River Rafting Kitchen box and our old kitchen setup

[Honu]

Ordered a new kitchen box setup
http://www.frontierplay.com/KitchenDryBox
decided to try a river kitchen dry box
heard good things about them for the most part and read the owner is a good guy ? and the price was half of what other custom ones run
downside will be the weight ? upside one large item with handles and setup ! no extra prep table (we hope) everything in its spot and good to go outside our rig if we need to

our IGT stuff and cooking is working out great but the kitchen side is not working out so well

over last year we slowly changed the kitchen part

our one setup we kept for a while but took longer to setup was using a basket drawer system under the IGT
having our fridge inside is kinda nice sometimes but heavy to carry in ? so not something we do all the time
and the two brown rubbermaid held our food
downside setup time !
food was not air tight ?
dust would get to stuff to easy

how it was as of last trip the blue thing is a old kelty thing I use with plastic drawer inside to hold basics which works OK but no table in front and the top is to floppy to use for setting stuff on ?
its sitting on top of a REI thing that we use for basic stuff inside lights and first aid kit etc..still use our other 2 space IGT for prep
downside again setup time mainly with the IGT then setting up the REI thing to put the blue kitchen box on etc. and lack of larger prep area
can zip up for dust but not enough prep area

so waiting for our new kitchen box to come in
almost went with a Drifta setup which I really like but did not want anything with carpet stuff on it ? also the price was a bit much for the model I was looking at ? all aluminum and water proof seems like a good way to go if I need to pack it outside our rig
thoughts will be put the legs in and done ! shelf in front can act as a prep area and the top of it can hold plates or whatever we are getting ready
not going to bring our coleman hot water anymore ? we love it but just to large and bulky its times like this I miss the trailer !
but came up with a great system using a siphon bulb like the river ones I have seen on partner steel which I will post later when I get it tweaked a bit more but really nice since you dont need hands to turn it on or off
long term plans might be if we get a new rig use a slide idea so we can use it from the back of the rig which my brain has kinda figured out already

 

[Honu]

box came today ! so far seems pretty cool and about what I thought it would be for half the price of a nicer one its still plenty nice for camping needs !

for sure has me thinking this is going to be a great setup once tweaked pics to follow in a bit

 

[Colonal Angus]

Honu, what do you think of the size? Is it big enough to store all of your kitchen supplies? I immediately checked it out after I saw your post. One thing I follow on this forum is your equipment/gear reviews. They are plentiful.

Thanks!

 

[Honu]

easily hold all our kitchen supplies

dont include my grill gets to dirty and greasy and hate the smells that come off a dirty grill kinda permeating a kitchen box gets in to the towels and paper stuff it seems and when you open a box it kinda has that kept up greasy smell tried that once decided to keep those parts separate
reason I say this is my idea of kitchen supplies might be dif from yours I tend to have extra stuff including my espresso setup as another example

trying to make sure I dont have to pull to much stuff out to get to things is always my battle !
pretty sure I could pack my two grills and stove and all my kitchen stuff but might be way to heavy to move comfy ? also dont want to pack it so tight I have to pull things out to get to other things if I dont need to
silverware as example I like in a simple drawer and dont like to leave them out on the camp table as they get dusty pretty quick it seems so finding that balance of packing tight so stuff does not bounce around vs easily accessible
dont mind some stuff a bit more packed away but things I get to often I want easy

slammed with work but going to snap a few pics next few days have a lot of things to think about with this but the base box is what is so nice for quick setup great work surface on the top and the front that will fold down
being able to pull out the plates and silverware etc.. just have to figure out the inside

most likely it will go through a few changes as we camp with it little tweaks here and there I am sure

 

[gsanders]

I also use a rafting dry box for our kitchen setup as we also own a raft Our box is a bit smaller to fit inside the frame of our raft, but all in all I am a big fan. We had our box custom built by a local fabricator in Oregon and it has been great so far. It does get heavy but I can carry it for short distances solo. Here are a couple of pictures loaded up.

 

[Honu]

think I saw your thread a bit ago with it setup when I was researching these
glad to see and hear someone else using them
what brand is your box what size ?
mine is deeper looking but shorter than your setup ? wondered also about recretec ? or spelling one of their 16x16x36 ones and use this for our camp stuff like headlamps and first aid kit and that kinda stuff
get to camp set up two boxes ! have working surface and dust free setup ! tent setup bring in two boxes and set up my IGT done

have to say so far amazed more people are not using these ?

how do you like your setup ?
I keep debating about the more pack it in or have individual areas ? but hate being stuck with something to specific ! my luck I make a space for aluminum foil and they will change the box size ! I make a plate area and I loose my plates and have to get ones that wont fit haahahahha
so always kinda prefer the general space idea

thanks for the pics to

I also use a rafting dry box for our kitchen setup as we also own a raft Our box is a bit smaller to fit inside the frame of our raft, but all in all I am a big fan. We had our box custom built by a local fabricator in Oregon and it has been great so far. It does get heavy but I can carry it for short distances solo. Here are a couple of pictures loaded up.

