What do you use for bins?

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lowenbrau

lowenbrau

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Action packers? Ammo cans? PX boxes? Rubbermaid? Pelecan?

I'm looking for suggestions for storage for my expedition rig, I'm thinking of putting a rased floor and, rather than a drawer system, using some kind of plastic boxes that can be pulled out, sorted, sat on, etc. I'm leaning toward a combination of milk crates and Pelecan boxes. Then the next question is, where do you legally get milk crates?

Suggestions?
 
Sorry, I don't remember where I got them (Target?)or who makes them, but there are low profile bins on wheels meant for storing clothes under beds. If you can find them, I think that they would work great for under your floor. However they are only plastic and not real durable. Pelican cases are sweet, but you are looking at least $150 USD for one large enough to store anything in.
 
Ryan S. said:
Sorry, I don't remember where I got them (Target?)or who makes them, but there are low profile bins on wheels meant for storing clothes under beds. If you can find them, I think that they would work great for under your floor. However they are only plastic and not real durable. Pelican cases are sweet, but you are looking at least $150 USD for one large enough to store anything in.
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I know the ones you mean and they'd be cool if they were more durable. I've been buying Pelican 1650s at work and I feel the pain in the pocketbook. There's another California company that make a similar product for less $ but I can't think of the name.

<EDIT> It's underwater kinetics

http://www.uwkinetics.com/
 
I like Action Packers.
Are you going to lose the rear seat? Having the floor extend to the sides above the wheelwells sure gives a lot more useable floor space. I spaced the ties downs on my floor to fit a SS Coleman cooler, 2 large action packers and 1 small AP. I like the drawer, but 4 good sized APs (or 2 BIG ones) under the floor and 3 more tied down above plus a cooler would be a LOT of gear.
 
Yeah, the rear seat is gone. I have about 55" from the back door to the front seats, about 8" up and 39" between the wheelwells. I'm thinking about a platform, about 12" above the floor that I could slide a couple of big waterproof boxes under and a bunch of crates for parts, tools etc that aren't as sensitive to water. I have a basket under construction up top for the sleeping gear, jackets etc. that can't stay in the roof top tent and that leaves just enough space between for the 24v freezer, a cooler and the two dogs.
 
I have had good luck with whitewater canoeing stuff mostly - This may be pretty unknown to people who don't travel in whitewater circles so I will explain as best I can.

White water canoeing is a lot like 4wd camping - You have a lot of room to bring stuff, and you usually want to keep your stuff sealed as either water, or dust, mud, whatever will get into your stash, end you don't usually roll, but when you do you, it's bad :)

The blue plastic barrel trick is perfect. These are used in industry for carrying non-toxic stuff like Silica powder usually, they come in different sizes, They are tough as nails, super light, cheap (20$) if you get them used, and they are pretty well sealed. The also make a great table/seat. They also double as a great water container if the going gets rough. I throw em on the roof, they are light and bulky.

I keep a couple Peli cases but I find them to be heavy for the size. Usually reserved for expensive stuff only.

Dry bags - I have a few dry bags - these are rubberized canvas bags that roll up at the end to seal - they are super handy for clothes and other soft stuff, plus they are really strong so you can use them for packing between the hard stuff to minimize the banging. MEC has em for cheap.

I hate ammo boxes, they go bang and they are heavy, but they are freakin handy. I keep logging chain and recovery gear in two small ammo boxes, mostly for non-expedition factors (I can switch em from truck to truck in the winter).

Wannagin, Wanogon, Waanagon, Wahnagin, I dont know the spelling. Big plastic box for cooking stuff. Kind of pricey but tough as nails, like 1/4" polycarbonate type stuff, great cooking surface, and I can use it for all my camping. Got it from Trailhead, specialized whitewater canoe place, but they are around. Kind of like rubbermaid on steroids.
 
I currently use 2 rubbermaid (?) stackable containers for food and supplies, and under my raised floor there's one (or two) thin ones for parts, supplies, etc. There's room under there (6" or so) also for my compressor, misc. recovery gear, even a couple of folding chairs sometimes... and relatively easy to get to without unpacking the whole truck. Pretty good use of space, I think. I just slapped the false floor together one afternoon...
 
