FAQ

Barrels are used to store and transport food, water or any items people want to keep dry and protected. Barrels are used primarily on canoe trips. Some trippers have one food barrel and soft packs for the remainder of their gear, while others place all of their gear in barrels. Other uses include; rafting, remote wilderness base-camps, kayaking, SUP tripping, Dog-sledding and more. The barrels are food-grade which means they are safe to store food or water and some people use them for emergency storage. We have a 30L barrel of water in our basement just in case.

Yes – RBW can ship your order to any location in the U.S., Canada or worldwide. Contact us with your shipping destination and what you want to order and we can provide an accurate shipping quote.

This can be a tricky question to tackle since it involves multiple variables such as:

• How much fresh food and/or liquids vs dried food?
• How many people on the trip?
• Number of days?
• Any pet-food to factor in?
• And will you get re-supplied at any point during the trip?

We consulted with the guides at Wanapitei Canoe & Northern Outdoor Expeditions who have over 50 years of wilderness canoe trip guiding experience to provide this advice. If you are going with totally dried/dehydrated foods then you can count on using 1.87 litres or 1.97 US quarts of food per person, per day. If you are bringing any fresh foods or liquids then this number would increase. Using a totally dried food menu: A 60L barrel can hold 32 days of food for one person. A 30L barrel can hold 16 days of food for one person. A 20L can hold 10 ¾ days of food for one person.

Local Pick Up for purchases made directly from RBW are available from our location in Peterborough Ontario. If you are not able to pick up your order in Peterborough we will have to ship your order to you OR suggest purchasing your RBW product from one of our retailers that is closer to where you are.

The red-tab is a vacuum/pressure release for the seal in the lid. If a large temperature or pressure change occurs barrels can form a vacuum (often displaying the sides of the barrel sucked inward) or become pressurized. A pressurized barrel can shoot the lid upward when you take the ring off. A vacuum could mean you can’t pull the lid off. This problem doesn’t usually happen during field use unless the barrel is sitting in direct sunlight for an extended period. To install the vacuum release pull-tab (or substitute a cable tie) insert through one of the two available slots in the lid before you close the barrel. Pulling the tab out will temporarily break the vacuum or release the pressure so you can remove the lid.

RBW mostly ships 60L barrels with the red-tab installed and/or the ring not sealing the lid onto the barrel to avoid the barrels becoming pressurized during transportation. The 30L and 20L barrels tend to react less to pressure and temperature changes because of their smaller size.

Each barrel ring handle has a vertical slot where a narrow object can be threaded through to lock the lever handle from opening. We recommend a few solutions to achieve keeping the handle shut:

1. Use a slender metal shower curtain ring.
2. Use a Releasable/reusable Cable Tie.
3. Another option is to find a luggage lock that has enough lock length to reach through the gap in the barrel ring.
4. Our preference is to use a harness that has a strap that goes over the top of the barrel (see harnesses) and align the lever handle with this top strap such that the strap stops the handle from opening.

Yes, float planes do not fly high enough to need to maintain a pressurized cabin or cargo area.

Yes, barrels are fine on commercial aircraft because commercial flights have pressurized cargo holds. However, there is often a significant temperature change during the flight so the best practice while transporting your barrels by commercial air is to thread the vacuum release pull-tab (or a cable tie) through one of the two available slots in the lid before you close it. This will ensure that if a vacuum forms in your barrels you will be able to temporarily break the vacuum and remove the lid.

We recommend you store your barrel empty and clean. This way you ensure food or other odours don’t stay in your barrel. We also suggest that you open the metal clamp ring. This releases the pressure on the gasket in the lid – avoids permanent indenting and keeping it supple and ready for next season.

Yes, we carry replacement lids, rings and handles for our 20L, 30L and 60L barrels. The lids and rings will fit on a variety of similar barrels, but not all. If it does not fit your barrel; you can return it for a full refund, other than the shipping cost.

Paul Mason was the artist for our logo. We feel fortunate to have hired a skilled artist like Paul who was able to understand our concept and bring it to life. Check out him further at this link: www.canoeinstruction.co

You can purchase directly from us via this website or by phoning us (toll-free in North America) or through the many retailers that carry our products.

If you have questions, give us a call at our tollfree number 1-866-222-6311. The best time to reach us is usually weekdays between 9am and 5pm Eastern Time Zone, or all day Sat & Sun.

We will research and ship via the least expensive method usually through Canada/US Postal Parcel Service. However, if you need your order faster we can do that via courier. Also – for larger orders, we will research and find a cost effective trucking company or delivery option.

Recreational Barrel Works Inc. accepts VISA, Mastercard, American Express and Checks/Cheques as well as cash and Interac e-transfers.

Yes. We supply small and large commercial organizations. Give us a call or send us an email for more details.

Contact us and we will be happy to discuss what you are looking for and provide a quote.