BLUE BARRELS USED TO BE A SIGNATURE OF EXPEDITION CLIMBING AS UBIQUITOUS AS SUPER GAITER BOOTS, DOWN SUITS AND SOLAR PANELS. THEY FELL BY THE WAY SIDE AS PORTERAGE BECAME MORE ORGANIZED AND BASECAMPS MORE ESTABLISHED, BEING HARDER TO CARRY AND NOT LONGER NEEDED AS A WEATHERPROOF STORAGE SOLUTION. THEY STILL DO GET USED, BUT MOSTLY AS COMPANY SUPPLY SYSTEMS FOR EVERYTHING FROM FLOUR TO HUMAN WASTE, BUT BY ENLARGE HAVE BEEN SUPERCEDED AT A PERSONAL LEVEL BY DUFFEL BAGS.
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AT FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS WE STILL LIKE THEM THOUGH, AND RECOMMEND OUR TEAMSTERS GET THEM, AS WELL AS USING THEM FOR TEAM GEAR, MOST IMPORTANTLY WHEN WE CROSS RIVERS WITH ANIMALS. HAVING WITNESSED ANIMALS DROWNED WHEN THEY STUMBLED LADEN WITH DUFFEL BAGS, WE REQUIRE ALL OUR GEAR FOR THE NORTH KARAKORAM TO MEET OUR CAMEL SAFE CRITERIA.
ASIDE FROM THIS, BLUE BARRELS MAKE FOR AN EFFECTIVE SOLUTION GETTING GEAR FROM HOME TO BC, THAT ON COMPLEX TRIPS FORM A CONTINUUM WHERE THE BARRELS GREATLY SIMPLY THINGS. IN OUR WORLD, ANYTHING THAT STREAMLINES LOGISTICS IS A GOOD THING, AND FROM YOUR LIVING ROOM TO THE WILDS OF HIGH ALTITUDE CHINA, THESE GO A LONG WAY TO SECURING YOUR GEAR RIGHT THE WAY THROUGH.
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THE WHAT
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 120L ‘CHEMICAL’ BARRELS MADE OF HMWPE THAT ARE USED TO CONTAIN EVERYTHING FROM FOODS TO CHEMICALS. THEY ARE CERTIFIED BY THE UN AS A STORAGE SOLUTION FOR AID, AND CONFORM TO ISO STANDARDS SO THEY ARE THE SAME EVERYWHERE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL SIMILAR VERSIONS, BUT THE ONES IN QUESTION ARE THE POM-120, THAT HAVE THE TAPERED ENDS, THE WIDE MOUTH AND THE LOCKING RING. THEY ARE SINGLE-PIECE FORMED, TOTALLY WATER TIGHT, AND SOME COME WITH HANDLES WHICH DON’T ALWAYS SURVIVE.
OTHER COLOURS EXIST, BUT BLUE IS BY FAR THE MOST COMMON. THEY ARE RUGGEDIZED TO HANDLE ABUSE AND LONG TERM USE, BEING CHEMICALLY ALMOST INERT AND HARDLY AFFECTED BY SPRAY PAINT, UV EXPOSURE AND EXTREME COLD. THEY CAN BE STACKED IN ANY ORIENTATION WITHOUT CRUSHING, DROPPED AT WEIRD ANGLES, ROLLED ABOUT, SAT ON, DRAGGED OVER GRAVEL AND DROPPED BY PARACHUTE.
NO DUFFEL BAG CAN BEAT THAT.
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MORE SPECIFICALLY TO THE INDIVIDUAL, BLUE BARRELS HAVE A HOST OF OTHER ATTRIBUTES THAT MAKE THEM GOOD SOLUTIONS, INCLUDING;
THEY’RE CHEAP
USED BARRELS GO FOR LESS THAN $50 AND EVEN NEW ONES UNDER $100, WHICH IS FAR LESS THAN THE PRICES THAT ‘EXPEDITION GRADE’ DUFFELS GO FOR THESE DAYS.
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THEY PACK EASILY
STOOD EITHER VERTICALLY OR HORIZONTALLY, THE LARGE MOUTHS MAKE THEM EASY TO FILL, AND THEY ARE JUST THE RIGHT HEIGHT THAT REACHING INTO THE BOTTOM ISNT TOO HARD. EASIER THAN A HAUL BAG WHICH SOFTENS WITH USE TO BECOME FLOPPY, BARRELS ALSO DON’T BULGE OUTWARDS OR NEED CARE WITH ANGULAR OBJECTS.
