food storage

leman

Adventurer
What do yall use for food storage? I normal just throw the big stuff in a milk crate and call it good, but after an ordeal with some oreos and ants I am looking for something a little more secure. Should I just go with an action packer and I am just over thinking things?
 

krick3tt

Adventurer
I had an issue with chocolate chip cookies and a mouse. They were under the seat and there was a little hole chewed in the bottom of the bag.
Could not find him but I think he left after a week as I took his cookies out of the truck.
Now I use things like plastic containers with secure lids and try to keep my doors closed.
 

NatersXJ6

Explorer
Everything that can tolerate cold goes in the fridge. Everything else in a small action packer. The fridge usually ends up with most of the dry goods, just because there is enough space. The action packer was chosen because it was the right size and already in the garage, plus it can sit out in the rain with no issues.
 

Happy Joe

Apprentice Geezer
I don't typically use milk except for baking; however if I did It would reside in the bear resistant cooler, with the eggs, margarine, meat and beer.
Small things like peanuts go into Tang jars, because they pack into the ammo cans better (The white dots between the peanut jars, in the pic, are the tops of Tang jars)
The bulk "dry" foods; chips, cookies, crackers, sometimes bread, nuts, cereal, etc. gets stored when possible, in larges square (Planter's) peanut jars, placed in ammo cans (critter resistant if not bear proof)
The bagged chips and loaf bread/buns (bagged) get reclosed with spring clothes pins and are stored in ammo cans...
I find the 25mm (linked ammo) Bradley boxes to work best for this for week enders if more food needs to be carried I go for the even larger .50 caliber ammo cans... for very rough country travel, I repackage the beer cans into 25mm ammo cans; it keeps them from wearing holes in each other (better than their original cases) so I know that they will survive to the end of the trail.
A small container of olive or peanut oil is stored in the cook kit (missile container) for frying. if using a lot of oil (deep frying ..mmm French fries) its plastic bottle gets stored in an ammo can (after use it gets poured back into its bottle and goes back into the can).

food storageDSCF0314.jpg

The biggest down side to the ammo boxes/cans is their weight, but their ease of handling and sturdiness/critter resistance, keeps me using them... (way more attempts to get at our goodies have been made by chipmunks and raccoons than bears.

Enjoy!
 
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Flyfishjeep

Adventurer
Iuse wolpack abd cub boxes. They aer weather resistant and I can put them on my roof rack to save space inside my jeep or the trailer. Never had intrusion by 4 or 6 legged critters. They are also stackable. Bread doesn't get smashed and I can prepare boxes for different meals (breakfast box, lunch box and dinner box). Keeps things secured , easily located and critter free.

https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/storage-systems/front-runner-wolf-pack.html

https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/storage-systems/front-runner-cub-pack.html
 

moderndaynorseman

Active member
I separate food that doesn't need to be kept cool and use the left over space in my kitchen kit box. I got the action packer bigger than what I need for just dishes/cookware so that I'd have room to do that since they work pretty well for keeping weather/animals out.
 
We have a couple clear-ish plastic bins for food that doesn't have to be cold. Food is kept inside the rig. The one time we used paper bags (for room) a rodent got inside the vehicle and ate some of our food. We borrowed a trap from the park ranger and caught the guy the next night.

Usually camp in bear country, so food is never left out.
 

Desert Dan

Explorer
Rubbermaid Action Packers are pretty good. Something that is waterproof and critter proof (small critters) is a good idea. I try to use one container for food and another for pots and pans and stove.

Or go all out and get a Pelican Case.
 

Photomike

White Turtle Adventures & Photography
Where are you storing it? If in the vehicle then you are over thinking it, get some basic storage containers. If outside then pelican cases. Ants usually are only a problem if parked in the same spot for a while.
 

Happy Joe

Apprentice Geezer
Where are you storing it? If in the vehicle then you are over thinking it, get some basic storage containers. If outside then pelican cases. Ants usually are only a problem if parked in the same spot for a while.

Depending on the camping local, in vehicle storage of food should be approached with caution (a quick google will supply pics of vehicles destroyed by bears looking for food)... we really don't consider a camping trip successful if we don't see at least one bear.

Enjoy!
 

Photomike

White Turtle Adventures & Photography
Depending on the camping local, in vehicle storage of food should be approached with caution (a quick google will supply pics of vehicles destroyed by bears looking for food)... we really don't consider a camping trip successful if we don't see at least one bear.

Enjoy!


Question was on ants, they usually do not pull doors off.

I live, work and play in bear country and have done so for over 38 years. I have had bears walk through campsites during the day and night, before, during and after eating, when we have been sleeping in tents or sitting out, once a grizzly walked under a hammock that my dad's girlfriend uses to sleep in brushing the hammock while she watched him walk under her, bears in yards and met them at parking lots and on trails. Carried food in backpacks during the day, cooked at picnic tables and ate at the same. Stored food of all sorts in vehicles, cook in many of our units and keep all the food that you would have at home in our units all this time and never an issue. Can it be a issue? You bet it can, but so can it be an issue with any creature that is looking for free food. Is it as bad as people think? Not even close. A trouble bear can do damage to a vehicle or a camper but most bears never have and never will. Have had more damage done to vehicles by sheep and goats licking salt off and climbing on them to get to more salt.

I prefer to store all my food stuffs in the vehicle then hung in a tree or in a bear box. The only time I would store food differently is if I was in a tent or a soft sided camper and did not have a vehicle with me (not sure how that would happen with a soft sided camper).
 

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