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From: <bigmac1_at_enter.net>
subject: [Paddlewise] Olive jars for food storage
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2005 22:29:33 -0400
I've read that olive jars make good containers for food storage when kayak 
touring. Are these still available from the corner deli. I stopped at one 
today and the owner told me that olives show up in  what amounts to a 
spackle container.

Does anyone have any ideas where I might this type of jar.

John MacKechnie 
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From: Michael Daly <mikedaly_at_magma.ca>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Olive jars for food storage
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 01:04:30 -0400
On 9 Jun 2005 at 22:29, bigmac1_at_enter.net wrote:

> I've read that olive jars make good containers for food storage when
> kayak touring. Are these still available from the corner deli. I
> stopped at one today and the owner told me that olives show up in 
> what amounts to a spackle container.
> 
> Does anyone have any ideas where I might this type of jar.

The ones you want are 18 liter.  They're better suited to canoeing 
than kayaking.  They don't fit into too many sea kayaks.  I know you 
can get two into a Solstice GTHV and one in a Solstice GT.  I think 
you can get one in a Solstice GTSHV - all older models of course with 
the raised black plastic rear hatch cover.

Amie can fit one in her kayak, but that's because she's a tad short 
and she can stick it inside the cockpit forward of the footpegs.  
It's a tight squeeze to get it past the coaming and seat.

Since you're crossposting to Bagboater, I would guess you'd have 
better luck getting an olive jar into a bulkhead-less folder.

If you live in a city with a Greek neighbourhood, that's the place to 
check - when the restaurants put out the trash.  All the olive jars 
that Amie and I have collected over the years are Kronos brand from 
Greece.  They also make smaller plastic jars that are about 2 liter.  
They make good storage for almost anything.  You could try contacting 
Kronos (they've got a web site) to see if they can tell you of a 
local retailer.

You might also check with a large supermarket if they have either a 
bulk food section or deli that sells olives by volume.  They may get 
bigger containers than the deli you checked out.

Mike
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From: B. Douglas Jensen <bdouglas_at_joimail.com>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Olive jars for food storage
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 09:43:25 -0700
Go to your favorite local bar. They usually buy gallon sized jars for their
supplies.

Doug Jensen
Bar owner in Grass Valley, CA
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From: Jim Farrelly <JFarrelly5_at_comcast.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Olive jars for food storage
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:02:59 -0400
B. Douglas Jensen wrote:

>Go to your favorite local bar. They usually buy gallon sized jars for their
>supplies.
>
>Doug Jensen
>
>  
>
I like the bar idea. I volunteer in a school cafeteria.  The lunch 
ladies save me heavy plastic mayo/mustard one gallon jars.   Pickle jars 
work too but smell.  A sort of cure for the smell is to freeze the jar 
when empty.  It reduces most of the smell but it can have just enough 
potency to give foods a pickle flavor.  Flower dig ups from the garden 
are good currency for bartering with the lunch ladies. 

Jim et al
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From: Bob Denton <bob_at_sinkthestink.com>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Olive jars for food storage
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 09:49:04 -0700
There are a number of bottle distributors on the web that will sell single
gallon sized jars. Go for PETE if available.

cu
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From: John MacKechnie <bigmac1_at_enter.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Olive jars for food storage BINGO!!
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 13:28:41 -0400
Scored a one gallon jar in an elementary school cafeteria and I have my nose 
to the ground for a couple more as I say goodbye to my staff for the summer.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. They jars will fit perfectly in my Long 
Haul.

John MacKechnie
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From: alex <al.m_at_3web.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Olive jars for food storage
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 13:27:35 -0700
> I've read that olive jars make good containers for food storage when kayak
> touring. Are these still available from the corner deli. I stopped at one
> today and the owner told me that olives show up in  what amounts to a
> spackle container.

