About Grubcan
Our Journey to Protect Bears
Born from a Love of Wildlife and Wild Lands
Grubcan was first conceived on a backpacking trip in Yosemite in 2018. Holly, a lifelong backpacker and former wildlife rehabber, was braving the trails with a bear-resistant container stabbing her back. To make matters worse, she couldn’t open the thing during the entire trip. Luckily, her hiking partner and husband Jim—an MIT-educated aeronautical engineer with a knack for problem-solving (and superhuman hand strength)—was able to rescue their food.
But Holly’s frustration wasn’t just about her own comfort. She knew firsthand the tragic consequences of people not using bear-resistant containers properly—or at all. Too often, she’d seen bears killed because they got into human food, and the thought was unbearable. As she put it:
“Otherwise, we’d have just made one for ourselves.”
As they hiked through Yosemite’s stunning wilderness, Holly turned to Jim and asked him to design a better bear canister. One that wouldn’t feel like torture to carry or require Herculean strength to open—but most importantly, one that people would actually use to keep their food safe from bears. She wanted something more like her tent: tall, narrow, and perfectly balanced for the middle of her pack.
By the end of their five-night backpacking trip, Jim had already sketched out the first ideas for what would become Grubcan.
From Concept to Creation
Jim originally dreamed up a clamshell design that would make accessing food easier. It seemed perfect—until they tested the first prototype with a 450-pound grizzly named Spirit at the Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde, AZ. Spirit showed them exactly why grizzlies are such a force of nature. The clamshell design wasn’t going to work. It was too heavy and too difficult to keep bear-proof.
But Jim didn’t give up. Inspired by the gravity latches used on bear-resistant garbage cans, he reimagined the design. The result? The Gravity Latch Grubcan was born. Tall, narrow, and lightweight—just like Holly’s tent, but tough enough to withstand the determination of a grizzly.
Prototype of the Gravity Latch Grubcan
In 2019, REI saw a prototype and jumped at the chance to carry Grubcan in their stores. Exciting, right? But then came 2020, and everything slowed to a crawl. Jim and Holly desperately searched for a U.S. manufacturer, but every company they approached turned them down—even with a promise of a 5,000-unit production run. Reluctantly, they turned to China to bring Grubcan to life.
By the summer of 2021, the first Grubcans were rolling off the production line and shipping to outdoor retailers. But as the business grew, Holly and Jim realized that working with large retailers didn’t fit their company’s culture. They wanted to stay true to their values—keeping things small, sustainable, and personal.
A Greener Future: The Carbon/Kevlar Grubcan
One day, while walking through the shop at Jim’s aeronautics company, Holly noticed a growing pile of carbon fiber scraps from satellite communication reflectors. Inspiration struck. She asked Jim, “Can you design a canister using these scraps?” His answer was an emphatic “Yes.”
Jim, with 29 years of experience working with composites, knew that carbon fiber alone wouldn’t stand up to an 800-pound grizzly. But by combining carbon fiber with Kevlar, he created something revolutionary: the Carbon/Kevlar Grubcan.
The first 6.6L model was a hit, and by popular demand, a smaller 4.5L version followed. But when they ran out of scraps and had to raise the price to $600, customers began asking for a more affordable option.
Once again, Holly and Jim searched for a U.S. manufacturer to create a polycarbonate version of the Grubcan. And once again, they were met with silence. So they returned to China, where their manufacturing partners helped them bring the clear polycarbonate Grubcan to life. It launched in the summer of 2025, offering the same thoughtful design at a lower price point.
4.5 L Carbon/Kevlar Grubcans
Why We Do What We Do
Holly has been backpacking since she was nine, growing up with parents who were rangers in Rocky Mountain National Park. Her first job out of college was leading employees on backpacking and climbing trips in Yosemite. If no one showed up for a trip, she’d head out solo. For Holly, the wilderness has always felt like home.
Jim started backpacking in his 20s, bringing his engineering mindset to every trip. Together, Holly and Jim noticed a troubling trend in places like Yosemite, where bear-resistant containers were required: too many people weren’t using them—or weren’t using them properly—because they were hard to carry or impossible to open.
They even knew of a woman who strapped a piece of aluminum to the outside of her pack so that when a ranger tapped it, it would sound like she had a bear can. But her food? Just stuffed in a bag.
Determined to make a difference, Holly and Jim began working with the bear biologist in Yosemite National Park. They learned that a proper bear-resistant container should:
- Be easy to open for humans but impossible for bears.
- Require no more than two steps to open (bears can figure out one step, and humans won’t bother with three).
- Be used only for food storage—no multi-purpose designs that encourage people to keep them in camp.
- Prevent environmental damage (no more tree hanging).
The bear biologist shared a sobering truth:
“If anyone ever had to look into the eyes of a bear you have to kill because they got into someone’s food, they’d understand why these rules exist.”
A Legacy of Innovation
Grubcan has always been about more than just keeping your food safe—it’s about protecting wildlife and preserving the wild spaces we love.
Our Carbon/Kevlar Grubcan was the first bear canister to earn approval from the Wildlife Management Institute for black bear resistance. While IGBC certification is important, black bears tend to focus on opening canisters, whereas grizzlies often try to smash them. This makes Grubcan uniquely suited for areas like the Adirondacks, where black bears have figured out how to open other canisters.
We are proud to play a role in reducing human-bear conflicts and helping people enjoy the wilderness responsibly. Just like bears, we’re always learning and improving, staying one step ahead to preserve the wild for generations to come.
Black Bear Testing a Combo Latch Grubcan Prototype
Designed by Backpackers. Tested by Bears.
At Grubcan, we believe in doing things the right way, even when it’s hard. Every canister we create is a testament to our love of wildlife, wild lands, and life on the trail.
Whether you’re carrying a Carbon/Kevlar Grubcan or the new polycarbonate model, you’re not just protecting your food—you’re protecting the bears, too.
Let’s keep the wild, wild.