but we haven't really felt the need to splurge on such a costly item. The one I want to try is The Blazer, which is 750 cubic inches and costs $384

What bear canister do you use, and why? I would love to hear any thoughts.

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My husband gathering everyone's bear canisters in the morning, The Lighter1 on top

 

Background

I have bought and used different bear canisters in the past 11 years of hiking.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $139.99

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Specs

Price MSRP: $139.99
Reviewers Paid: $139.99
Weight 2lb 4oz / 1.02kg
Volume 650cu in 10.5L (~7 day capacity)
Dimensions 8.7in (22.1cm) base diameter x 6.7in (17cm) neck diameter x 13in (33cm) height
Product Details from Lighter1 »

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