Hi! For a family of four (two adults and two tots) or group of six (four adults and two tots) what size barrel do you recommend for 2-5 day trips?

I’ve looked at 30l barrels and think that *might* work for four of us in the NHAL by Boulder Junction, WI for a couple nights but wanted to know if the 60l would be a better choice?

I’ve looked and looked but haven’t found anything specific to my question. We eventually plan to go to the BWCA. Most that talk about barrels seem to be doing several week trips solo or a big group. My background is in backpacking and sea kayak camping but it’s been a few years, I’m a little tired of hanging my food.

Barrels are not as universally recommended as it seems. And there are a pile of options for different levels of food protection.
You mention the NHAL State Forest and it's a place I go frequently, so I'll assume vehicle based camps will be used, here simple coolers work fine just put them inside a closed vehicle at nite or out hiking. Raccoons, skunks, and squirrels are the biggest offenders, the area is very active for bear hunting and hunting hound training, so they have a healthy respect for populated areas.
Container size depends on personal style and tastes far as supplies go. Do a practice food packing session and measure the volume needed. Then you can confidently shop for bags, boxes, or barrels, that may suit.

pet food container
affordable food containers
are bear containers needed

Just the top few in a site search several pages worth listed.

butthead

Your scenarios range from about 18 - 60 portions so there isn't a single answer. It all depends on how much dry food vs. fresh food you plan on bringing. It also depends on freeze dried vs. "normal" foods. Are you going to remove the outer packaging and just bring the inner packaging? I have a 30 liter system and I go ultra-lightweight with food and don't bring any extra. I can (almost) get enough food for 4 people in a 30 liter barrel for a 4 day trip but it takes some time and it's very tight and carefully packed in place. I usually pack all the food for day one in my regular pack. I would go for a 60 liter. They are not bear proof. They are waterproof and critter proof. I still hang mine. A good harness is worth the money. I have a CCS Quad and it's incredible. It can also be used without a barrel as a pack.

Big difference with 4 or 6 people and two or five days. On the upper end of those numbers, I'd think 60 is the way to go. On the other hand, 2-3 people for 2-3 nights I'm sure 30 would suffice.

If you go bigger with the 60, you can always use any extra space not taken up by food to store utensils, cook stove, or other gear. (or put some nice heavy rocks in it if you're not the one portaging it).

For a family trip with 2 adults and 2 kids (average age 12) of 4-5 days duration we use a 60L barrel carried in a CCS Quad Pack. Any empty space is filled with kitchen utensils or other camp equipment to efficiently use the space as the food is consumed.

For solo and 2 person trips I use Ursacks.

Last year, my son and I did a four-day backpacking trip in Rocky Mt Nat Forest. Rules require a bear canister. We packed 4-lunches, 3-dinners, and 3-breakfasts into the large BearVault. We used Mountain House meals plus various kind bars and pilot crackers. It was a tight fit on day one. It was a pretty tough climb, so, as I recall, I lost a little weight.

I was recently looking into this as well and found a site that sell barrel combo kits with a carry harness. The 30/60 combo was around $180. A combo setup would give you options to carry more than you might want or less. They sold 20/30/60L barrels with several combinations. Enjoy...

I have a granite Gear 60 w/ harness that is really a nice outfit. I packed a ton of food (also a box of wine) for 4 guys on a 5 day trip. Yes it was heavy but it only got lighter each day. We were base camping in Lac La Croix so I knew we only had to haul it for one day.
I really despised hanging my food. It seemed as though we always forgot about it and ended up doing it in the dark or close too. If we did hang early then I always needed something from it.

Also something to think about with the 60 is it makes a great off season storage device. I keep alot of my canoe camping gear in there during the winter and it keeps the mice and bugs out.

#30 L should be fine for your needs if you/group is not eating in grand fashion. (frozen perishables or hi-bulk foodstuff). I pack dehydrated/Knorr sides one-pot meals which is why there's plenty room for other stuff besides food, stove & cookware. The maximum load I've stuffed in it is 25-27 lbs and it's the most comfortable load on my old back on portages--with a Harmony Harness.
I've never have hung the barrel nor hid it, when in camp. It's in plain sight. No problems in 12 yrs. Keep the outside free of grease or food scents and you're golden.
Zero food orders with the locking ring clasped when not engaged in prepping a meal.
P.S. A blue barrel isn't a bonafide, official, approved bear canister by those destinations that require you to have one. (Although, I'd trust my blue barrel to perform adequately. My barrel doesn't have a thin wall like some of those in some current marketplaces.)

Thanks everyone for replying. Eight years ago I did one of the canoe routes in the NHAL and liked it very much. Now with two daughters, 1yo and 3yo right now, I’m hoping it’ll be a good trial period for the BWCA. We hope to do a big family trip with my in-laws later next summer.

It appears someone else had the same question as the remaining 60l barrels I had been watching for weeks are now all gone. Glad they were able to get a good deal. I am planning to do some well-packed dehydrated/freeze dried combo meals made from scratch. I had considered other containers as mentioned in the forum links but I like the idea of a blue barrel. Based on your replies I’m thinking the 30l might work for the four of us. Though I like the idea of fitting some cooking gear in a 60l.

Thanks again!

Remember with the 30 L, in a pinch, you can always pack Day 1 food separate as it'll be used soon enough. It's the furry tailed tree critters (little charmers) that will be watchful for a chance to chew a hole in soft food packs.

However, don't give up on a 60 L yet. There are all those markdowns during pre-holiday, holiday, January clearances and just-before-Spring specials coming up.

HERE is a nice article by Kevin Callen. A Canadian, so his article links are in Canada. Great pricing on 60L w/harness but S&H might be a deal-breaker. The statement about digging is SO true. Drives me crazy.

9 gallon/ 34 L on eBay. Note: it doesn't seem to have clamp that afixes lip of cover to lip of body.

"good trial period for the BWCA"

While NHAL is a fantastic place, better for your stated purpose is Sylvania Wilderness. Just across the UP border HY 45 to HY 2, a few miles west of Watersmeet. Lake to lake travel and portages between, stunning old growth pine and hemlock forests.

butthead

We like going with two 30’s. Now...that means two harnesses, one big portage pack, or modified frame pack to transport them. We use one for food(7 days for two), cooking equipment, small lanterns and accessories. We use the other for hammocks, tarp and clothes. We can pack two 30’s into the canoe more easily. By doing so, we also get two camp stools and/or table possibilities.

As someone said above, they are not officially “bear proof”...but ours are tough, very tough. We use the bags inside of bags food organization and can easily hang if we feel necessary. Side note...we change clothes after dinner and place our “bedroom” as far away from the kitchen area as we can...just to be safe. We also added silicone to the lids which made them super air/water tight.

One of your questions was to size and capacity of barrels. I have consistently find that my 30 barrel will hold 40-44 individual meals. So 4 people, 3 meals a day, equals 12 meals per day for the group. End result - a 30 barrel - holds 3.5 days of meals for 4 people. Mostly dehydrated with the first day to day and a half of "real" food.

Thanks everyone! I’ll still look for an eventual 60l but I just picked up a clean 30l blue barrel from a food plant for $10. I couldn’t pass up that sweet deal. This will work for us until my girls get bigger.