BWCA CCS Deluxe Food Pack- would you buy it again? Boundary Waters Gear Forum
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08/06/2020 11:36AM  
I'm looking to buy a CCS Deluxe Food Pack for an upcoming September trip. I've done plenty of research between food packs and barrels, including BWCA.com forums.

Now I'm just curious... if you own a CCS Food Pack, how do you like it? Would you make the same purchase or would you buy something different. Thanks!
 
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halvorsonchristopher
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08/06/2020 12:11PM  
I own the CCS Solo food pack. We take it on almost all trips. It holds more than enough for seven days for four guys.

I have no idea what I personally do not see the need for the deluxe unless you have a much larger group.
 
Snowbound
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08/06/2020 12:14PM  
On a whim, I bought a used deluxe size for a good deal. It was great quality, but too big for my family. I probably would have kept it if it was the solo size.

I now have the Granite Gear food bag with the “cooler” insert. It is room enough for my family of four for a week. I also like how you can waterproof the Granite Gear by putting a pack liner between the pack and the insert. If it rains, the outer food pack dries faster than the CCS pack.
 
campnfish
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08/06/2020 01:51PM  
I have both a Barrel/harness and a Kondos insulated food pack(similar to CCS), i think most would prefer to carry the Kondos pack vs. the barrel. I like the barrel because its waterproof and hard sided to protect items other than just food, but its also hard sided and feels like it when you portage it, and i have tried several harness setups.

I'm on the fence, and probably the reason i own both. I met a person at curtain falls a few weeks ago that has a CCS food pack, and he had put a dog food container in the pack and it fit perfectly, he was a writer for the BW Journal, so i was assuming he had tried several other methods before landing on this.
 
08/06/2020 02:26PM  
I think they're great personally. They portage easily and are very well made. I have the CCS Solo food pack which is good for one or two people, but I also have the deluxe food pack and the last few trips I've been putting a 30L barrel inside of that and using the extra space for the rest of the kitchen. I find this works even better for two people. For four people I bring a 60L barrel in a CCS barrel pack for food. However, we also bring the deluxe food pack, the bottom of which has our frozen steaks for the first night and other fresh foods, then on top of that my kitchen and four helinox sunset chairs. This is what works for me anyways.....
 
HowardSprague
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08/07/2020 01:51AM  
I do not have the CCS Food Pack but I know CCS gear is fantastic quality.
I have the CCS Barrel Pack, mainly because I have not had the time or motivation - yet - to develop decent hanging skills. (GSP, wish you were still around so some of that skill would rub off!)
I do remember hearing about Dan Cooke being at a show, someone asking about this pack, Dan discussing and then looking at the guy's kid and asking how much they weighed - then putting on the pack and inviting the guy to lift the kid into the pack. Walked around with the kid in it,....demo of a sturdy pack :)

I think I heard that from a reliable source. :)
 
Northwoodsman
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08/07/2020 08:24AM  
Another option that I did was buy the Granite Gear Insulated Food pack from REI and place it in my CCS Explorer. It's a perfect fit. I have an insulated food pack when/if I need one and a great pack when I don't. I have many CCS packs, tarps, and a lot of their other gear and you can't go wrong. It's the one thing I don't have to worry about on my trip.
 
08/07/2020 09:35AM  
Unshavenman- I've never come across someone putting a barrel inside the food pack...why have one when you can do both!?! Thanks for the great info.
 
08/07/2020 09:41AM  
Northwoodsman... THANK YOU! I have been thinking about that exact setup and wondering what pack would fit best. Do you find that you need to put a waterproof bag between the CCS and the Granite Gear cooler? When you're at camp do they stand up together or does the Explorer pack droop down?
 
Northwoodsman
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08/07/2020 11:48AM  
CStoke: "Northwoodsman... THANK YOU! I have been thinking about that exact setup and wondering what pack would fit best. Do you find that you need to put a waterproof bag between the CCS and the Granite Gear cooler? When you're at camp do they stand up together or does the Explorer pack droop down? "

It's a snug fit so it doesn't fall down, but it doesn't stand up sturdy like the CCS Food pack either (although I'm going by photos). I have never taken this set-up into the BWCA because I pretty much go ultra-light with freeze dried. I have a couple of Ursacks, a couple of Bear Vault 500's, and a 30 liter blue barrel with a CCS Quad Harness for BWCA use. I use the CCS/GG set-up camping in other places where I'm not portaging. I wouldn't think that it would be necessary to use a liner in this configuration, but I use a liner with all of my other packs because I don't want my clothes, sleeping gear, etc. getting damp. I also don't use ice if that's what you're getting at.

