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Hi all... Are these big blue barrels the way to go? They always seemed so big and clumsy but I see them everywhere now.
Do you guys who use them, love them?
Do you find them awkward? Or easier?
I mostly use dehydrated food in the backcountry, is a barrel mainly for people packing in fresh foods?
I'm trying to decide if I should go with a new dry bag (probably the MEC 70L Slogg), or finally get with the times and buy a barrel.
Any advice is appreciated.
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I have never used them because they do seem big, clumsy, awkward, and heavy. If I used one then it would significantly impact my single-portaging way of traveling. But if you did use a barrel and felt comfortable not hanging it at night then that would be a big convenience factor. Personally, I hate the hassle of finding a suitable hang and dealing with the missed throws, tangled cords, and projectiles that inevitably change course, back towards you.
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Never used one. Seems large, awkward and heavy. That being said, I would like the table/seat factor of it but I'm afraid that every time you sit on it someone would want a cracker and you'd be up and down all day.
When we do hang the food bag, it is much easier if you use a pulley on the end of a rope. To help your accuracy, throw your rope by aiming for a point about 1.5-2 meters higher than the branch you want to go over...the drag of the rope will reduce the altitude of the throw.
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So I don’t hang anything anymore.
Solo or couples trip- I have 2 Ursacks of different sizes. Depending on the trip I bring one or both. Just tie to a good tree as shown in the instructions. Light and easy and as you eat,it takes up less and less space.
Groups- I do have a 60L barrel. Comfort is a problem. I got the CCS barrel bag for christmas. It seems to be the most comfortable and user friendly with lots of pockets. I don’t hang these anymore. Store a light chain and bell in the top pocket. Chain it to a tree and attach the bell. If the bell rings ( which it never has) I will just get out and deal with it.
Ursack
Barrel. 
Last edited by ShawnD (4/16/2020 7:12 am)
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During our tandem trips my wife and I use a combo of a 30L barrel that holds our food and cook set and a big canoe pack for everything else. I carry the canoe and the barrel, she carries the canoe pack and we can single the portages that way.
Prior to the little barrel I used to carry a small backpack. I much prefer the barrel. It’s light enough I can hang it in a tree and it’s 100% critter proof, is a great camp stool, cutting board and stove stand.
I don’t feel the same about the big barrels. I think they have benefits for a long expedition or a river trip but not most trips.
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Jdbonney wrote:
During our tandem trips my wife and I use a combo of a 30L barrel that holds our food and cook set and a big canoe pack for everything else. I carry the canoe and the barrel, she carries the canoe pack and we can single the portages that way.
That's the same method my girlfriend and I use when tripping together. We have a tiny little daypack as well for easy access to essentials (InReach, duct tape, sunscreen/bug spray, etc.).
Last year I bought a 20L barrel, which I didn't even know even existed until a year or two ago, and it's been super convenient. The 20L barrel can fit inside a large canoe pack if needed.. I've tested it, but never actually packed that way. And when travelling solo, it's low enough that I can portage it with the canoe and it doesn't hit the seat behind my head (which was always an issue with my 30L).
Last edited by trippythings (4/16/2020 7:26 am)
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Reading solos' comment gave me a good chuckle and a general reminder to prep a hanging spot before Happy Hour...
I predominantly backpack and have a small Ursack where I put the actual food in and a dry bag for cookware etc. and hang them together. The Ursack is more of an 'insurance' than anything else, although I've never encountered a disturbance. We rented a barrel on our canoe trip several years ago - it came with backpack straps and it carried less awkwardly than expected. I have to admit it was nice not having to hang each day. Having said that, I'm hoping to get away with single carries on our next trip and will be reverting back to hanging to achieve that.
Hang. It's just the way we've always done it. Food is packed in an MEC airtight bag with straps and then hung via pulley system. Finding a good tree is just one of the tasks when claiming a camp site. Hanging just gives that extra peace of mind in my opinion.
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Always hang, even with a barrel. Those things are great for keeping important stuff safe and dry, but they aren’t stopping a bear. My biggest gripe with them is how uncomfortable the harness is (for me at least) vs a good canoe or hiking pack.
I use a 5L dry sack for my personal food/beverages/smelly stuff on shorter trips. On a longer trip I’ll bring a 30L dry backpack as the group food pack, and rotate who gets to front wear it on the portage.
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to hang or not to hang.. the classic debate. I'm with Cliff..
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I have a Garcia Machine Backpacker's Cache (two actually). For a solo trip, packing dense foods, you could squeeze a week of food in there. I usually do 5 day trips and it's sufficient. They are truly bear proof (and quite heavy, and seem to now cost about double what I got mine for), so you can just leave them on the ground some distance from your tent. No worries about having to find a suitable hanging location every night. Despite the weight, I single carry pretty much every portage.
For trips with more people, I have the big blue barrel and hang it nightly.
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I've been tripping for over a half century and tried everything, but keep going back to my barrels ( acouple are 30+ yrs old). While a barrel isn't bear proof, if you rinse with bleach before a trip and keep it clean during the trips, there is little if any odour for a bear to follow. I trip in black bear country, and if it smells like food, he'll trash it.
My barrels get walked out of camp and tied to a tree in a low spot out of the breeze, and only once was it even found by a bear, all he did was chew the ropes and roll it about 30' before walking away.
there are tons of good, padded harnesses out there that can make for a very comfortable carry, and the best thing is that your kaisers don't look like flatbread at dinner time!
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thank you for the great advice guys! I'll do some more research on some of the gear you have all mentioned. I appreciate you taking the time to answer.
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I've heard of people going to places that sell olives in bulk and asking for the thrown-away olive barrels. They wouldn't be "bear proof" but not sure how less durable they'd be than an actual blue barrel. I was thinking of trying to get 2 of them and putting them in an old canoe pack or something. I don't know the actual size but I think 1 would suffice for a solo trip.
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olive barrels do work, but they're a real pain to clean and deodorize. Also they're small enough that if a bear does grab one he can get his paws around it and pop it like a zit! I had a couple back in the 70's but gave them away when I got my first barrel
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We now use a garcia as well. We hike in the Adirondacks were they are required - not that brand but that type. That we know of we have had two bear visitors while in Massasauga, both with hung bags. They did not get anything but made for an interesting night. I also can't throw a rope with a stone/stick attached to it without it bouncing off a pine and hitting me between the eyes.
Ursacks intrigue me but can't have it white (spring snows high up) and I'd worry about a snatch and grab job. If they could make one a bit bigger could be a nice bear proof bivvy
Last edited by tenderfoot (4/30/2020 6:44 pm)
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I have always used a pack and hung it of course. I would still recommend hanging a barrel if you use one. We ran into a family a few years ago in The Mass that had their barrel stolen by a bear. They couldn't find it and they had a diabetic son (we gave them some food). So they may slow the bear down from getting in, but won't stop them from taking it anyways.
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