View attachment 165700

View attachment 165702

 

[gsanders]

Read below for some responses. I am still sorting out the best packing/storage method but it is slowly coming together.

what brand is your box what size ? Recretec custom size of 32" W ??? (possibly 31") x 16" H x 16" D. We had to have a custom width to fit the narrow dimensions of our raft. www.recretec.com

have to say so far amazed more people are not using these ? I often wonder that myself. However, they are much more expensive than a Rubbermaid Action Packer which probably turns people away. However, once you buy one you will have it for life. I know other rafters who have had them for 25-30 years. I also like the legs that bring the kitchen box up off the ground. I also have an Action Packer (in the picture on the ground) and it works well. I usually fill the Action Packer with food for the trip.

how do you like your setup ? We really like it. I might shorten up the cable on our lid to make it more level, but all in all it is great. We also opted for the foam pad on top of the lid because it is the rower's seat in our boat. It also makes a nice place to sit in camp if you have it on the ground and not on the legs.

I keep debating about the more pack it in or have individual areas ? but hate being stuck with something to specific ! my luck I make a space for aluminum foil and they will change the box size ! I make a plate area and I loose my plates and have to get ones that wont fit haahahahha
so always kinda prefer the general space idea
Yes, I am experimenting. I just purchased a small plastic 3 tray drawer setup like this http://www.sterilite.com/SelectProduct.html?id=329&ProductCategory=186&section=1 and I have been able to store our cooking utensilves, fire starters, hand cleaners, soaps, and other small camp items in it which is great. Before this we had misc. ziploc bags which always seemed like a pain. And, the storage drawers were on sale for $6 so if I don't like them down the road I will pull them out. In addition to the drawers, i am able to fit in our box a Coleman 2 burner stove, full pots and pans set, dishes for 8, silverware for 6-8, 4 mugs, 3 gallon collapsible water storage, roll up dish but from NRS, leather gloves, aluminum foil, trash bags, ziploc bags, water purifier, cutting board, griddle, and a few other odds and ends. Basically, it stays packed and ready to go in the back of my truck all summer. I agree with you that a large general space works better than very specific nooks and crannies because the size specific areas might not fit a new item or replacement item.

 

[Honu]

the Recretec seem to be really nice boxes

agree price they are a lot more than action packer but amazed at them compared to a pelican they are not that out of line what we put into our rigs like RTT racks winches etc..
the fact they go up so fast offer great work surface and prep surface without a extra table
obviously this is for others to read hahahah preaching to the choir with you

my first mod was shorten the cable my lid sits flat now
second is going to be a second set of handles so I can carry it the way it sits ? for me since it wont ever be a seat and I wont be putting things on top
I know why they do it but a second set of handles I think will be handy for my purpose of it only being my camp rig and not in a raft
also I might try a wrap of ****** tape around the pipes so they stay in when I lift the box up to move it !!! I guess all boxes this is a common thing
also read some put caps on the end if the legs are open pipe since they can sink in a bit to soft ground

the import one I got I am sure is not quite as nice as the recretec but again its a starting point for me and the shelf is kinda cool on the one I have
the latches are not super nice stainless but those are easy to replace

ironic I sat on the fence about buying one of these since last year !!!!! KICK ME IN THE HEAD FOR NOT DOING IT SOONER !!!!!

funny about the serlite drawers as you can see them in my blue thing on the bottom pic they work but wasted room ? but they work ? and are light easy to clean and take out ! so for me its a balance of weight convenience vs the small amount of wasted space with them


I have a couple action packers in the first pic they used to make tan ones with red handles in a smaller size !
ended up with a waterproof locking container for our food did not like getting ants in our food even though some stuff was in lock and lock containers
we also used to use a cooler and freeze juice boxes and such just to keep things like breads cooler so they do not sweat as much might go back to that ? also allowed us to have the kids get their own drinks etc..

one more question what red bag is that ?
http://www.cascadeoutfitters.com/in...D=2676&CFID=7327996&CFTOKEN=22867922&framein=
kinda looks like that one ?
how do you like it ? and how durable is the interior

 

[gsanders]

The red bag is in fact a soft side cooler: http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=28861&pdeptid=2442. The color changes depending on the pvc they have available. Currently, they are in green. It is a great soft sided cooler and it is light enough to be used as a semi-waterproof bag (water resistant perhaps). We usually load cold ones in the soft side (it fits 30) and then food and other stuff in our big Yeti 105 quart cooler. That way, you aren't opening and closing the food cooler all the time.

