I bought a bear canister in 2015 for my thru hike, but never used it. Your thread definitely makes me think hard about carrying it for my section this summer in Virginia. In many parts of the trail bears are losing their fear of humans. And, i admit, i'm a lazy hiker, so i just want to "set it and forget it" so to speak. The drawbacks, as already mentioned, are the weight and bulk. I guess it is a matter of habit and "acquired taste".