Your box may be made of pine wood, tin, or iron. A wooden box is cheaper and can be made yourself and will get the job done if built properly. A tin or iron box is more expensive, but it is sturdier than a wooden box. Whether wooden, tin, or iron, all must be water-tight since you will be on the water. If using a wooden box, you should consider varnishing your box inside and out with shellac or boat varnish. The size of your box will depend on how much food you choose to take (you want to aim for three whole meals) and the size of your canoe.
If made of pine wood, 1/4 inch or 5/16 stuff will do. If you plan to use the box as a seat, the top and bottom pieces should be heavier to support additional weight, approx. 3/8 of an inch. The cover should be two inches deep. Consider tacking a handle to the top of the cover for easier carrying. If your box is not used as a seat but is stowed under the deck, it is helpful to have the flanges of the cover fall over the side pieces of the box and the strap tacked to one end piece, carried over the cover and fastened by a hook to an eye in the other end piece in reach of your hand. This allows you to grab the food you need when you want wihtout taking it from under the deck.
If used as a seat, the cover may be hinged on one side and two hooks fastened at the ends one the other. To make the back rest:
Your box complete with the back rest should look like the image above (Figure 1).
You need to buy several water-tight tins to prevent spilling. These tins are also useful for keeping cold items from getting hot. The Consolidated Fruit Jar Company makes tin screw-tops for jars and canisters that are water-tight. You can buy them here.
Things to consider:
I carried on a cruise of a week last autumn and did not run short of anything at the end of the week. However, I did not have enough provisions left for three square meals.
For beginners, if you want those three square meals (and you probably will), I recommend bringing a bit more than the following:
You can also bring:
Like potatoes, onions, lemons, and other fruits and vegatables should be bought as late as possible so they do not spoil
Tin cans may carry:
Eggs are safest carried in the tins with the flour, coffee, rice, bread, bacon, and salted pork. Be sure to wrap your eggs in a soft material like rubber or silicone to avoid breakage. Don't forget to store them at the top of everything else in your box! A whiskey flask is useful for storing fluids like vinegar. Be sure to label it! No one wants a mouthful of vinegar! Store-bought salt and pepper should be fine in the spice boxes they come in. Canned goods, condensed milk, baking powder, etc., are fine in their own cans. I have found that butter keeps better in its jar outside of the chest than in. Like butter, a small jug of molasses and a jug of fresh water is probably better outside of the box.
The alcohol stove and utensils you will use to cook your meals should go in the box as well.Your coffee pot should be small with the handle and lip riveted. If soldered, they could melt off. Consider making sheathes of leather to safely carry your forks and knives. Cups and plates should be made of tin or granite. Your plates should nest in your frying pan. The frying pan should have no handle and can fasten inside the chest cover by two buttons for easy access. Consider bringing a pair of blacksmith pliers. The pliers can be used for lifting a hot frying pan or anything else that is hot so you don't burn yourself. You can use a three-quart tin or granite pail for stews. When storing them, two smaller pails can be nested inside the biggest one. Consider putting the can of condensed milk in the smallest pail during storage. It should fit nice and won't make the rest of the things in the chest sticky if it leaks. If you have extra provisions such as vegatables, bread, crackers, flour, meal, pork, or bacon, etc., they should be carried in waterproof bags. These waterproof bags are useful for keeping clothing and blankets dry. Once you have prepared several bags, your provisions, clothing, blankets, etc., put them in a waterproof bag. Then put that bag into another waterproof bag of the same size. you can never be too safe when your supplies are on the line! If more than one or two large ones are used, you should consider traveling lighter.
If you are a fan of soup dishes, consider bringing a portable oven. Test it out before to make sure it is air-tight. The oven should not go in the provisions chest, since it will dirty everything it touches.