And I agree, Pelican cases are junk after having a rafting dry box. Also, if you are looking for another dry box but don't need legs, check out army surplus medical chests like this: http://store.colemans.com/cart/medical-transport-chest-us-gi-aluminum-p-1279.html. They are about as big as a large Pelican case and so much cheaper. My local Army surplus sells them pretty cheap but I haven't purchased one yet because I haven't needed it. However, if we go on an extended raft trip (10 days plus) I might pick one up.

 

[Honu]

I do love my pelicans for my photo gear since I have been a pro photographer most my life underwater 15 years and land about the same now

but the aluminum boxes for the kitchen with the legs are sure nice
cant wait to get out camping next month try it out

our goal is to streamline as much as we can and as light as we can still have convenience and simple luxury
my backpack and bicycle touring days are over for the most part I do want my kids to get into that though as they grow older and hope they do

for my junk I kinda think another leg one at just shy of 50 and a really rough life on my legs and knee surgeries etc.. I dont like kneeling on the ground so much anymore kinda like the stand and get my stuff as much as I can
glad I beat my body up when I was young and had fun though ahahhahah

 

[xplrn42]

Thank you guys for posting this info up, I've been wanting to go back to a kitchen box similar to what we used in boy scouts, a long time ago, but not made of wood. These look very interesting. We went out for a quick trip last weekend and my wife was mentioning how nice it would be to not have to bend down to grab everything, we've got two tables, but still.

Honu, I'll be looking forward to your review on the new box.

gsanders, one question about your's, it looks like the legs protrude into the box when set up, are those the legs themselves that will "poke" through the box or are they fixed "tubes" inside the box that the legs slide into? Does that make sense, Just wondering if you have to pack it to be able to leave room for the legs to slide through the box.

Thanks!

 

[Honu]

I think that is the key thing the bending over
the lower door on mine is tall enough at 30 inches tall and the top then is 43 to work with
seems many of the scout type etc.. the door you open ends up being to low for me and if you try to work on the top a door that is low that sticks out is just getting in the way
I do like some of the ones I saw that the doors fold out like double doors then support flip out sides to make a longer work surface ! those seem like a cool design also

but again more a fan of aluminum for my needs I think this is a lighter box with more room than you could do out of wood and way less maintenance and easier cleaning and %100 waterproof better work height and easier setup ? IMHO at least also at about $350 with shipping quite reasonable I think

I do think the one I got with the lower shelf is kinda cool handy would be super easy to rig on any of them though ? figure I can stick some food boxes on it or shoes to keep the scorpions out

his legs will be pretty much like mine with tubes inside the box you just slide into ?
so yes you want to leave room or carry them separate ?

good and bad pre made shelf brackets or you shove things inside that spot ? but they are meant for rafting and %100 dunk held under the water waterproof !!! so they are sealed tubes that is one thing I like about them I could leave it out side locked up no worries at all !

large enough surface area with the top set all the plates and things out or whatever
and the door that flips down to prep food (or so my theory goes) hoping to get out in a few weeks but had two 4 day weekends off last month so have to catch up on work and this is our busy season

still in the trying to figure out stage so not the way its going to be but hope these pics help get another view or make ya think



this shows how the legs slide into the bottom of mine and how I used the space
my SP pie iron and 10 inch lid and some garbage bags in the black ditty bag

IGT parts and some ziploc bags (dont get to these much)

rough idea of my layout going to get one more drawer for utensils etc...

that dutch oven is a 12 inch with a 10 inch nested and a GSI nested set and the GSI plates next to it and roll of toilet paper just so you get a idea of size ?

10 inch dutch oven next to cutting board

this is the shelf unit pretty simple and has my 18 inch partner stove on it for size

 

[chevyz71]

I HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS CHUCK BOX/ I FOUND IT AT ARMY BARRACKS, IS MADE WITH HD ALUMINIUM, I BUILT IT TO BE ABLE TO CARRIE OUTSIDE MY RIG, DUST PROOF, RAIN PROOF, SNOW PROOF...

THIS IS HOW WAS...


AND THIS IS HOW IS BEEN FINISH..

 

[chevyz71]

 

[Honu]

cool
very close with the aluminum