I highly recommend an Ursack for keeping your food on a trail. Ursack website
This container is very lightweight compared to your regular bear canisters. If you are planning on using it to guard your food against little critters, it has a drawstring to completely close it shut. I own an Ursacks and it has lightened my load on my last trip to Mt. Whitney by a good 4-6 pounds, since I didn't have to carry the bulky plastic bear canister

I wish I had it on my trip to Smokie mountains when mice chewed through my backpack to get to the trail mix inside <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />