Preacher wrote on Mar 16^th, 2011 at 4:48pm:


P, You have a different lid than is common then. I've seen and used probably a dozen barrels owned by different people on several trips now in Cdn & US. Never saw one with a lid modified like yours.

Rocky wrote on Mar 15^th, 2011 at 7:05pm:

Really?  I suggest you move out of the way or let the rock pull line until it hits the ground.  This is something out of Home Alone?
A smaller line & a smaller rock would help.  Use the small line to pull up the rope.

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Sorry that you find it frustrating.  I find it a nice tromp around the campsite.  Getting the lay of the land.  Perhaps finding some berries.

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I read a story of a guy who lived to be 100 years old and smoked two packs a day.
Then there's the one about the guy who jumped off the Empire State Building.  As he passed the 50th floor someone asked how's it going?  So far so good was the reply.
I don't always purify.  Only when I want to be sure of not getting sick.

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That's a different hole or a different design.

The hole I'm talking about is near center on the lid of my barrel.  The inside part has a little plastic plug that allows air, but inhibits water.  It's not intended to have something else put through it.

If anyone is interested it looks like Cliff will speak on the topic.  This is pulled from his website schedule:

March 19, 2011: Presenting "Bearproofing Your Camp" at the Farmington, Minnesota public library (1-2:30 pm). (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

How timely.  Thanks Cliff.

I've been canoeing in the bwca and the Q for many, many years, two trips every summer.  At first I hung the food pack over a tree limb but a) you can get hurt trying to throw a line over a high branch becaus you need to attach a weight to the end of the line and that weight usually ends up being a rock that often comes very close to hitting you on the head at some point, and b) the frustration and effort of finding a place to hang the pack and getting the line over the branch, etc., wastes a lot of time and energy and puts me in a bad mood.
I have stashed the food pack in the woods like Clif Jacobson recommends and I've never had any problems.

Also, I never filter my water and I've never gotten sick.  I learned a guy working for one of the Ely outfitters who told me that he wasn't supposed to say anything about it, but none of the people working for the outfitter filtered thier water.

Preacher wrote on Mar 14^th, 2011 at 7:46pm:


Preacher, I disagree. The hole you're talking about is to tread a plastic tie wrap through so it lays across the seal. You need to do that if you ever take the barrel on a jet. Otherwise you find a very funny looking blue barrel at the baggage pick-up. There's no problem going up, air will escape OK, it's the descent.

dogjojo wrote on Mar 11^th, 2011 at 1:50pm:


Those blue barrels aren't air-tight.  If they were you wouldn't be able to open them in the cool morning air.  Then, after you pack up and head out they'll want to pop open as the air inside heats up.  They have a little hole to allow them to breathe with the ambient temperature.  Not enough of a hole to warrant worries of water getting in except for condensation.

Only people with a deathwish keep food in their shelter.  There was a story years back about a kid who was dragged out of his tent by his ass.  That's the pocket that had the candy bar in it.

Mountain_Paddler wrote on Mar 12^th, 2011 at 3:47pm:

If the critter is properly motivated, yeah they might get into it.  I've never heard of this happening.  The key is to not hang it right at a branch or line strung between trees.  A few meters from the ground, a couple meters from the trunks, a couple meters from the throw-over.  That makes for a 6m throw or more.

Stinky foods should be well packaged.  Double zip-lock.

It's very rare that I can't find two trees.  Only one of the has to be high enough.  The other can be almost any old stump to help pull the bag away from the trunk.

Now is the time for a disclaimer

I suspect Cliff is scrupulous in attention to detail. A bears nose rivals a dogs and if they can smell it they will get your grounded food more easily than treed. Keep in mind that however you decide to odor proof your food it must also be able to take the abuse of the trail. Unprotected ziplocks are likely to burst. Another reason I like the vault.

Perhaps if you like to eat fresh the foods that have the most potential for causing trouble could be treed. I still like the idea of as odor free as possible but equally important, IMO, is not using "the bear tree" that everyone else uses.

Wow; that really is a well-done article!  Those of you who haven't yet read it, should do so.  It's not long, 15 minutes max, and MT's link is a good one that takes you right to the top of the article.  Thanks, MT.