the Chuck Box...

[catmanriff]

I had no idea what that even meant until digging into organization of my camping pack..  After looking at a number of incarnations, I may attempt something for our camp kitchen. We've had every meal outside so far in the past couple years. Something that could hold paper towels, cookware, utensils, spices, aluminum foil, heat pads, coffee pot, dishwashing stuff, etc may be pretty cool to have. 

http://blog.rei.com/camp/how-to-build-your-own-camp-kitchen-chuck-box/

http://mycampkitchen.com/product-overview/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqYfYo0kVSk

[daplumbr]

Cool. Sure beats dumping it all in a plastic bin and having to dig through it with a shovel to find a salt shaker, which will have spilled its contents in the bottom of the bin, creating a salty mess that means you give up on making dinner and have cereal for the 13th time in a row, which, for some reason, tastes very salty.   

[admin]

This is one of my favorite ideas. My only problem with it was that as I designed it I realized between the wood and the gear I would put in it, it would become heavy...very heavy. If I was just car camping I'd have done this in a heartbeat.

-Sean

[catmanriff]

[quote source="/post/18577/thread" timestamp="1455135246" author="@sandroad"]Cool. Sure beats dumping it all in a plastic bin and having to dig through it with a shovel to find a salt shaker, which will have spilled its contents in the bottom of the bin, creating a salty mess that means you give on making dinner and have cereal for the 13th time in a row, which, for some reason, tastes very salty.   [/quote]were you parked next to us last summer? 

I put everything into two plastic tubs but I got tired of leaning over and it wasn't at the right height on a table. It wasn't a horrible solution but I'd rather have the stuff I always need in something I can close up

[catmanriff]

[quote source="/post/18581/thread" timestamp="1455137579" author="@admin"]This is one of my favorite ideas. My only problem with it was that as I designed it I realized between the wood and the gear I would put in it, it would become heavy...very heavy. If I was just car camping I'd have done this in a heartbeat.

-Sean[/quote]Yea, I realized that as well. So, I was looking at a simplified version. Maybe a shell out of poplar plywood then plastic drawers. 

http://www.amazon.com/Sterilite-20439002-Drawer-Medium-Desktop/dp/B006VPLR7S/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0Q6MDDPYCWQ9WBSHDM3E


I'd probably mount a paper towel dispenser, then a divider, then drawers. I'd probably use bungee cords into eye hooks to hold things in, instead of wood shelves or drawers..

we'll see

[peislander]

It would be cool to try making one with a rugged, sexy, aluminum case like this:

[video src="https://youtu.be/vJPcp8dRyCc"][/video]

[peislander]

I thought this was neat too:


[video size="large" src="https://youtu.be/fYXYNXnPJeQ"][/video]

[catmanriff]

Aluminum would be great. expensive however. Those storage boxes are very cool. wonder if any have a removable lid so you could orient the box opening sideways?

Love the Jeep slide out design.

I'm going to leave the camp stove and cookware out of my attempt. 

included:
paper towels
coffee percolator
coffee
spices
oils/Pam
utensils-tongs, spatula, spoon, can opener
heat pads
over mit
knives
cutting board
colander
tin foil, plastic wrap
ziplock bags
matches/lighter
dish soap, dish brush, dish towels, scouring pads

[farmboy]

This looks promising.  

http://www.amazon.com/Camp-Chef-Sherpa-Table-Organizer/dp/B005DTEM2U/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1455151598&sr=8-11&keywords=camp+kitchen

[catmanriff]

yea, good find. that's pretty cool. $100 seems really fair. Depends on the quality of zippers and nylon perhaps. Those zippers will be used a zillion times and undoubtedly I'll spill on the nylon compartments. 

[mitch]

I have friends that use these, both are nice but of course they take up travel space.


http://smile.amazon.com/Outdoor-Portable-Camping-Kitchen-Environment/dp/B00LMIWW1O/ref=sr_1_1?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1455195383&sr=1-1&keywords=camping+kitchen


http://smile.amazon.com/Camp-Chef-Sherpa-Table-Organizer/dp/B005DTEM2U/ref=sr_1_6?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1455195383&sr=1-6&keywords=camping+kitchen

[admin]

If we are going rugged why not add something like this http://amzn.to/1o28tCL
It fits the Jeep theme

[admin]

I also wanted to mention that after I gave up on the chuck box idea I still needed something to organize my "kitchen". The wife and I think we have a solution. We are going to use one of these hanging organizers ( http://amzn.to/1Q9mRQj ) in combination with these storage containers ( http://amzn.to/1QXX80k ). The idea being that each box will have a dedicated purpose such as cooking tools, cleaning, paper towel / bags. We even have a taller one with a integrated organizer that holds our entire set of plates/bowls/cups/silver ware. We figure we can hang the whole system from a tree, the typical lantern hook on site, or even from our 10x10 canopy. For us its all about being modular and this fits the bill. Oh and when its time to pack up, the storage bins stack nicely in the cabinets and the hanging thing collapses to nearly nothing.

-Sean  

[catmanriff]

those are great ideas. Many of the camping spots we will frequent have bears. I think I'd like a solution that at least closes up and latches...not that it will make it un interesting, but might possibly survive. Something that could sit atop a table, unlatched /unfolded and would be ready to access. That's the thing about the Sherpa table i'm uncertain about. As it stands now, the food goes into ice chests, into the truck, the "kitchen" goes into heavy duty plastic tubs.

[admin]

I should probably put more thought into setting up camp to avoid attracting bears, but I haven't had the need. I'm more concerned about keeping squirrels and raccoons out of our food. Those freak'n raccoons are smart, especially if they have been around camp grounds for a while. I keep as much food in the truck as possible while we are not actively eating, but with a little one running around and a dog, its not always easy to keep the food out of the way. Life was so much simpler while backpacking lol