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LOW SIGNATURE
LITERALLY MILLIONS OF THESE THINGS LITTER CHINA, MAKING THEM INOCUOUS AS THE SIGN OF AN AFFLUENT TRAVELLER. STACKED INTO VEHICLES OR WHEELED THROUGH A LOBBY, THEY GARNER NO ATTENTION OR THE OPPORTUNISTIC ATTENTION OF SHARPIES.
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THEY ARE SECURE
MOST COME WITH A LOCKING RING THAT GOES OVER THE SEAL BETWEEN THE LID AND BASE OF THE MOUTH, THAT IS TENSIONED INTO LOCKING THEN SECURED WITH A PAD LOCK. THIS WORKS FINE, AND CONTRIBUTES TO TOTAL WEATHER PROOFING, BUT CAN BE EASILY REPLACED WITH A HOLE DRILLED EITHER SIDE THROUGH THE LIDS EDGE AND MOUTH BASE THAT FITS A DECENT PAD LOCK, WHICH WEIGHS A LOT LESS.
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EASY TO IDENTIFY
THE HMWPE THEY ARE MADE OF NICELY HOLDS STICKERS, TAPE, MARKERS AND SPRAY PAINT, SO THEY CAN BE EASILY LABELLED. THE BLUE IS EASY TO SEE AGAINST SNOW AND ROCK, BUT FOR TRIPS ON WATER WE LIKE TO SPRAY THEM WITH SOME ORANGE.
BEING FAR FROM FRAGILE, PAINT AND STICKERS CAN BE SCRAPED OFF TO BE REPLACED WITH EACH TRIP.
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MULTIFUNCTIONAL
AROUND BC THE BARRELS BECOME CHAIRS, TABLES, BATHS AND TOILETS, AND HAVE BEEN LASHED TOGETHER AS RAFTS AND WEIGHTED FOR USE AS ANCHORS. BEING WEATHERPROOF THEY ARE LEFT OUTSIDE TO FREE UP SPACE INSIDE TENTS, OR USED TO COLLECT RAINWATER AND MELT SNOW AS THEIR BROAD, DARK SHAPE COLLECTS HEAT FROM THE SUN.
VERY OFTEN THEY ARE USED AS MAKE SHIFT SHELTERS, TO SUSPEND TARPS, BOATS AND BEAMS, AND WALLS OF THEM MAKE WINDBREAKS, AND CAN EVEN BE PART OF A BIVY.
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LOGISTICALLY BLUE BARRELS OFFER A LIVING ROOM-TO-CAMP SOLUTION, THAT IS AS EFFECTIVE AS ANYTHING USED BY A TRANSPORT COMPANY AND IS EXACTLY WHY THEY EXIST. PACK RIGHT, A BARREL WILL SEE YOU FROM HOME TO THE BASE OF K2, WITH MINIMAL ISSUES AROUND DAMAGE, THEFT, CONFUSION OR COMPROMISE.
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HOME
HOMEWARE STORES ABOUND IN STORAGE SOLUTIONS, AND THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL. EXPENSIVE GEAR CAN BE HAPPILY STORED ON BALCONIES, IN GARAGES, UNDER HOUSES AND IN THE YARD, WITH NO WORRIES ABOUT MOISTURE, RODENTS, OR FIDDLING.
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TO THE AIRPORT
EVERY SHIPPER OR TRANSPORT COMPANY ON EARTH ACCOMMODATES THESE THINGS, AND LOADING ONE OR TWO INTO A TAXI MAY NOT BE A NORMAL THING, BUT THEY ARE NO BIGGER THAN A DUFFEL AND STACK PERFECTLY ON CARTS. MORE THAN ONE TRIP WE HAVE ROLLED THEM INTO DEPARTURES, AND SAT ON THEM WHILST WAITING OR STRUGGLING THROUGH TRANSIT.
FOREIGN SECURITY CHECKS ALWAYS GET CONFUSED THOUGH THEY HAVE NO REASON TO, AND INSIDE CHINA THEY ARE SO COMMON THAT NO ONE WILL CARE.
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CHECKING IN
THE DIMENSIONS OF THESE BARRELS ARE EXACTLY 1CM WITHIN STANDARD CHECKED LUGGAGE SIZE. THE ATTENDANT WILL PROBABLY RAISE EYEBROWS THEN BE AMAZED THEMSELVES, BUT EXPECT TO SHOW THE CONTENTS.
