An alternative bin: industrial straight wall containers

[TrungH]

In this never ending quest for the perfect bin or set of bins, after using the yellow lidded totes, milk crates, a bunch of cheap sterilites, and looked into front runner's wolfpacks and cub packs, the rubbermaid actionpackers, and everything else thrown around on this forum (and others), I think I found the best solution for me and I've ended up going with industrial straight walled containers. They're essentially solid walled, lighter weight milk crates.



So, what are these straight walled bins/containers and why did I go with these over the other offerings?

• They're straight walled.
• Designed for industrial settings, they're tough but fairly lightweight because we all know big industry will save a dollar anywhere they can be it minimizing loss due to damage or shipping costs from weight
• They're made to be palletized, so they stack perfectly, with or without lids. They do wiggle a tiny bit without lids which is to be expected
• Lids are optional, some models feature attached flap lids
• Fairly wide variety of sizes, depths, and colors. The standard is 24x15 in 5, 7.5, 9.5, 14 inch heights, but they also have double long (48x15), half sizes (12x15) and quarter sizes (7.5x12) in most of those heights. (Bear in mind those are all external dimensions. Take off about an inch per measured side for the interior dimensions).Between color and size, it'll greatly improve organization and end hauling out that giant 50lb tote with your entire campsite in it.
• Universal standard. Don't you hate when your favorite thing gets discontinued and now you can't find a replacement or add more? Not and issue with these. They're a standard size (though the materials can vary) so containers and lids from varying brands stack and interchange flawlessly.
• Smooth bottom. Kind of a pro or con depending on your needs. They're made to run smoothly on conveyor belts which is nice for sliding around carpet if that's desirable to you. They grip well to rubber though.
• Big flat panels for easy labeling.
• They're pretty cheap ($10-$35)

Downsides

• They're not insanely space efficient since the walls are kind of thick, but it's kind of a necessary evil for the stacking they can endure.
• Lids: Not included and they aren't incredibly robust, so I wouldn't try to use them as a stepladder if possible. If you did, try to keep the weight in the corners. I'm sure it could support a very light foot, but I I'm not going to test it (and I'm a pretty small guy).
• Lids again: they're not latch secured. Not to say they'll fall off, but there's no real security should they tip over or invert
• Stacking: The design always requires the stacks to go from large to small. Not a huge deal, but it would've been awesome to stack a 24x15 on top of 2 12x15s
• Lots of nooks and crannies on the outside to get dirty.

I haven't gotten a chance to put them through any real abuse, but I'm also a pretty light on my outdoor equipment so I don't expect any issues with durability.

I ordered mine from Zoro.com since its free shipping over $50 and these are shipped one or two bins per box. They run flash sales on occasion, so it could be worth watching to get 20% or 25% off. You can also get 15% off your first order if you sign up for their email list.

Couple links for the ones I purchased:
24x15x5: https://www.zoro.com/orbis-distribu...G8487245/?REVIEW_DISPLAY_SNAPSHOT_TYPE=SIMPLE
24x15x7.5: https://www.zoro.com/buckhorn-wall-...G7435084/?REVIEW_DISPLAY_SNAPSHOT_TYPE=SIMPLE
24x15x7.5 with attached lid: https://www.zoro.com/orbis-attached...G5514634/?REVIEW_DISPLAY_SNAPSHOT_TYPE=SIMPLE
12x15x9.5: https://www.zoro.com/orbis-containe...G3851644/?REVIEW_DISPLAY_SNAPSHOT_TYPE=SIMPLE
12x15x7.5: https://www.zoro.com/orbis-containe...G4078024/?REVIEW_DISPLAY_SNAPSHOT_TYPE=SIMPLE
24x15 lid: https://www.zoro.com/orbis-containe...G4770525/?REVIEW_DISPLAY_SNAPSHOT_TYPE=SIMPLE
12x15 lid: https://www.zoro.com/orbis-cover-gr...G3851662/?REVIEW_DISPLAY_SNAPSHOT_TYPE=SIMPLE

This isn't an actual pack, just some of what I have stored in them at the moment thrown into the back of my LR4 as an example.



Let me know what you think. Hope it helps someone exploring some new options for storage.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

I think it's a pretty slick idea!

 

[Dances with Wolves]

Thanks for the write up! I've also used everything as bins. I currently use action packers in combo to be one layer to cover the entire 5' bed of my tacoma. the issues with action packers is they waste space since they're not square and the dont stack. plus they're pretty expensive for what they are. I'll have to check these out!

 

[mikeyb1976]

Those remind me of the bins used in the movie The Martian.

If one were concerned with bouncing/shifting or keeping lids on, is the plastic sturdy enough to drill some holes in a support brace to run bungee cords?

I'd love to move to something like that; our bins have been replaced/added to throughout the years, so we have a multitude of styles and brands. It's a little annoying for me. The wife wants clear bins so she can see what's in what. I hate how flimsy new (or, cheap) plastic bins are.

 

[Paintballjohn]

In Tampa we have a "Container " store, Yes that's the name of it. Online, I'm sure you could find this type of box

 

[TrungH]

If one were concerned with bouncing/shifting or keeping lids on, is the plastic sturdy enough to drill some holes in a support brace to run bungee cords?

I'd love to move to something like that; our bins have been replaced/added to throughout the years, so we have a multitude of styles and brands. It's a little annoying for me. The wife wants clear bins so she can see what's in what. I hate how flimsy new (or, cheap) plastic bins are.

Absolutely. It's a pretty thick HDPE lid. They'd have no problem being drilled into to run bungee cords, zip ties, or ratchet tie downs. I'd trust it as much as any other plastic container. I just would hesitate standing on it since it's a flat lid spanning across a decent area (on the 24x15s) with no center support.

And I agree regarding the array of styles. It just becomes so tiresome rearranging things to fit back where they belong. That's part of the appeal for me here, since there is a fairly impressive variety of sizes. A lot of smaller bins that are well labeled helps making things quick and accessible. Unfortunately strong clear containers are quite a rarity since I'm not sure there's a market for heavy duty clear bins. Industrial uses have no use for them and home consumers don't like to spend $$$ on containers. Not to mention their clarity drops considerably once you start trying to use more flexible/durable resins and/or increasing their thickness.

In Tampa we have a "Container " store, Yes that's the name of it. Online, I'm sure you could find this type of box

Finding straight sided containers is harder than it sounds

 

[mikeyb1976]

In Tampa we have a "Container " store, Yes that's the name of it. Online, I'm sure you could find this type of box

We have a Container Store here and they are impressed with their collection of plastic pieces produced cheaply.

 

[TrungH]

Clear polycarbonate is common container in Foodservice Industry.
All manner of shape and sizes available. Designed for interlock stacking, optional lids, etc.
One thing, square corners are not common, always radiused to assist cleaning and durability.

Of course, Cambro containers and similar are great but like many great container, their sides taper pretty aggressively. The size options are also kind of odd, since you're either getting full or 3/4 sized bins or then moving to the square/round containers that don't stack well with the longer bins. Don't get me wrong, I love cambro bins as much as the next person (use them in the kitchen quite a bit), but their application here lacks a little versatility

 

[Airmapper]

I found some bins that look a lot like that only they must have been used for parts shipped to a Toyota factory and had TOYOTA SHIPMENT on the side. Someone had gotten them and used street sign material to make a liner and divider inside.

I keep one in the back of my 4runner for throwing junk in and gave a few to some good friends who like Toyota stuff. I like it for general use, but agree on the point it's not very space efficient.

I need to get some stick on Velcro for the bottom of mine though, it likes to slide across the carpet on hard turns.