I have a Pioneer pack also and if I put the GG Insulated Pack Cooler in that, the pack does slide down, however I do have room to pack my tarp, tent, or other flat things in the same pack.
 
08/07/2020 01:01PM  
Thanks so much!!
 
08/07/2020 01:12PM  
I don’t buy much stuff but when I do the made in the USA label means quite a lot. I’ll pay extra for quality.
 
RunningFox
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08/07/2020 10:53PM  
I have a Kondos food pack which is similar to the CCS deluxe. Inside of the pack I have a BWJ poly box with foam insulation. You can purchase this entire set-up from the BWJ store. I can’t imagine a better set up to keep things cold on a canoe trip. I Just wish there was a similar set up that fit a solo canoe.
 
billconner
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08/09/2020 06:53PM  
I bought the deluxe food pack 5+ years ago and love it. One of my best acquisitions. I use a liner and the CCS stuff sack set made for this pack. I hang the pack using the handle and no problems. Plan to use for a long time.
 
08/20/2020 03:18PM  
billconner- Just what I needed. Thanks!
 
dduarte85
  
12/17/2020 09:08AM  
has anyone used the BWJ Food Box with a CCS food pack before? Specifically curious how it fits in a Solo version.
 
12/17/2020 01:34PM  
We used two of the deluxe CCS food packs this summer. Not all for food though. It was an assortment of food and cook kits gear in those bags. They were so nice that when I bought after the season when they sell all the one year used gear at Piragis that I bought two of them.

Super easy to get in and out of was really nice. One CCS food pack in each canoe. Rain gear on top. First aid kit readily accessible. Garmin Inreach gps top of that bag. Anything we decided to get rid of up on top of the bag since it’s just a zip to open and then a little plastic bag work. Zip back closed. Sits upright for easy loading of gear and unloading.

I had been having a hard time figuring out what to put where and we were full outfitting last summer with Piragis. One of the guides who had helped me understand the two pulley bear hang system was present and I asked him for some help. He was awesome! Started looking at what I had and went and got a 2nd CCS food pack. We sorted it out and I really liked it! Enough to buy two deluxe CCS food packs. By the way the used ones I got were in phenomenally great shape! I did buy them the first day of the sale though.

Ryan
 
pastorjsackett
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12/20/2020 06:33AM  
We use the food pack for cold food, with some dry ice in the bottom it lasts the whole trip.

For dry food, we've typically borrowed a blue barrel from a friend. We like the hard-sided, crush and mouse-resistant nature of the barrel.
 
12/23/2020 12:28PM  
I don't have a Deluxe Food Pack, I have a CCS 30 L Barrel Pack. I love their products and have one of their Hybrid portage packs too. I just can't imagine using the deluxe food pack due to the size. I would not want to haul that much food. Food is heavy, especially if you are packing more than just dried meals. Usually, I'll bring some alcohol, cliff bars, peanut M&M's, oil, and other foods that make the food pack weigh more than my gear pack despite the smaller size. So I would not suggest a food pack this large. I would rather take 2 smaller food packs than the one large one. It makes it easier to hang with lighter packs too.
 
billconner
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12/24/2020 07:01AM  
I guess it depends on cooking style. We prefer a mix of fresh and dried food, and tend to pack ingredients rather than meals, and decide each day what the menu is that day. The ability to sort and organize with the stuff sacks make that work easily. If you take just add boiling water meals and pack them in day by day order, it may not be worth it.
I estimate on trip start it may be 50-60 pounds for four for a week, 40-50 for two. It hangs easily. And it looks almost new after 10 years.
 
jimbocr1167
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12/24/2020 10:40AM  
The CCS food pack is amazing. I use mine for all of my camping. I bought mine in 2002 and it's still in great shape.

One year in the BWCA, a red squirrel chewed a hole in my food pack. When I returned from my trip, I called Dan Cooke. I brought it over to his home and he repaired it on the spot. Dan's a great guy. We shared many stories. Without a doubt, I would buy another CCS food pack.
 
Lawnchair107
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04/15/2021 10:07AM  
I’d buy again for sure. My food pack has both my cold and dry foods. I actully drop a hard sided cooler in the bottom that has the bacon, sausage, brats the first night, etc. and use different variety of ziplock containers on the top for the dry food. All in one, comfy, heavy, hangable pack.
 
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