So I've gone camping a few times now and I've never seen anyone else do this and googled it and it doesn't seem to exist.

The one thing I hate about camping is trying to find my stuff.  I try to organize everything but can never seem to remember where exactly the water filter is or where I put my flashlight.  So I decided to I needed to organize my stuff better by consolidating it.  Now I've seen where people throw a bunch of stuff in a plastic freezer bag and that works.  But as I was sitting there, contemplating this eating my cheese balls, I realized I had a large, waterproof, large mouthed plastic container sitting conveniently on my lap.  

So I made quick work of the cheese balls and wiped out the container.  What could I jam into this sucker, I wondered.  

Turns out a lot!  I was able to put my camp stove in it, a propane tank fit perfectly through the top hole, freeze-dried food, soup mixes, oatmeal packets, firestarter gear, spices, silverware, toilet paper, snacks, etc. - all of my foodstuffs really.  I went out and bought another tub and I used this to put extra clothing into; shorts, underwear, socks, gloves, a towel, anything I wanted to keep dry.  I smashed the stuff down as tight as I could and put the lid on and was amazed by how much clothing I jammed into that tub!  
A third container could easily hold my hammock, 2 tarps, paracord, a knife, etc but I haven't bought a third yet.  I can even stuff my sleeping bag into one too but it takes up the entire thing.

Here's where these really started to shine because I decided to use them last weekend.  Once I set up camp I emptied my clothing tub in and filled it with water from the stream.  This gave me a ton of available water right at the camp (I'm guessing here but I bet it was close to 2 gallons).  But I wasn't done.  I found a flat stone and put it on top of the container and had a small, pretty stable table to do stuff on.    It may even be possible to sit on this thing cause when it's full of water it's really solid but I didn't try that.  

But in addition to being waterproof, it floats.  Even when filled with crap like my food container was.  I put it in a stream and it still floated!

It can also be used to store tinder and small fire starting sticks to keep them dry if were rainy.

The lid can be used as a bowl, cup, plate and cutting board or as a level surface to put your stuff on.

I also found that I could lay the empty tub on its side, put my phone in it and it acted like an amplifier, albeit a crappy one.  

After thinking about it, If I had an extra lid I could drill it full of small holes and use as a makeshift shower or drill a single hole in it, insert a rubber hose that feeds through my sawyer and just get filtered whenever I wanted, just crimp the hose to stop the flow.  It can also be used to set on a tarp for weight.

Anyway, I've been playing with them and figure it's better than having them end up in a landfill or the ocean.

THIS TUB HAS A SCREW ON LID, which is better than a pop on lid

Awesome innovation.  I might have to try that.

Its like a poor mans bear canister for car camping... that cant stop a bear.

Great idea!!  It will also keep out the little critters in camp too.

I don't eat junk food.

I'll snap some pics tonight showing the containers packed and then unpacked with everything that was inside of them.

On a side note:
When I say camping, usually me and a few friends go hiking then stop somewhere in the woods and set up camp for the night.  We don't rent a campsite at a campground where everything is easy access.   We haul our gear in our backpacks out to some remote sight.  I take a tent or hammock depending on the weather and I checked and I can jam my 2 man tent into a container too (sans poles).  These containers fit in my pack nicely laying on their sides and leave voids to stuff other things in around them.  I could probably fit 3 of them in my pack.

I do peel the labels off of the containers too so it's not so embarrassing.

I'd keep the labels on.  I also wear flip flops to the range.  

HAHA.  I actually told the kids that they needed to polish off the second tub because I just bought it for the container.  I do love cheese curls though!

I read once, "If it's made by a plant, eat it.  If it's made in a plant, throw it out.'  good advice.

Make a cheese ball machine gun and feed the squirrels.

 






I use a much larger rubbermaid tub for pretty much the same purpose.  The sticky back velcro tape things are used to put easy to lose things along the edges, then stove, freeze dried stuff, coffee, stove fuel, spare cat stoves, etc. go in it.  Subdivided with gallon or 2 gallon freezer bags.


 

I have a goal of having my camping gear like a bug-out-bag.  Decide to go camping, head out the door in 30 minutes with everything I need.

ok, here's pics of the stuff I crammed into these.  the nice thing is they're small enough to fit in my pack but big enough to hold a lot of stuff.  and they're free and clear so you know whats in them.

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food tub
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Clothes tub
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new large tub, with sawyer attached for gravity feed
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thinking about it, technically if I put soap/water in a tub I could shake it up and wash clothes if needed.  a small washing machine.

So I finally got around to playing with this large container more.  I drilled about (20) 1/64" holes in the lid and created a small web around it to hang it.     It holds approximately 2.5 gallons of water.  I doubled the blue hose over itself and used a 5/8" washer to keep it pinched closed while I filled it with water.  I was sure it would leak like crazy but I secured the lid and flipped it over to hang it, fully expecting the lid to pop off resulting in me getting soaked.  Instead it stayed completely sealed and barely lost a drop.

The second I removed the washer it started drizzling water down just like a real shower.  Pinching the hose over itself immediately shut off the flow, as it choked off air flow.    So I refilled it and took a shower to see if there was enough water to actually shower with.  If you move quickly and close off the flow when its not needed, there seems to be plenty of water to take a shower with.
     

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I want to party with the OP.

I dont use those containers cause I try to avoid the foods that come in those containers. I have found 5 gallon buckets very handy though (unfortunately not clear).

I once had the pleasure of watching a friend blow off a 5 gallon cheesy puff container full of tannerite though. It was a very good use of a container.

Good idea. As for not finding things use a packing list. Small diagram of where things are in your ruck.

You have a man. "Baby, look what mamma bought you to go with your six pack tonight! Six tubs of cheese balls! Whose goin' to get her some lovins tonight?!"

Just toss the junk food

"$4 awesome container, awesome."

Great thread, rfox.

I just use a few ditty bags of different colors.  The blue one gets filled with water related stuff, the red one gets first aid and snivel gear, the green one gets clothes . . .

Large Jiff peanut butter jars work pretty good.

And you can eat the peanut butter first.

Great work op.

Cheese ball machine gun on my to do list.

Txl