All plastic jars work well, even those after tobaco.  But I don't find them
practical in a kayak, especially those larger than 1 liter (quarter of a
gallon).  I'm keeping my repair kit in a small plastic jar after honey, and
instant cacao powder (a.k.a. hot chocolate) in the similar jar after honey
(0.5 kg).  Everything else goes into drybags (with separate items, like soup
packets, different dryfoods etc, additionally in ziplocks or clear grocery
bags).
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From: MICHAEL SILVIUS <M.Silvius_at_worldnet.att.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Olive jars for food storage
Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2005 10:36:42 -0400
also most large wholesale clubs SAMs and BJ sell food products in large wide
mouth gallon ++ size containers. Something to look in to.
The disadvantage w/ the plastic jars is trying to fit them in a kayak.
I prefer drybags.
the home made variety.
A couple of yrs back SK mag ran an article on it. You can use heat seal
fabric or PVC coated polyester.
Making your own drybags is easy and inexpensive and fun.
material to use is coverlight PVC coated polyester and HH-66 pvc cement.
both available from:
http://www.mauritzononline.com/coverselect.html

heat seal fabric is available from:
 http://www.seattlefabrics.com

http://www.owfinc.com
look under seal coat fabric


nesesary hardware available at:
http://www.ahh.biz/
http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/tips/sources.asp

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Farrelly" <JFarrelly5_at_comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Olive jars for food storage

> >Go to your favorite local bar. They usually buy gallon sized jars for
their
> >supplies.
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From: Michael Daly <mikedaly_at_magma.ca>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Olive jars for food storage
Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2005 19:23:03 -0400
On 11 Jun 2005 at 10:36, MICHAEL SILVIUS wrote:

> also most large wholesale clubs SAMs and BJ sell food products in
> large wide mouth gallon ++ size containers. Something to look in to.

Assuming you can _eat_ that much! :-)


> material to use is coverlight PVC coated polyester and HH-66 pvc
> cement.

If I was to make a dedicated* food drybag, my preference would be for 
the heavier PVC than any nylon heat-sealable fabric I've seen.  Food 
is heavy and you want a bag that can take a lot of abuse.  You can 
hang the bag and it should stand up to anything short of a bear.  
(certainly the PVC can handle all but the most aggressive raccoons).

I've converted some old reinforced PVC drybags (the almost-see-thru 
versions that Seal Line used to make) into food bags.  Of course, you 
can easily buy the Kodiak (? I think that's the line) PVC drybags 
from Seal Line if you don't want to make them.

*I would never advocate using a drybag for food sometimes and 
clothing other times, especially if you paddle and camp in areas 
where bears are about.  

If you do camp in bear country a lot, a bearproof container is worth 
considering - like the bigger olive jars, they are hard to fit into a 
kayak.  A bear would treat an olive jar the way a 7 year old treats a 
candy wrapper.  They treat a bear container the way a 7 yr old treats 
a soccer ball.

I don't have much faith in the Kevlar bearproof food bags - but 
that's due to a lack of scuttlebutt to the effect that they actually 
work.

Mike

PS - speaking of drybags, Outdoor Research has a 17 liter compression 
drybag that might be a great sleeping bag drybag = it's about the  
right size.  'haven't seen this model yet, though.
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From: Michael Daly <mikedaly_at_magma.ca>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Olive jars for food storage
Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2005 20:41:56 -0400
On 11 Jun 2005 at 19:23, Michael Daly wrote:

> (certainly the PVC can handle all but the most aggressive raccoons).

But on reflection, it probably won't hold up to a hungry squirrel or 
chipmunk.  Them lil buggers got sharp teeth.

Mike
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From: <bigmac1_at_enter.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Olive jars for food storage
Date: Sun, 12 Jun 2005 17:15:08 -0400
Thanks for suggestions for finding olive jars. I have a Long Haul double and 
think that I'll be able to use a couple if I can find them. I'm going to 
check out a school cafeteria tomorrow and see if I can score a few. Of 
course I could invest in some of the larger Nalgene bottles, but the whole 
idea was to save a couple of bucks. I've been investing in dry bags and 
other camping gear for our trip to Lake George and things are adding up.

John MacKechnie
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