I know this question may seem repetitive to some on here. But I'm curious to know what to use for food packs.
I know a lot of you use food barrels but I'm going with a few other people who will be experiencing their first trip and don't want to purchase a barrel at this time. I've heard of some using regular 5 gallon buckets with lids. Wondering how well do the buckets work? I'd like to bring food that needs to be frozen and also wondering if that is do-able in the buckets. And if so, how do you guys store it? Tree? Stashed away from camp? Or if you have any better suggestions.

The load will not be an issue. Just want something that stores food well and keeps it locked.

First - welcome to the board!
As for barrels- you might rent if you are really interested in using them.

I have used a regular pack and carried "soft" coolers in them for refrigerated food in hot weather. Those regular packs get hung in the tree at night.
I don't hang the barrels. As for 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids, some folks use them but you might have to hang them at night. A couple of them might fit in a pack.

We usually take frozen meat and fresh food for the for the first couple of meals abnd then switch to dehydrated.
Check the "Food" forum - there are good ideas there.

If you use the 5 gallon buckets you HAVE to get gamma seals for them. The snap on lids they come with are virtually useless when used as a food barrel.

Fleet farm carries the lids.

https://www.fleetfarm.com/search?Ntt=gamma+lidds

Here is a link to a nice video of a bear going after a food barrel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLYbXXIbUX0

Not sure which book Carl Jacobsen wrote where he talked about putting food in zip lock bags and stashing them in a couple of different locations away from camp.

I like the barrels. I would recommend renting one if you don't want buy one.

Happy Trails

The brew stores sell 6 1/2 and 7 gallon buckets that fit the gamma seal lids

I have used buckets with gamma lids for many years. Do a great job keeping the critters out, I don't hang them (I haven't hung a food pack in many years, but now I'm probably jinxed). Two buckets fit upright side-by-side in a #4 pack pretty nicely. Room to pack other stuff around them. I have another pack were I lay them down and stack on top of each other. Some trips I may have a cooler, other times I'll wrap my frozen food in newspaper or bubble wrap and toss in the buckets. Been fine for a few days...

First two trips we used a 5 gallon bucket w/gamma lid. Next trip I had switched to square shaped olive barrels, roughly 5 gallons in size again. Most recently I have switched to using a 10 gallon blue barrel in a harness and will bring along one of the olive barrels to serve as "overflow" food storage or as the barrel that holds all our bags of garbage.

Love the ease and wide opening of the blue barrel. I know they're not bear proof but I'm more concerned about the "mini bears."