Bounce Buckets

[footslogger]

I've heard from at least 2 sources now that it is somewhat popular/common to use a plastic bucket (a la Home Depot Orange) as a bounce container.

Not familiar with that so I thought I'd open a thread and get some feedback from those who know. Is it true ? What different types of plastic containers have you seen ??

Thanks in advance ...

[girlscout]

seems to me that there weren't really THAT many folks using bounce buckets (aka fuckit buckets) on the pct last year, but i was one of them. probably less than half the hikers i knew had one. i used an orange home depot bucket, which worked fine the whole trip, and it never got lost.

i generally sent it ahead of myself 10 days or so, and i used it a little differently than some folks do, in that i also relied on it partially for resupply.

for one thing, i used solid fuel tablets, which are more or less impossible to find in trail towns, so i kept my bucket stocked with them. when the bucket ran out, i had more sent to me from home, but i only had to do this i think twice on the whole trip. not sure if i'd go with solid fuel in the future (because of the resupply hassle), but it worked fine for me and was easy/convenient on the trail.

i also had home-sealed gatorade packets in my bounce bucket, because i can't function on the trail without it. i have a major sweet tooth, and i suppose the electrolytes don't hurt (anyone else seen the movie "idiocracy" yet??). anyway, i anticipated that i'd have trouble finding powdered gatorade in the trail towns, and wanted to guarantee that i'd always have it. but actually i found that it was fairly readily available in almost every town, and if they didn't have gatorade, kool-aid or country time lemonade packets worked for me in a pinch. i usually ended up supplementing my gatorade ration with that stuff anyway. so i'd cut the gatorade out of the bucket resupply plan on my next hike.

there were also a couple times in oregon/washington when i included a food drop in my bucket, in towns where i needed to send a food drop anyway, and my bucket was going to the same town. but i wouldn't do this again either, simply because i never found any town lacking in food options for me- even the marginal places like mazama village and olallie lake would have worked for resupply, as i wasn't a very picky eater by that point! :)

everything else in my bucket was the usual stuff- guidebook sections, extra socks, trekking pole tips, first aid stuff, etc. in general i tried to only stock my bucket with stuff that i couldn't easily find in trail towns, but i got pretty lazy with this policy as the hike wore on, and started putting ziplocks, etc, in there just for convenience and to save a tiny bit of money. and several times i ended up removing stuff from the bucket and sending it home, because i found i just wasn't using it at all and didn't expect to.

[chai guy]

Personally, I think you're much better off just leaving a stock pile of gear/food/items you think you might need with a trusted friend, or relative along with some cash for postage and asking them to mail you stuff to the next town when you think you might need it.

I also know a few people who had their bounce buckets lost by the USPS.

[footslogger]

[quote=girlscout;193]seems to me that there weren't really THAT many folks using bounce buckets (aka fuckit buckets) on the pct last year, but i was one of them.

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How did you keep the lid on ? I'm guessing you had a big roll of packaging tape inside and pulled off some long strips before putting the lid back on ?? Just curious cuz I have visions of the lid popping off and all the contents being speuwed everywhere.

Never had that problem using a stiff cardboard box on the AT but I can see the advantage of using a plastic container AND having it stand out among other packages.

Wonder if one of those rectangular kitty litter buckets would work as well ??

'Slogger

[girlscout]

i was always paranoid about the lid coming off, so i always taped mine shut, though others have said they didn't use tape and had no problems. i always sent mine priority, so i just used the roll of priority tape they always have at the post office. i did keep a roll of clear tape in my bucket, but couldn't use it to seal the bucket because it sets up the dilemma that if you're trying to seal the tape roll IN the bucket, then you can't have it outside the bucket to use for sealing at the same time. and it doesn't work to tear off a piece of tape before sealing the tape roll in the bucket, because you can't get a single piece that's long enough without having it get hopelessly tangled up in the process.

[footslogger]

OK ...so there are some hikers who use the Orange Home Depot buckets.

