What's in your Chuck Box?

[/dev/ram]

I scored a Campmate Kitchen off craiglist - if you haven't seen these, they're a plastic version of what we have all had or built from wood.
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Mine is brand new, complete with original plates, utensils, instructions, etc. These are hard to find as they're not made anymore.
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So... some pics below, but what's in your chuck box?
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I'm thinking:
- Coleman stove, one 1 1b. propane cylinder
- Pan for storage on top of stove, under box lid
- Plates, cups, utensils
- Paper towel, zip locks, trash bags
- Containers for bulk items like rice, pasta
- Squirt bottles for liquids like cooking oil
- Seasonings
- Cleanup supplies
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It's a work in progress, so post up what you have in your chuck box!
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From the craigslist ad:


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And what I've got in it so far:

 

[trailhugger]

I can honestly say I've never seen one of those before, but that's pretty cool! Then again, I didn't grow up camping and didn't start until senior year of HS and then not really much until we got the Bronco.

We have a couple of action packers we used for years for 'car'/wheeling camping stocked with:

fuel for the Coleman stove and Coleman lantern
extra mantles for the lantern
a bowl with a lid for mixing/cooking prep
two lexan bowls for eating
utensils
set of backpacking pots with lids
Paper towels, zip locks, trash bags, toilet paper
camp soap and a scrubbie for cleanup

probably more I can't remember right now...

 

[dmoore714]

Nice setup! After seeing that picture I did some searching. Apparently those campmate boxes are hard to come by.

My scout troop had a couple "camp kitchen" boxes my scoutmaster built. They were about the size of a truck tool box, and had fold down legs and a lid that doubled as a table-top. One had a hook on the side that would hold a 5gallon bucket we filled with water and used as a sink. The other had a hole for an aluminum tent pole to slide in the top - which we hung a lantern on at night. They worked great for storing/cooking enough food for the whole troop when we did summer camp or any drive-up camping.

 

[Roughshod]

Okay, not the best pic of the chuck box, but it is the only one I could find.

These days I put them on a couple folding saw horses instead of the tires. Can't say how old this one is or where it came from because I've had it ever since I was a kid. It holds a ton of stuff, mostly pots and pans, plates and bowls, silverware, cups, paper towels, Coleman fuel, a small camp stove, rope, tent stakes, salt, pepper & spices, water jug, trash bags, first aid kit, and I'm sure some other stuff that I just can't think of off the top of my head.

 

[/dev/ram]

I've been an action packer fan for quite a while - you can see some in the pics above. Problem is, once I got everything I'd ever need in the big one, it was too heavy to lift!
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I think what inspired me was a box my dad had on our camping trips that held coleman fuel, paper towel, candles, matches, toothpicks (!), some fishing stuff, a fry pan, and I'm sure things I'll never remember.
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I'm curious how folks divide and conquer and, well, don't overpack like I tend to do. I'm thinking of dividing things up amongst different boxes - gear that animals won't bother (the chuck box), gear like ropes, tent stakes, repair stuff, etc. that I might need but not always, and then a true "food" box that could be suspended from a tree to keep the animals away.
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Keep the ideas coming!

 

[upnover]

Looking at this I see two different ways of thinking.
My thoughts put as much as you can, but in smaller quantities. Enough for a trip or 2, but not so much it takes up valuable room. Do you really need that much cooking oil? Well maybe if it's a fishing trip where you eat what you catch, but not so much for a regular camping trip. A whole box of zip lock bags> Maybe a large bag with 4 or 5 of smaller sizes and so on.
Changing the containers to fit better and smaller. Make so as if it were to get soaked, everything would still be usable.
We all get dirty, and a lot of times have to work on a rig. Dawn detergent or even better a small bottle of hand cleaner.
Smaller half used rolls of paper towels save room and is enough for a trip.
Some wally world bags, always useful
some long term stuff like beanie weenies, potted meat and Vienna's. Soups, and crackers

 

[trailhugger]

We get small size bottles of things like olive oil and the camp soap and then refill from the bigger bottles. A roll of paper towels cut in half (almost TP sized) works well...

We use the small action packers, the big ones would DEFINITELY get too heavy if filled to the brim! We definitely have them organized by function... there are the 2 that are pretty strictly for cooking, one will hold the canned and other non-perishable food and the other holds the cooking equipment. There's also a third with rope and additional tent stakes, etc., for camping at the beach...

 

[Granny]

Two boxes... black "Action Packer" with cooking utensils, pots & pans, silverware, Stanley thermos, etc. Red bags on lid are ponchos... always with us. This box stays as is, nothing needs to be replaced or restocked.

Rubbermaid chest... contains mostly expendable items which we restock as needed.

When packing for a trip, we plan out each meal invividually for as many days as we plan on being gone. Then, we usually plan two more meals just in case, and divide that stuff up between the two boxes. In warm/hot weather we keep bread, pastries, and stuff that might mold in the truck.

If we are pulling the trailer and rig, those boxes, plus coolers, etc. ride on the trailer under the rig. If just going camping, we have a 4' x 8' utility trailer and do the same with it. Unless we just plain forget something, we rarely find ourselves missing anything.

 

[/dev/ram]

I like the downsizing thoughts. For many years, I did the same - small containers, only as much of whatever we needed for that trip, etc. Used film canisters with shaker tops, carried packets of catsup or hotsauce we kept from the last trip to Arbys, napkins from Wendy's, etc. Kind of a backpacker mentality even tho it was car camping. It made for less actual cooking at camp (pre-cooked a lot of suff and reheated), less cleanup, and easier packing up. I also like the idea of keeping the stuff we don't have to restock separate from the supplies - cooking or food.
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There's another aspect tho that has been nagging at me recently. The pam spray runs out more quickly than the bottle of oil. The disposable cups/plates have to be restocked. The paper towel is convenient, but a couple dish cloths take up less space. Plastic utensils, plates, bowls make for quick cleanup but run out, etc.
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Don't get me wrong - I'm not so much "going green" (although aspects of that are fine too) as not wanting to spend money on something that I throw away. I'm also thinking about longer stays, where things might not be easy to refill or restock. What if you were going camping for a few weeks or even months? Or, you just find yourself in a situation where cost is a bigger factor than convenience?
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I know that might not be as relevant to folks camping as a part of a 4x4 weekend, but might for a KOH, Baja, or drive-across-the-country deal.
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So... where does that leave me? I'm thinking the Campmate box is mostly like ya'lls equipment boxes but since it's got wierd little storage spaces, some of the supplies will fit too. Maybe keep those down to things that last a long time. Another action packer as the "pantry" for dry goods, disposables, whatnot.
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Last pics until I actually go camping, promise!

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Oh... ignore that paper towel! And the plastic cups! Gotta - let - go...