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ARRIVALS
SOMETIMES WE ARE LUCKY AND BARRELS GET TREATED AS OVERSIZED, WHICH CAN MEAN NO WAITING AT THE CAROUSEL, OR DELIVERY BY TROLLEY. IF THEY DO GO THROUGH, THEY ARE EASY TO NOTICE, AND OFFER NO INTEREST TO SCAMMERS, AND THERE’S NO CHANCE OF DAMAGE IN THE PROCESSING.
TROLLIED OUT YOU DON’T APPEAR AS A TOURIST SO GET LEFT ALONE BY TOUTS, AND CAN PULL OFF BEING INVOLVED IN INDUSTRY WHICH IS USEFUL AT LOADING AND PICK UP.
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TRANSPORT
WE OFTEN USE PICK UPS, SO BARRELS VOID ANY ISSUES ABOUT WEATHER, SECURING TARPS AND DUST. BARRELS STACK BETTER AND TIE DOWN BETTER AND ARE EASIER TO ACCESS, AND ARE FAR MORE SECURE THAN A FANCY BAG WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN PARKING.
ON THE ROAD WE OFTEN NEED TO REARRANGE GEAR, AND BARRELS ARE EASY TO IDENTIFY, PICK THROUGH AND RESTACK. THERE’S NO STRAPS TO BREAK OR SOFT FORM TO SQUASH, AND IN HOTEL ROOMS THEY ARE SECURE AND STAND NEATLY IN THE CORNERS.
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APPROACH
THEY CAN BE RIGGED WITH SPECIAL HARNESSES MADE FOR THE PURPOSE, BUT SHOULD JUST AS EASILY STRAP TO ANY PACK FRAME IF YOU HAVE STRAPS LONG ENOUGH, AND INDEED ARE DESIGNED FOR IT WITH OUR KARAKORAM CAMEL PACK FROM ALPINE LUDDITES. 120L BARRELS CARRY SURPRISINGLY WELL, BEING ABOUT THE IDEAL DIMENSIONS FOR VOLUME OF THAT SIZE, AND RIDGID SO LOADS DON’T SHIFT AND FLOP ABOUT.
APPROACHES KILL PACKS AND DUFFELS, BUT BARRELS ARE IMMUNE, AND ANYTHING INVOLVING HERDERS SOON FINDS ANY PACKS WEAKNESS. LOADED ONTO ANIMALS, BARRELS ARE FAMILIAR AND STABLE, AND THE MOVEMENT OF THE ANIMAL AND THE CONDITION OF ITS HIDE DO NOTHING TO A BARREL WHERE THEY CAN ABRAID AND DAMAGE NYLON. HERDERS HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT OUR GEAR AND SIMPLY SEE EVERYTHING AS LUGGAGE, SO PRESENTING LOADS THEY IDENTIFY GOES A LONG WAY TO PART OF THE PROCESS WHERE WE RELY ON OTHERS.
IN CAMPS THEY ARE EASILY TAKEN OFF AND ROLLED TO WHERE NEEDED, AND NEVER GET LEFT BEHIND BECAUSE THEY ARE SO OBVIOUS IN THE LANDSCAPE.
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BASECAMP
THERE’S SOMETHING VERY COOL ABOUT HAVING YOUR COUPLE OF BARRELS, SOMETHING QUINTESSENTIAL TO BIG EXPEDITIONS THAT SOLVES MULTIPLE PROBLEMS. YOU DON’T NEED TO FILL YOUR TENT WITH STUFF, OR MOVE GEAR ABOUT SO YOU CAN USE YOUR PACKS, AND COMBINED WITH YOUR TENTS THEY FORM A LIVABLE CELL THAT WILL GET YOUR THROUGH THE HARSHEST OF CONDITIONS.
BARRELS HELP MINIMIZE OUR FOOTPRINT BY KEEPING US, LITERALLY, CONTAINED, STOPPING STUFF BLOWING AROUND, LEAKING, SCARRING THE GROUND AND BEING LOST. THEY ARE EASY TO DIG OUT OF SNOWDRIFTS AND KEEP SECURED IN HIGH WINDS, AND BEING ODOR TIGHT POSE NO ISSUES WITH ANIMALS ATTRACTED TO THE SMELL OF FOOD AND HUMANS.
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DO I STILL NEED A DUFFEL BAG?
NOT REALLY, BUT A LIGHT, STASHABLE BAG TO ORGANIZE STUFF INSIDE YOUR ROOM AND TENT IS GOOD. THAT SAID, MOST DUFFELS WILL FIT WELL INSIDE A BARREL SO ARE NO BIG DEAL TO HAVE, THOUGH SOME LARGE TREKKING PACKS HAVE FRAMES THAT WONT FIT THROUGH THE MOUTH.
