Reviews > Hydration Systems > Buckets > REI Folding Bucket > Owner Review by Andrew Mytys

REI Folding Bucket

Owner Review

Product Information:

Manufacturer: REI Item: REI Folding Bucket Year of Manufacture: 2002 MSRP: $11.95 Volume: 2.5 gallons (9.5 l) Dimensions: 10 x 9.5 inches (255 x 240 cm) Listed Weight: 8 oz (225 gm) Weight as delivered: 6.3 oz (180 gm) Material: PVC-Coated Nylon

Why review a bucket:

A review on a bucket? What's there to review? It holds water... no fancy features to talk about here. If you're a lightweight backpacker, you probably don't even consider this a necessity in your pack. Chances are you're already packing a water bladder or bottle of some type, so a bucket becomes nothing more than a redundancy that adds weight to your pack, right??? Read on.

Description:

The REI Folding Bucket is a reinforced, PVC-coated, nylon open-air bucket complete with a 1-inch (25 mm) wide, nylon, carrying strap (handle). It is free standing, and has a fluid capacity of 2.5 gallons (9.5 l). The bucket is blue in color, with the REI logo and the phrase, "Quality outdoor gear and clothing since 1938)", embossed in white onto it.

While the bucket does have a capacity of 2.5 gallons (9.5 l), when filled to the rim, it will actually hold 3 gallons (11.3 l). Filled with 2.5 gallons (9.5 l), the water level sits at 2.5" (6.3 cm) below the rim. At this level, when carried by the handle, you can safely run down trails without fear of losing half your water while in route. In fact, very little water, if any, will spray out of the bucket. This is because, as you lift the bucket off of the ground, the sides of the bucket taper in towards one another, forming a pseudo-closure. There's still a gap at the bucket's opening, but the angles and water level are such that your cache is well protected. When using the webbing carrying strap to its fullest length, the rim of the bucket is suspended 10-inches (25 cm) below the apex of the handle.

My first experience with the bucket:

In July 2002, I was hiking with a group of people in Utah's Buckskin Gulch/Paria Canyon area. It was 105° F (40 C) in the shade, and the nearest water to the trailhead was 20-miles (32 km) away (assuming the spring was still flowing). Before embarking on the trail, we ran into a couple at the trailhead. They had just finished their journey. We asked about water conditions in the canyon, and were told that we'd have to DIG. The couple didn't go as far as our plans called for, but our first day's hike would overlap theirs. Digging for water - joy!

I started the hike with 12 liters of water. This was to be shared between my wife and me. Our first day's hike was about 16-miles long (25.75 km), through the narrows of Buckskin Gulch. The gulch provided lots of shade, and temperatures were not as extreme as those found just outside of the slot. Upon arriving at our campground, we still had plenty of water. We were also sweaty, and covered with dirt and grime from navigating through the narrows. As much as we wanted to wash ourselves, and our clothes, we knew we had to conserve our water for our own survival.

At this point, I add that my wife and I were hiking using "lightweight" practices, and the rest of our party was hiking as "heavyweights". They had camp chairs, fresh fruit, free-standing tents, tarps for shade, cans of beer, glass flasks filled with stronger libations, etc. They also had a few REI folding buckets.

If I was feeling dirty from carrying 50-pounds (22.5 kg) on my back (remember the 12 liters of water) they, with their 75-pound plus (34 kg) packs were really stinking it up.

After breaking camp, we all decided to look for the hole that the couple had dug for water access. They had told us, more or less, where they had found water and it didn't take long for us to find their spot. There was little left, save for some wet mud, but after some further digging we had a small pool at our disposal. We filled the REI buckets with water, set them aside, then sat around and talked for a while, killing time as the silt settled in the bucket and our pool.

Once the water had cleared up, two members of our group went to the pool and commenced filtering enough water to fill everyone's empty tanks. We had no way of knowing how many active springs lay ahead, so we felt it prudent to carry as much water as we could.

I then watched as people took turns using the water in the REI buckets to wash themselves. If we had to use the pool, we would have been constantly disturbing the water and washing with half water, half silt. This would have gotten us nowhere. The buckets allowed for a well-needed sponge bath, and we all were able to wash the trail off of ourselves. We were even able to rinse out our shirts and socks.

The next day's hike promised to be hotter than our romp through the gulch. Eventually, we saw a group of rocks on the trail that were positioned into an arrow, pointing to the southwest, and a group of pebbles, underneath, arranged to form the word "SPRING". We found where the spring was supposed to be but, as we feared, it was dry.

Our second spring of the day needed no signs. There was an outcropping in the canyon wall and, underneath, there was a faint trickle of water. We decided to stop here for lunch. It would have taken us a while for the hit-and-miss of the droplets to fill our Nalgene bottles. Once again, out came the buckets. We literally had the entire area covered with our water catchers, and nearly every drop coming from the rock-face was saved for our water bladders. Once again, the REI folding bucket proved its worthiness.