Fromage said:
Wannagin, Wanogon, Waanagon, Wahnagin, I dont know the spelling. Big plastic box for cooking stuff. Kind of pricey but tough as nails, like 1/4" polycarbonate type stuff, great cooking surface, and I can use it for all my camping. Got it from Trailhead, specialized whitewater canoe place, but they are around. Kind of like rubbermaid on steroids.
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Is there more than one or is this it? http://www.thewanigan.com/index.html
 
I think maybe this is what I'm looking for in addition to some totally water tight boxes and a wanigan
http://www.norsemanplastics.com/web_pages/prod_duratainer.html
dura_npl_753.webp
 
lowenbrau said:
I think maybe this is what I'm looking for in addition to some totally water tight boxes and a wanigan
http://www.norsemanplastics.com/web_pages/prod_duratainer.html
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I use 2 of those and they are very handy. I got them from fastenal for like $15 a piece I believe. If you know anyone that works in a grocery store or convenience store, these are generally what they use to transport their smaller goods, and they might be willing to "lose" a couple for you ;)

I also have a large aluminum box that was originally for some sort of communication cable on a submarine. My friend's dad works on submarine's and grabbed it for me. It takes up exactly half the width of the cargo area, and is easily secured with its handles to the loops in my floor. The best part is I can secure the box, but still open the top. It has two spring loaded latches that are very heavy duty and I have no doubt they would hold it closed in a rollover or other such event. I keep my toolboxes, straps, shackles and inverter in the aluminum box, my delicate spare parts in one of the plastic bins, and my fluids in the other plastic bin. So far this works out alright, although I still wish I had drawers so I didn't have to constantly move everything around when I want to sleep in the back.

Ary
 
I was looking for some tough bins a few months ago and found the Conitco SUV Utility Box. Tough as hell. And I also found out that these are the "trunks" our troops use over in Iraq. I was watching Off To War and each member of the documentary had one to stash their personals. Contico makes a few different sizes.
They are made of very tough, molded foam and have cup holders, metal-rod hinges, and pad lock holes.
 
lowenbrau said:
Is there more than one or is this it? http://www.thewanigan.com/index.html
Click to expand...

Mine is a LOT less fancy, perhaps I have a copy of the original or something, or an older model.

One other nice case is the CDN military issue gear trunk - made by samsonite, light, big, and plastic. I have been trying to get one for years, they aren't surplus yet so they are hard to find.

Edit: Wanigan is an indian term for trunk, so it<s basically just a box. There are several mfgs of plastic wanigans, mine is not sealed...
 
I use a coupe of these in the back of the troopy. Very similar to the green one pictured above.

http://www.akro-mils.com/industrial/subcategory_display.asp?ID=21

They are well built, stackable, nestable, and come in several sizes. On a recent plane flight, I even zip tied the lid shut, and used one as checked baggage. It came out looking just as good as when it left my hands.
 
Zellers and Walmart both sell the milk crates. They are usually a wimpier version of the real thing, but work well for holding items. If you're looking for them to double as a quick camp stool then you might want to look for something a little more heavy duty at Staples.

Right now I just use a mid-size rubbermaid container, but have been thinking about doing something else as well.

lowenbrau said:
Action packers? Ammo cans? PX boxes? Rubbermaid? Pelecan?

I'm looking for suggestions for storage for my expedition rig, I'm thinking of putting a rased floor and, rather than a drawer system, using some kind of plastic boxes that can be pulled out, sorted, sat on, etc. I'm leaning toward a combination of milk crates and Pelecan boxes. Then the next question is, where do you legally get milk crates?

Suggestions?
Click to expand...
 
I like these army x-ray boxes (11"H X 20"L X 32"L) they are aluminium so they don't weigh any more than a similar size plastic box. They are 100% water dust proof. Two will fit between the wheel wells of my fj40. They are around $30 which compares to plastic. I plan to remove all but four of the 10 latches, they are a PITA.

I also like dry bags, I keep my dud's and sleeping bag in them. They are nice to squish into those oddball sized spaces that would otherwise be wasted.
2183.webp
 
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