Any reason why "other" plastic buckets wouldn't work ...eg Post Office rules etc ??

I'm thiking of using a kitty litter bucket and wondered if that would fly, presuming it was large enough to hold my stuff.

Anyone out there in PCTland who has used a bucket other than the orange one mentioned above ??

Thanks in advance ...

[Magnet_]

I'm pretty sure I saw some hikers using a kitty litter bucket, so it can be done. Unfortunately I don't remember who they were so that's about all the info I can contribute. :(

Also, all the buckets I remember seeing where white, not orange. Am I missing something? Colorblind perhaps...

Oh, I know that some people were able to get free buckets from local restaurants. I guess the restaurants get sauces and such in them and then throw the buckets away. Some hikers did this in Agua Dulce while preparing their Muir Trail Ranch resupply. (they require a bucket with a handle)

[footslogger]

I'm pretty sure I saw some hikers using a kitty litter bucket, so it can be done. Unfortunately I don't remember who they were so that's about all the info I can contribute. :(

Also, all the buckets I remember seeing where white, not orange. Am I missing something? Colorblind perhaps...

Oh, I know that some people were able to get free buckets from local restaurants. I guess the restaurants get sauces and such in them and then throw the buckets away. Some hikers did this in Agua Dulce while preparing their Muir Trail Ranch resupply. (they require a bucket with a handle)

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That's helpful ...thanks.

Just don't want to use a container that isn't considered appropriate for the purpose. I guess it all comes down to capacity and durability and of course, whether or not it has a handle.

Reason for the kitty litter question is probably obvious. I've got 2 cats and have a hefty collection of plastic litter buckets that I often use for projects around the house. Figured if the lids were secure and they held my stuff I'd probably use one of them as my bounce container.

Thanks again ...

[girlscout]

yeah, the post office isn't that picky, they'll basically take anything you can securely seal and put a label on... but one thing to consider is the thickness/quality of the plastic on your kitty litter buckets, and also the fact that a cylindrical bucket has more structural integrity than a rectangular one, so if something's going to break, it's more likely to happen with the rectangular one. those paint buckets are tough.

whiptail actually used one of those large plastic storage bins you get at walmart (ie to hold toys, shoes, whatever) and taped it shut... always looked sketchy to me, but maybe he can chime in on how that worked out. probably too much capacity for most hikers needs, though. for me, 5 gallons was just right.

[footslogger]

yeah, the post office isn't that picky, they'll basically take anything you can securely seal and put a label on... but one thing to consider is the thickness/quality of the plastic on your kitty litter buckets, and also the fact that a cylindrical bucket has more structural integrity than a rectangular one, so if something's going to break, it's more likely to happen with the rectangular one. those paint buckets are tough.

whiptail actually used one of those large plastic storage bins you get at walmart (ie to hold toys, shoes, whatever) and taped it shut... always looked sketchy to me, but maybe he can chime in on how that worked out. probably too much capacity for most hikers needs, though. for me, 5 gallons was just right.

=======================

Thanks for that. Actually 5 Gallons seems like too much, based on my previous bounce box experience. Guess I just have to get one and start cramming stuff in to see ...

[girlscout]

i guess my take on that is that it's better to have a bit more capacity than you think you need, in case you end up needing it for something... ie, if you end up needing to bounce some shoes, those take up alot of space. in the meantime, it's not as if the extra air in your bucket will end up costing you much more in terms of postage :)

[footslogger]

i guess my take on that is that it's better to have a bit more capacity than you think you need, in case you end up needing it for something... ie, if you end up needing to bounce some shoes, those take up alot of space. in the meantime, it's not as if the extra air in your bucket will end up costing you much more in terms of postage :)

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Excellent point !! Guess I was just thinking about the stuff flopping around inside the bucket but if it's not breakable then it really doesn't matter.

[girlscout]

you can use crumpled newspaper (or something similar) as stuffing.