The trip went on for many more days, and the REI bucket was used in similar fashions again and again. I was certainly sold on the bucket's usefulness, and bought an REI folding camp bucket as soon as I returned home.

History/Personal Observations:

Now I had my bucket, and was ready to use it on my own adventures. I was a little apprehensive about its usefulness in Michigan, though, as we have easy access to flowing water all around. There would be no need to dig, or beg for water from a spring, where I would be going.

Still, I thought it would be nice, at the very least, to be able to bring a lot of water back into camp for laundry duties. I tend to hike all day long and pull into camp late. The more I can do in one, central, location, the better.

Also, I had witnessed firsthand how well the depth of the bucket kept sand at bay. Even in Michigan, a fast moving, shallow, stream can be a challenge to wash and filter in. I could use the bucket as a silt trap for filtering my water, keeping the intake hose near the top while the silt stayed at the bottom. My filter element would now have an increased lifespan, as large, clog inducing, particles would no longer enter my filter. By not filtering at the source, there would also be little chance of some piece of gear falling into the water and being swept away by the current. I could quickly fill the bucket, and move on. I wouldn't have to find deeper water to avoid silt either. As the bucket is flexible, I could just let the water flow into it, then pull it out when full - no disturbing the source, and I could go right back to the same spot for more water without worrying that a silty cloud was waiting for me.

Washing my clothes in the REI folding bucket means clean results with each rinse, rather than a flurry of pebbles that a river's current throws into the mix. By being able to keep my clothes clean while on the trail, I can avoid carrying a spare set. This translates into a weight savings that more than justifies the weight of the REI folding bucket.

In packing my frameless rucksack, I found another use for the bucket. By placing my pot, first-aid kit, toiletries, and spare clothes into the bucket, rolling my sleeping pad around this, and placing the whole mess into my pack, suddenly, my rucksack felt as if it had a full suspension, stays and all - WOW! This REI folding bucket was just full of surprises.

The bucket can "fold" down, as its name implies but, after trying this packing technique, I don't bother. There aren't any pre-installed fold creases on the bucket - the "fold" would be more of a "stuff", "crush", or "roll". It would work, for sure, but the result would be an unused lump in your pack. I recommend just packing things into the bucket and stuffing it into your pack, as mentioned above. In fact, if you're worried about your rain making it's way through the ides of your pack, putting your sleeping bag into the bucket, then into your pack, would make for some solid insurance against the elements.

The first hike that I took my newly acquired REI folding bucket on was a section of the NCT known as the Lakeshore Trail. For 42-miles (68 km), this trail follows the southern shores of Lake Superior from Grand Marais to Munising, Michigan.

As I previously mentioned, access to water is not a problem in Michigan. Rarely do I carry more than 1-liter at a time. With a lakeshore trail, the 1 liter rule was even being conservative.

Before heading out on the main trail, I did some side hiking to get acquainted with sites in the vicinity. This area was teaming with rivers, flowing down into the lake. Most of these rivers were well below the level of the trail, surrounded by steep banks. Where the trail crossed the rivers, there were bridges. I initially thought I'd have to surf down the banks to get some fresh water. So much for "Leave-No-Trace" ethics. But then I though, "Hey, I've got the REI folding bucket." The bucket has a nice handle on it, and I was able to simply attach a line to it, lower the bucket into the river, and pull up more than I needed for filtering. This bucket was fast proving itself as indispensable.

I made it into camp late that evening, and it was time to cook dinner, filter water, clean clothes, clean dishes, and wash up. As I was camped on the beach of Lake Superior, I wouldn't need my bucket. I shouldn't have spoken so soon. The lake proved to be a new challenge altogether - too much water. Every time I put my filter's intake hose into the lake, and no matter how heavy the rock that I placed on it, the lake was quick to toss my hose onto the sandy shore. I was loosing patience, as I was tired after the long day's hike. Thankfully, I had the REI folding bucket in my pack. I simply waded out into the water, held out my open bucket, and let a large wave come crashing in. Done! I had 2.5 gallons (9.5 l) of water in a small and manageable space; all the water I needed for that night, in one shot. I was certainly thankful that I didn't have to put up with the strong winds and cold water, which would have certainly given me a good soaking and sent me shivering on my way.

With dinner made, the clothes clean, and my water supply for the next day's hike ready, the last task before bedding down for the evening was to hang my food. I was in black-bear country, and the National Parks Service had provided all backcountry campgrounds in the area with bear-polls. These are a PAIN to use. Each pole is about 15-feet high (4.5 m) and about the diameter of a soda can. There are a group of four hooks at the pole's top, and there's a 12-foot (3.6 m) pole on-site that you use to navigate your food bag to the top of the pole and entertain your fellow hikers as you try to get one of the four hooks through the nylon cord at the base of your stuff-sack. It is not as easy as one may think, and having 4-days of food in a bag, on the end of a pole, makes the whole task rather precarious. Adding to tonight's drama was a swarm of mosquitoes, all aiming for my face. Try holding onto a long pole with a heavy weight on its end, swatting away mosquitoes with one hand, and navigating an unbalanced pole with the other. Once again, it's the REI folding camp bucket to the rescue. Unlike the food bag, the handle on the bucket is attached to both sides of the container. I simply put the food cache into the bucket, attached the bucket's handle onto the pole, and hooked it. There was really nothing to it.

