But seriously, maybe I don't carry my barrels often enough, or maybe I don't carry them loaded enough, because I don't get the round barrel flat-back discomfort criticism. I suspect the harness makes all the difference.
The 60L loaded with family base camp type foodstuffs is absurdly heavy. My non family trip food choices would be a lot lighter, but I do not need that expansive volume, and it would be awfully tempting to over pack. None the less, that 60L barrel is near useless without a decent harness pack frame design, and I need to work on that.
My main critique of them is a) they weren't made to look anything less attractive than an oversized Smurf Mason jar. Fugly.
They are fugly, although less Smurfy when covered by stickers and reflective tape. They are poly, so hit the barrel surface briefly with a propane torch first if you want stickers or tape to adhere well.
A wrap around pack harness could be made less obtrusive, green or brown or tan, but for something like a food barrel I would prefer it not be
too camouflaged.
That blue blob does not bother me much, my boats are plastic or composite, paddles carbon, tent and tarp sil-nylon and I am clad mostly in synthetics. If I were beavertail paddling some wood and canvas classic, clad in wool with traditional gear, a barrel would be an exceedingly ugly wart on the experience.
b) The idiot proof locking clasp/hasp/pissmeoffenoughtomakemegasp thingy needs an upgrade. Or maybe I'm an idiot. There is that possibility.
Blue barrels are not OEM designed for paddler use. An upgrade to some adjustablly tension closer ring would be a wonderful improvement, but is not needed to ship some spice or chemical and dispense the contents. The initial users may open them once, or perhaps a few times. Trippers may open and close them several times a day, and be more finicky about spring ring tension.
I would not want to rule out any possibility, but that ring can be a PITA. If the ring gets, uh, curved off horizontal plane, so that when set it down on a flat surface it is wobble bent up or down, that is a problem.
I need to play with more barrels. There is a sweet spot in that spring ring tension, a happy medium between moderately easy to close and does not leak when tested, and a closure struggle that sees the overlapping sections of ring so tight they do not overlapping very well. If the ring is wobble bent that may be the cause of a closure struggle.
If the ring is still flat, I dunno. When the gasket is aged, compressed or failing the ring becomes
too easy to close. That scenario is actually worse, and I would leak test the barrel.
c) The hard plastic flip up handles are solid, but obtrusive. I think I'd much prefer grab handles of floppy rope or webbed belt, either with a soft rubber sleeve for hand comfort.
I agree the handles leave something to be desired. Maybe keep it simple and just pad the existing handles. Split foam pipe insulation would get torn apart in short order. A slit length of garden hose or Tygon tubing taped or glued in place would be more lasting, and more hand kindly.
d) The lid only serves as a lid. I like multipurposes to things.
Without going into extreme measures, playing backwoods snooker across a folding chessboard, the once recessed lids of both our barrels are no longer recessed, but flat, level and padded.
Multipurpose? Two circles of minicel exercise flooring contact cemented in place brought that lid surface up just a hair above the arse groove raised lip.
Much more derriere comfortable as a seat, or, on the short barrels, as a padded ottoman to keep my feet resting above the ankle biters. Make a decent side table too, the leveled minicel surface makes for less of a slick plastic slipperyslide.
Multipurpose? That exercise flooring filler in the lid recess has three little notches carved out, to hold the peg feet on the folding JetBoil stove base. With the feet plugged into those snug notches I would have to knock the whole dang barrel over to upend the stove. Some custom slot or recess reveal could be made to steady hold most small stoves.
Multipurpose? I have not, knock wood, tested this, but if the barrel went for a downriver swim that slab of minicel glued to the lid might help it float higher and more open end upright.
I think of a plastic barrel as akin to a plastic canoe, not outfitted or customized in any way, just a big naked vessel, one OEM designed for tripper food storage, and one that needs some help to be more comfortable and efficient in paddler use.
