JMT Resupply Containers/ Buckets – How much food can you fit?

[Oshie M]

Hi everyone who has done, will be doing resupplies JMT or otherwise,

I’m trying to get our expenses sorted on this big adventure we set our sights to. For a 5 gallon bucket, how much day’s worth of food can you cram into one?

I know there will be different factors to be considered, like the type of food we pick. But for the sake of estimating, all food will be a freeze-dried package of say, Mountain House?

Thanks!

[Jeff Hester]

The answer will always depend on the food you pack. I will say that I was able to pack 10 days of food in a 5 gallon bucket without a lot of effort. Getting it in the bear canister? That’s another issue…

[Oshie M]

Haha fitting food in the bear canister is always a challenge and until recently I’ve started enjoyed doing.. I like puzzles LOL

Thanks for your answer, Jeff! 10 days worth of food in a 5 gal bucket helps me have a better estimate how many buckets we’ll need, how much food we can consolidate among our small band of food-loving hikers and how much we’ll spend mail and handling.

Trying to be solid on our expenses. The most expensive part of this thru-hike is the amount of money we will not be earning while we’re doing it 🙂

[Author]

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