The handle itself has reinforced stitching on it where connected to the bucket - it's not going anywhere. I have tested the handle strength by holding a bucket filled with water away from my body, spinning around in circles as if I were participating in a "hammer throw". Not so much as a creak from the stitching.

Update - June 1, 2004

I spent the Memorial Day holiday weekend hiking a section of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania. On my second night on the trail, I stayed at a shelter built near a spring. The river in the area had warnings associated with it that directed hikers not to use it as a source of water. The spring, however, was little more than a slow drip out the side of a hill. I placed a rock into the bucket so that it would remain in place and positioned it under the spring. Then I returned to the shelter and went about other chores, such as gathering downed wood for the evening's fire. After an hour or so, I returned to the spring and found that my bucket was almost filled with water. Without the bucket, I would have had to gather water a liter at a time, frequently returning to the spring in order to monitor progress. I doubt the job of filling my Platypus water bladders would have gone as smoothly as when I used the bucket.

Update - October 8, 2004

Recently, I flew out west for a few weeks of backpacking along the Continental Divide. As a lightweight backpacker, I was able to fit all of my gear into a pack that was small enough to be taken on board my flights as carry-on luggage. On my first flight, the pack wouldn't fit into the overhead bin. The problem was that I had a bear canister in my pack and its hard surface could not be compressed. The bear canister is awkward to carry on its own, as it is a smooth cylinder with no handles on it. Therefore, I removed the bear canister and placed it into my bucket for transport - the fit was perfect. I then stowed my backpack in the overhead bin and my bucket and bear canister underneath the seat in front of me.

US Flight Regulations allow passengers to take one carry-on item, and one small bag such as a purse. Well, the bucket is my "purse." Now when I fly, my backpack holds everything but my food. Food, whether stored in a stuff sack or bear canister, is now carried externally in my REI Folding Bucket. This is really a stealthy system, as the bucket's strap allows me to hold it low, below the level of my knees, as I approach check-in counters and board planes. The end result is that my pack is less bulky and a good 25% of my luggage is out of view, hidden between the legs of the crowd I'm in. My pack size looks small, and can easily pass size regulations. More importantly, I don't have to check any baggage, and my pack does not have to be at the mercy of any baggage handlers. I know that when I land, my gear will be in the same condition as when I left home.

Summary:

I've shown that the REI folding bucket is an extremely useful piece of equipment to have on the trail, providing many benefits to its owner such as:

• Capturing water from a variety of sources, including rainfall, springs, rivers, and lakes, without disturbing the source
• Easy access to water, without having to fight low water levels, rushing currents, or incoming waves
• Providing a relatively silt-free cache of water that can be used in a variety of tasks (filtering, cooking, laundry, bathing)
• Holding a large amount of water; plenty for a small group of hikers
• Creating a pseudo-suspension in ultralight, rucksack-like, packs
• Allowing access to distant water sources that would otherwise have to be bypassed altogether, or gotten to in a manner not conducive with "Leave-No-Trace" practices.
• Aiding in bear-bagging and food-hanging
• Acting as a small "purse", allowing gear to be distributed into small packages and thus getting past luggage size restrictions when traveling by air

In addition, Rebecca, a fellow BackpackGearTest.org tester, adds that the REI folding bucket is a prudent safety net for those who use campfires in wildfire areas. Rebecca comments, "I also have one of these buckets, and it always comes with me on hikes where I may have a campfire. With the danger of wildfires, I only have campfires if I am close to a water source and have my REI folding bucket with me. I keep it full and near the fire-pit, so that when I want to put the fire out, it is OUT."

• As always, lighter, assuming no change in performance, is nicer.

Personal Biographical Information:

Reviewer: Andrew Mytys Email: amytys (at) backpacker (dot) com Homepage: Andy's Lightweight Backpacking Site Location: Michigan Age: 33 Height: 6'1" (183cm) Torso Length: 21" (53cm) Weight: 165lbs (75kg)

     Backpacking Background:

I consider myself a lightweight hiker, meaning that I carry the lightest gear I can find that meets two simple deliverables - providing a comfortable wilderness experience and adequately supporting the goals of my trip. Unless my goals are time/distance oriented, my pace is always slow. I rarely exceed 1.5 miles/hour. I rest frequently, hike long days, and enjoy whatever nature throws my way.

Reviews > Hydration Systems > Buckets > REI Folding Bucket > Owner Review by Andrew Mytys