[AlohaTink]

Just in case you change your mind and want to use the bucket method...here is a great picture showing how the Post Office wants it taped down etc....



http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b345/4Kupcakes/webbucket.jpg

[Doodlebug]

Dirty Bird got me a bucket with a screw on lid. I'd still tape it for security, but the screw on feature is nice. I'd have to look, but I think it was a pool chemical bucket- smelled vaguely of bleach when i got it from her.

it's the same diameter as a 5 gal- but shorter- I think the 5 gal is a little too big for just me. This one seems perfect. So if you find a smaller bucket with or without a screw on lid, that might work well too.

doodlebug

[footslogger]

Interesting ...I like the screw on concept. Kinda like a bear cannister. Need to follow-up on that.

'Slogger

[Snap]

I used a kitty litter bucket for my bounce box last year. I liked it better than the cardboard box I used previously. I was never asked to tape the handle down, but the first time I mailed it the postman covered any labels that indicated kitty litter was in the box.

Snap

[footslogger]

[quote=Snap;511]I used a kitty litter bucket for my bounce box last year. I liked it better than the cardboard box I used previously. I was never asked to tape the handle down, but the first time I mailed it the postman covered any labels that indicated kitty litter was in the box.

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I was leaning in that direction but have heard that those rectangular buckets are more prone to breakage and having the lid pop off.

I've got at least a half dozen of them in the basement that I use for household repair projects so I'd have my choice of color.

'Slogger

[Snap]

'Slogger,

I only used the kitty litter bucket through CA but I didn't have any problems. I always taped the cover on. The one I used was probably sturdier then the 5 gallon bucket I got at Home Depot, which also means it was heavier and more expensive to mail. The kitty litter bucket's square shape might lend it to being stacked on it's side increasing the chances that the lid would be popped off. Either one is certainly sturdier than the typical cardboard box.

Snap

[Dr Bob]

So far, I've seen 3 issues: 1) sealing the lid, 2) square corners vs round, and 3) color of the bucket.

1) I use a bucket simply because I tired of cardboard boxes getting beaten all to heck over time. However, I pay more for use of the bucket, due to it's weight in mailing, as opposed to a cardboard box. It's worth it to me. Sealing...I wasn't happy with even the remote prospect of a lid coming off or of an unscupulous PO employee peeking inside. (The latter is kinda funny because you have to really wrestle the lid off sometimes). Plus, I quickly tired of the tape routine that Girlscout describes well and also having to take the tape off each time. The hardware guy in Idyllwild suggested using plastic zip ties. Whoa... good idea, I thought. I carefully drilled holes through the lid and top of the bucket in 2 spots, so a zip tie would slip through. I keep a reserve of them in the bucket and keep 2 out for the sealing. It's worked very well.

2) square corners. I had real trouble with a Walmart square cornered plastic container. I had selected oh-so-carefully, but by Idyllwild the PO had really demolished the plastic box on 2 corners and I had to replace it, hence the hardware visit. Uh, it revealed the real meaning of "bounce box." So, I moved to a bucket. That was 2 summers ago. Used it last summer and will again this summer.

3) Colors. Again, I think GS said it: colors are a non-issue. Mine happens to be blue. I did notice that last year a postal employee had written my name in big letters on the lid for easier identification, so I just now finished putting my name on the lid and sides with stenciled letters that peel off a sheet. I then put clear packing tape over them for better longevity. Hope it helps this summer.

4) Last word of advice: Try not to kick the bucket. http://adventureonthepct.com/images/smilies/smile.gif
:)

Dr Bob

[Mags]

I used a Home Depot paint bucket as my "bounce bucket" with no problem on the CDT in 2006.

I'd simply keep packing tape in the bucket, take some strips of tape before closing up and sealing the bucket, and tape up the lid.

The reason why I went with a Home Depot bucket is that it is bright orange and it was ALWAYS found right away. Every post office knew exactly what it was when I asked for it.

Of course, if more hikers do this tip, a bright orange paint bucket will not stick out as much. :D