If your trunk, hatchback, or truck bed looks like a gear explosion every time you head for the trailhead, the Base Camp Outdoor Crate (OCBC) from Outdoor Crates is a tidy fix. Made from high-impact polypropylene, the 43.5″ x 14.7″ x 11.5″ crate keeps your gear safe from rain, dust, bugs — and from disappearing into the rolling junk bin that is most adventure rigs.
Mine currently serves as HQ for bike gear — helmet, shoes, gloves, and glasses — along with a first-aid kit, bike lock, seat covers, spare parts, wet wipes, a towel, a change of clothes, picnic blankets, straps and bungee cords, a hammock, Frisbee, and emergency beef jerky. It also houses a small Bigfoot plushie. Why? Hard to say. Emotional support? Trailhead jump-scare device? Possibly both.
The Base Camp includes two adjustable dividers and a removeable tray. (Outdoor Crates)
Inside, two adjustable dividers and a removable tray help keep the chaos in check. Molded handles and small, pavement-friendly wheels make it easy to move the 16-pound unit around the garage or parking lot, though chunkier wheels would help when the terrain turns gravelly or rutted.
We’d also like to see external tie-down points to keep the crate from sliding around. The Base Camp ($118.99) is durable, but it’s not the heavy, bombproof construction of some premium crates and coolers that cost as much as a weekend getaway.
Still, the crate seals tight with an O-ring gasket, piano hinges, and sturdy latches. Corner holes in both the lid and base allow you to add zip ties or small locks for extra security.
Outdoor Crates offers multiple stackable sizes and colors. (Outdoor Crates)
Outdoor Crates offers several stackable sizes ranging from 10 to 114 quarts, making it easy to build a modular gear system. And if neutral colors bore you, the lineup includes Cotton Candy Blue, Bubble Gum Pink, and five other bright hues that are easy to spot in a messy vehicle.
Author: Brad Kovach is the publisher of Terrain Magazine.
Top Image: Courtesy of Outdoor Crates.
We’re proud to make crates right here in the midwest to store everything from bike gear to emergency beef jerky!