Action Packer Alternative

[jgaz]

I’ve been looking for a replacement for the tote that I use for rodent resistant food storage. The 8 gallon Rubbermaid fit well in my truck tool box and also was a good fit in my Jeep between my drawer unit and my storage rack.

The tote worked fine (even if there are more “Expo” choices) but I disliked how much space you lose at the bottom.

I found this on sale today at Sportsman’s warehouse.

Regular $17.99, 20% off. This is the smallest of three? sizes.

Very similar dimensions, a bit taller, but ok for my needs.
The Plano has a deeper groove where the lid meets the body. I don’t think I’ll use any weatherstrip but a round profile would fit in there well.

 

[Herbie]

These are a good alternative, but one head's up for people trying to compare apples to apples:

The label lists capacity as 56qt, and below a capacity of "64,35 litres".

56 quarts is about 53 liters.

It seems that Plano has an error on their label printing! The capacity of the "Medium" Sportsman trunk is 68 quarts, or 64.35L, (30" x 14.25" x 12.25") so I'm guessing someone in the art department is guilty of some cut & paste errors...

 

[fwcer]

As a low-cost alternative, to deter mice I pack foods in rectangular and round metal boxes, the kind Danish Christmas cookies come in. Used ones can be bought for $1-2 in thrift stores. I think metal boxes are superior for this task, as mice can eventually chew through just about anything except metal and glass.

 

[Trikebubble]

I've had a few of those for a number of years now. They are well worth the cost, and hold up very well.

 

[yeos]

I use those Plano totes as well. You can get the black ones at Home Depot for around $15.

 

[jgaz]

As a low-cost alternative, to deter mice I pack foods in rectangular and round metal boxes, the kind Danish Christmas cookies come in. Used ones can be bought for $1-2 in thrift stores. I think metal boxes are superior for this task, as mice can eventually chew through just about anything except metal and glass.

I probably should have said I’m using it to carry my food storage containers while traveling and carrying it into various cabins and camps. I use metal containers as well to repackage many food items.

The straighter sides of the Plano make it easier to nest these repurposed containers.

 

[SnowZone77]

I too use the Plano cases both in my truck and on my trailer. 3/8 Foam backer rod tucks in nicely and makes them virtually waterproof. Make sure you leave a small gap so that they can equalize pressure.

 

[CCH]

I have both Action Packers and now Planos. The Action Packers are stouter, but the Planos definitely pack better and have been plenty strong enough for my needs.

 

[Kmann]

I just picked up two of the Planos and they seem like they will do the job.

 

[Josie'slandcruiser]

BS!

Rubbermaid Action Packers have very thin plastic bottoms which IMO wear through quite easily while the large Plano totes have much thicker bottoms.

I have both Action Packers and now Planos. The Action Packers are stouter, but the Planos definitely pack better and have been plenty strong enough for my needs.

 

[CCH]

Such harshness for plastic containers. My Action Packers are almost all over twenty years old and range from the smallest size I’ve seen to a large hinged box that has functioned as a tool box in several trucks as well as an outdoor storage box. They are all going strong with no signs of wear despite much dragging about and other abuse. Perhaps newer ones are of lower quality? In any event, I still prefer the form factor of the Planos. No BS, but thanks for your insight on my experience.

 

[Herbie]

I'm a fan of the plastic totes too. I've got both Rubbermaid (Roughneck) and Sterilite Snap-lid totes and I abuse them pretty hard. My primary criterion when picking which box to buy is almost always "which one is perfectly sized to fit the space I have". The Sterilites, for example, are the exact height for the space under my bed platform (which was sized for other mechanical considerations).

I just wish more companies made totes with straight sides. I HATE losing all the volume to tapered sides and lid/lip/handle protrusions. (This i my primary beef with action packers, there's a lost of wasted volume there.)

 

[s.e.charles]

... HATE losing all the volume to tapered sides...

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Really Useful Boxes from Really Useful Boxes Inc. Innovative storage products - strong, versatile plastic storage boxes, archive boxes & accessories including folding trolleys and racking.

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[Herbie]

Yeah, I do like the Really Useful stuff. I printed out their whole "line catalog" chart and I keep a copy in my design notebook. Whenever I'm trying to figure out how to utilize a space, that's one of the things I reference to see if I can just put one of their boxes in there.

That said, they have some serious "waste" issues of their own, in that the way they're structured they lose a lot of internal volume. For example, the 48L box (about the right size for a food bin) has external dimensions of 23-5⁄8" x 15-3⁄4" x 12-3⁄8" , or 4586 cubic inches. The usable internal dimensions, though, are 20-7⁄8" x 12-13⁄16" x 11-3⁄8" (taken directly from the aforementioned chart). That's only 3000 cubic inches, or just over 65% of the consumed external volume. That's almost 25 liters of wasted space!

But like I said, I do like the boxes for some of their other qualities - they're lightweight and very sturdily constructed (much more so than the mostly single-wall molded stuff from rubbermaid or sterilite.

 

[Rbertalotto]

The tapered sides is to lessen shipping cost and space. They can stack them inside each ride.