Back from 5 nights in the BWCA co-leading a bird ecology class with Sue Plankis. I had a chance to try out my new Cooke Custom Sewing small barrel pack. Instead of a small blue barrel I use a 7-gallon “paint bucket” with a gamma lid. It fits perfectly and inside the pail I have my complete kitchen. The campers loved the simplicity and cleanliness of this slick system and the bucket carries very easily in the CCS harness. These larger “paint buckets” are available at home brewery retail stores for less than ten bucks. Watertight gamma seals can be bought for about $8 at Home Depot or online at usplastics.com. Instead of a kitchen, this pail/pack combo could also make for an excellent small rodent-proof, bear-resistant, grub pack.
We had a very successful class. A great group. Excellent weather and close to 60 species of birds. More on that later, but I will say we had a Barred Owl right in camp beneath a full moon for about a half hour – amazing views. Plus, lots of warblers, nesting boreal chickadees, yodeling loons, and a merlin nest right above our campsite. What a Memorial Day Weekend, dancing in the wilds with the birds, a very good time.