Planning to use two 5 gallon buckets in a duffle for our foodstuffs.what I would like to know is will the 12" diameter pack fit under a thwart?

Pre-trip planning and packing come into play here. Test this out before you leave. Also, check that you want to portage a duffle filled with two buckets of food.

We use buckets every trip fitted with screw-on lids. Two across fit fine mid-canoe or single behind the rear seat.

I don't have a canoe to test on. Will definitely do a load test on my Mule.
I have a pouch sewn in for Coroplast padding.

I tried it in my Northstar Northwind 16 with wooden thwarts and a wooden carrying yoke. The bucket fit tight under the front wood thwart but would not fit under the center wooden carry yoke. The front thwart clearance is about 12 inches and the center carry yoke has about 11-3/4 inches of clearance and even less clearance where the carry yoke pad bolts pass through.

Have you considered using 4 gallon square containers ? The 4 gallon square containers are 9-3/4 inches wide and 13 inches tall. Both the round and square plastic containers offer about the same protection and will require to be hung but the square may be more efficient to pack and transport.

grand806: "I don't have a canoe to test on. Will definitely do a load test on my Mule.
I have a pouch sewn in for Coroplast padding."

Every canoe will be different. And you may have to deal with portage pad bolts or other restrictions. Slide a pack under the thwart and set the buckets upright elsewhere.

I have often taken two 5 gal buckets with gamma seal lids. I put them one on top of the other in an army surplus duffel with pack straps. I wrap a thermarest around the buckets to provide a bit of cushion. Works great. There is also room to shove in a couple of tarps and tent poles. In my canoe they don't need to slide under a thwart so I am not really sure about that.

I also have lined one of the two buckets with an old foam pad on the inside including the top and the bottom to make a sort of cooler out of it. Works pretty well with frozen meat, eggs, cheese and such.

Tomcat: "I tried it in my Northstar Northwind 16 with wooden thwarts and a wooden carrying yoke. The bucket fit tight under the front wood thwart but would not fit under the center wooden carry yoke. The front thwart clearance is about 12 inches and the center carry yoke has about 11-3/4 inches of clearance and even less clearance where the carry yoke pad bolts pass through.

Thanks, good info.

Be sure to get snap on handles to make portaging easier.

Snappy Grip

How does one carry a 5 gallon bucket while portaging? In a pack on your back, by hand in the duffel, holding the bucket handle, something else?

Kendis: "How does one carry a 5 gallon bucket while portaging? In a pack on your back, by hand in the duffel, holding the bucket handle, something else?"

Hand carry, carry harness and backpacks are common methods used for transporting equipment while portaging. There are commercially available carry systems or you can construct your own.

Example of DIY carry harness

Example of commercial carry harness

Tomcat: "
Hand carry, carry harness and backpacks are common methods used for transporting equipment while portaging.
"

Thank you for this sage advice.

I carry mine in a nylon GI duffle bag.
I use one 5 gal. bucket, with a screw on lid. I then set that in another bucket This gives me spare bucket at camp, to sit on, or fetch water.
On top of that, I use a 4 gal. bucket, also with a screw on lid. This will fit quite snug in a nylon GI duffle.
I can slip a thin foam pad between the buckets and the bag. It provides a little extra padding, plus the pad is handy to sit on in camp.