Should I buy a Zarges? Talk me into it!

S

swduncan

Observer
For a long time I've wanted a better place to keep non-perishable food. I do not camp in bear country, but racoons are common and in some places very resourceful. Plastic sterilite bins are no match for them, and they can't be sat or stood upon.

So I put the food back in the truck each night, and haul it out each morning, sleep with one ear open.

Then, while indulging in a little storage pr0n at the Zarges site, I see they have a few that are actually rated as bear resistant. I figure that's more than good enough for my purposes. Plus, they waste less space, and can be sat or stood upon.

The K420 in 24 x 16 x 13 would be tall enough to fit a tall bottle of maple syrup, or a roll of paper towels, yet short enough to make an excellent foot stool, camp ottoman, or end table. The K470 is the one that is actually rated, but I figure they're both raccoon proof. The K420 is $210 shipped, the K470 is $80 more. This size should be large enough to hold all the non-perishable stuff we typically bring, along with spices, napkins, hot sauce, etc.

There aren't that many pieces of camping gear that I own that will last a lifetime, but I figure one of these would. On the other hand, I've read that they turn things inside them black wherever they rub the inside. $200-$300 for a box to store food seems ridiculous at some times, at others....well...

Anyone use a Zarges for food? How's it working for ya? Should I get one?
 
Outside somewhere

Outside somewhere

Overland certified public figure brand ambassador
swduncan said:
For a long time I've wanted a better place to keep non-perishable food. I do not camp in bear country, but racoons are common and in some places very resourceful. Plastic sterilite bins are no match for them, and they can't be sat or stood upon.

So I put the food back in the truck each night, and haul it out each morning, sleep with one ear open.

Then, while indulging in a little storage pr0n at the Zarges site, I see they have a few that are actually rated as bear resistant. I figure that's more than good enough for my purposes. Plus, they waste less space, and can be sat or stood upon.

The K420 in 24 x 16 x 13 would be tall enough to fit a tall bottle of maple syrup, or a roll of paper towels, yet short enough to make an excellent foot stool, camp ottoman, or end table. The K470 is the one that is actually rated, but I figure they're both raccoon proof. The K420 is $210 shipped, the K470 is $80 more. This size should be large enough to hold all the non-perishable stuff we typically bring, along with spices, napkins, hot sauce, etc.

There aren't that many pieces of camping gear that I own that will last a lifetime, but I figure one of these would. On the other hand, I've read that they turn things inside them black wherever they rub the inside. $200-$300 for a box to store food seems ridiculous at some times, at others....well...

Anyone use a Zarges for food? How's it working for ya? Should I get one?
Click to expand...


Have used zarges,alubox and pelican cases. For the money the pelican boxes are hard to beat. Most people can find them used at mil surp shops in various sizes, cost and condition. The zarges and alubox are more expensive but they are WAY lighter. From time to time they turn up used on craigslist ebay etc but do still command a premium. From my experience all were equally water tight. Yes the aluminum boxes will dent and scratch but no more than an plastic box like pelican. With use none of them will be new very long. I only care about the contents, not what the outside looks like. I have kept everything from food, batteries, electrical cords, tools etc in all the above boxes with no adverse effects. You can buy desiccant packs online in bulk so if I am too concerned about something I just toss a 5-7" pack in with whatever is in the box and go. And fyi, the pelican/storm 2950's I bought were $225 new and who knows what the government paid but I got them at a mil surplus place for less than $75 each with foam in them. As far as animal resistance I can't imagine a raccoon getting into any of these boxes. The pelicans I mention have 5 latches so unless you are dealing with Rocket Raccoon I think you would be safe.
 
pluton

pluton

Adventurer
I bought one of the bottom-of-the-line, $240 Zarges cases several years ago, for exactly your purpose: Dry food + utensils, small animal proof. As it turns out, I never remove it from the vehicle when camping so it has never been under threat from animals or weather. I do like the light weight...It is way lighter than an equivalently sized Pelican. As far as environmental resistance is concerned, my case is probably "shower proof" if standing upright. The Zarges models that are rated 'fully submersible' are $1200....way more than the equivalent (but much heavier) Pelican.
The Container Store link was down just now...I'm curious what they have, since when I went to the local Container Store, the entire place was populated with thin wall polypropylene containers. Thin wall Polypro is probably the least rugged, least durable, most physically feeble plastic to make anything out of. Cardboard is stronger and more durable, except if water is involved.
 
Hillbilly Heaven

Hillbilly Heaven

Explorer
Do not expect much service life out of the clear poly boxes. I had used some for storing random items in my storage building. While the environment was dry it is not heated or cooled. I do not know the cause of the failure but by the second year the sidewalls and tops had broken and collapse. I also had Action Packers stored in the there and they were still in new condition. I can't say how well the Action Packers would last with constant use when exposed to outdoor condition or in a vehicle.
 
R

Rando

Explorer
We have had one of the Container Store boxes I linked to for about 6 years now - with no issues. It is strong enough to sit on (or maybe stand on) and certainly water proof enough to leave out in the rain. That particular box is definitely a little more rugged than your standard storage box.
 
S

swduncan

Observer
I decided to get the zarges. I am very pleased with it. It does what I need, looks good doing it, and will clearly last a very, very long time.
 
pluton

pluton

Adventurer
Ahhh...Action Packers. If only they had straight sides, because they last amazingly long and are quite durable considering how lightweight they are. The sloped sides on the Action Packers exist, as far as I can reason, ONLY for the convenience of the manufacturer, shipper, and resellers. The sloped sides issue is less of an annoyance with the larger units, because the sides are straighter than the small sized units, but they're all wasteful of precious cargo space in the vehicle.
Also, they're not rainproof and are easily chewed through by small animules.
 
T

TexasD-90

Adventurer
I am a dealer for Zarges. We mostly sell the K470 cases. I met a guy at overland expo east last year that came to say hi when he saw my Zarges cases. He said he built his kitchen into a k470 case and has it mounted upright on the back of his motorcycle. He's been traveling the world for six years or so and has never even had dust get in his case while driving, much less water. You will not be disappointed in your purchase. These are lifetime pieces of kit. You can pass them down when you die.
 
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