Chicken092 wrote on Apr 10^th, 2011 at 4:00pm:

This post on the "oatmeal" thread got me thinking (that's unfortunate) about how I package my food ... that plus the placement of an anticipated food cache near the beginning of my trip this year.

Much of my food is packaged in zip lock bags of various sizes.  Some of the bags are for extra water protection, some are to group together items that will be used for a meal (e.g., dinner).  Yet, there are other containers in my kit for various other reasons (many of them re-purposed).  So, if you were to open up my food pack, you'd likely see:

1) my pride-and-joy find ... one (if not 2) plastic containers I found for storing round crackers (just love those Toasteds in the field).  They are highly crush resistant and are in the shape of two side-by-side cylinders (with a lid resembling a figure-8).  I can place the crackers inside a snack bag and then slide them into a tube and they are fresh and dry for the entire trip.  (Found these at a Black and Decker outlet store of all places!)
2) plastic pill bottles (like vitamins come in) ... used mostly for dehydrated meats (e.g., chicken, beef, whatever).  I found the sharper edges on especially dehydrated chicken tended to poke holes in plastic bags.  I can also use as much as needed and then re-cap, although often a full bottle is needed for a meal. (BTW:  The smaller ones fit nicely into the cracker-carrier cylinders when empty.)
3) plastic containers that drink products like Crystal Lite powdered drinks used to come in.  I started off using these for crackers early on ... until I found something better.  Now they are taken for storage of things like shoe-string potatoes ... when I'm in desperate need of a salt hit.
4) round plastic container to store Sandwich Thins/Rounds in (interesting newer bread product, but are satisfactory for things like PB&J sandwiches)

Finally, to help organize foods (mostly by breakfast/lunch/dinner) I take 3 Sterilite boxes (about 14 X 8 X 5 inch).  These are stackable and fit neatly inside my food pack.  The flat top surface is useful when preparing food and are water resistant, so a spill or a sudden shower doesn't mean scurrying around trying to get things under cover).  They also partially telescope inside each other when empty.  To these, I add a couple of soft-side pouches, mostly for snacks, but I do have a red one that is either packed on top (when traveling) or lashed to a thwart (on days spent fishing) that is my lunch bag (which is where little tubes of powdered drinks are stored).

So, what kinds of food containers or packaging have you found useful for your backcountry adventures?

dd

Food saver film, zip locks, screw top hard nalgene jars of various sizes, and a GSI gasketed box. Meals are sorted to color coded stuff sacks.

Ahhh, the beauty of the Rubbermaid is you don't have to dig for stuff and if you solo it's always right where you put it.
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The only hard container beyond the pack is a Godiva chocolate box for crackers that will go in my dayfood pack. I originally intended to burn 'em but ended up using 'em for years.

Cherry Kool-aid is my drink mix of choice for a trip since I can get 16 -20 qts worth in a 2oz plastic squeeze bottle. Flip the spout, give it a couple squeezes, close the spout. On hot days or for variety I'll add some Gatoraid but that's so voluminous it just gets double bagged and poured.

The only thing I vacuum seal is steak as it's pretty stiff and bulky, overkill type packaging inside the Rubbermaid.

The harness may be a simple tump.  Basically a Rubermaid wannigan.

I like to keep things very simple and easy.  If it can't take being stuffed & crammed & sat on, it's not worth taking.  All my food is packed & organized using ZipLocks & then into SeaLine bags.  Ziplocks used for both waterproofing & organization.

On shorter trips I may pack a little cooler for some fresh foods.

I use the big blue plastic tub (actually I painted it green).  Within it, I  organize food according to breakfast/lunch/dinner in color coded stuff sacks.  Within each stuff sack, the food is double-baggied.  All unnecessary cardboard packaging is discarded.  We tie the tub to a tree at night, and stack pans on top as an early alert for trouble.

On longer trips and/or with larger groups, I take a second food pack, a Quetico/Superior food pack (see pic).  I bought a plastic 3-drawer liner that fits the pack and helps organize food.  Again, everything is double-bagged.  We put greasy or smelly food in this one, and hang it.   

Each morning we load our day pack with snack/lunch fixings so we don't have to open the bigger food packs.   

prouboy