# DIY Airtight Storage for Hunting Gear



## d_rek (Nov 26, 2013)

I see a lot of folks asking about airtight storage for hunting gear - clothes, packs, etc. 

I had a few of these laying around from my adventures in homebrewing and decided to appropriate them for airtight hunting gear storage. These items can be bought from Lowes for under $15. 

5-gallon bucket - It's food grade because I used them to store grains previously, but you could probably get away with a regular ol $2-3 homer bucket. Either way it's fairly heavy duty and not flimsy like some 5 gallon buckets. 








http://www.lowes.com/pd_356492-1152-50640___?Ntt=food+grade+5+gallon+bucket&UserSearch=food+grade+5+gallon+bucket&productId=3694238


5-Gallon Plastic Lid (AKA Gamma Lid). These are what makes your 5-gallon bucket air- and water-tight. The outer ring has an o-ring seated inside of it and you attach it to your 5-gallon bucket using a rubber mallet. Then you simply screw in the lid - which also has an o-ring - into the outer ring and boom - air and water tight storage! 








http://www.lowes.com/pd_546960-1152-82136___

So for less than $15 you have 5-gallons worth of airtight, watertight storage. You can cram a ton of gear into one of these things. They're easy to haul/transport. Take up far less space than large trunks. You can write directly onto the bucket/lid for easy labelling. 

Hope that helps those of you on a budget out! 

Regards,
d_rek


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## unclejdof3 (Mar 11, 2015)

Sweat that will fit nicely in my car,


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## Bowhuntertim214 (Jun 19, 2012)

great idea... I think I'll stop at lowes after work, lol.


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## mhill (Jul 11, 2011)

Make sure not to seal that when your clothes are wet/damp. 

You could also throw in a backing soda fridge filter to absorb moisture and odor.


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## d_rek (Nov 26, 2013)

mhill said:


> Make sure not to seal that when your clothes are wet/damp.
> 
> You could also throw in a backing soda fridge filter to absorb moisture and odor.


Right - you wouldn't want to store them wet/damp for any extended period. But for transport to/from the field it would be fine, until you can get them to a dryer or on the line. What's nice is the buckets are really easy to clean or wipe down. You can use a scent-free spray or the scent-free field wipes.


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## NYSBowman (Aug 21, 2012)

I think a plastic tote is a more convenient option than buckets. Would need a bunch of buckets to hold clothes and gear.

Be careful with airtight containers...if there's moisture inside it will cause mold/mildew.

A box of baking soda inside your containers will help absorb moisture and odor.


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## d_rek (Nov 26, 2013)

NYSBowman said:


> I think a plastic tote is a more convenient option than buckets. Would need a bunch of buckets to hold clothes and gear.
> 
> Be careful with airtight containers...if there's moisture inside it will cause mold/mildew.
> 
> A box of baking soda inside your containers will help absorb moisture and odor.


Yup. Again for people on a budget looking for airtight storage. An airtight plastic tote is going to run you $50+ and these are just as airtight and work in a pinch


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## Erik1972 (Apr 5, 2010)

You can also line the bottom with your favorite sent like corn or apples then store your clothes inside. I use a corn/apple blend, the best cover scent I know of.


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## mhill (Jul 11, 2011)

d_rek said:


> Yup. Again for people on a budget looking for airtight storage. An airtight plastic tote is going to run you $50+ and these are just as airtight and work in a pinch


I think he is referring to a normal tote. like 5-6 bucks at Walmart. That's all I use. I have never noticed any odors on my clothes.


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## vietvet50 (Oct 18, 2006)

Great. Thanks a bunch i had some screw ons but had no more access, but this solves that.


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## Tunaboy (Oct 3, 2004)

There was a post about 1-2 years ago from a guy who used rectangular plastic tote boxes. He had a seal that he made from a window foam seal kit. It was pretty cool and looked effective and was low cost. Wish I could give you a link but I can't find it.


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## texan4ut (Nov 11, 2014)

I go to Firehouse Subs, they sell pickle buckets with the lid for $2.00. I leave em outside for a couple of weeks to get the pickle smell out. Snap the lid on it and it is water tight/air tight.


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## d_rek (Nov 26, 2013)

Tunaboy said:


> There was a post about 1-2 years ago from a guy who used rectangular plastic tote boxes. He had a seal that he made from a window foam seal kit. It was pretty cool and looked effective and was low cost. Wish I could give you a link but I can't find it.


I've tried this. I found that the foam window seal would constantly fall out of the groove in the lid unless you used some sort of permanent adhesive. It also only works if you have handles that latch the lid down to the main bin. Certainly doable, but more work than it's worth IMO.



> I go to Firehouse Subs, they sell pickle buckets with the lid for $2.00. I leave em outside for a couple of weeks to get the pickle smell out. Snap the lid on it and it is water tight/air tight


I have a bunch of the snapping lids with an o-ring (also used for homebrewing stuff) but they are way harder to get on and off without a lid tool. I've also cracked a few up using the tool so I prefer to spend a couple of bucks on the Gamma Lids. Assembly is a breeze and removing the lid is super easy.


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## doubleeagle (Jun 3, 2012)

They make a great field/camp washing machine with a plunger as an agitator. Wash and store in the same container. Also, two will fit nicely in a military duffle bag for easy travel to protect fragile items on trips. Just two of a million uses for them.


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