Gear Review: RUX 70L Bins
Last week, we got away for a quick camping trip to (Wahleach) Jones Lake in Hope. We headed up Tuesday afternoon, set-up camp near the lake, grilled burgers and woke up early for a sunrise paddle before breaking camp. It was short and sweet but the perfect little getaway.
Summer is by far my favourite time of year to get out into the mountains. I love being able to get up into the alpine and explore all the beautiful turquoise lakes, tarns and glaciers. The longer days, the beautiful sunsets, and coffee in the mountains—I love it all (except the bugs)!
Unfortunately, here in BC, that little window of time between the alpine snow melt and the incoming snowfall can be rather short some years. For us, it also directly coincides with Matt’s work season, summer is his prime work-time which means we often have to get a little creative with our adventures. Most of his down-time is either when it’s raining or at very short-notice.
During these months, we tend to live and die by the weather app, and it’s not unusual to find me checking out everywhere within a ~4hr radius to see if I can find somewhere with better weather when it’s raining at home. With our one-year old daughter Aspen in tow, getting everything packed up for last minute camping trips, lake-side BBQ dinners and hikes hours from home has definitely been an adjustment but I feel like we’re finally getting the hang of it. Getting out the door doesn’t have to be a lot of work if you’ve got the right gear and it’s always worth it for these last minute trips.
This spring, we did a lot of organizing in our gear locker this year to make sure everything was ready to go with a moment’s notice. Having our gear organized and in good shape is a huge part of being able to mobilize on the fly. We also recently ordered a couple 70L RUX bins from Valhalla Pure Outfitters which have been a huge help.
What do we love about RUX:
First and foremost, they’re super convenient. RUX’s slogan is “tight gear, loose plans”—and it really rings true in our case. We each have a bin, 70L is plenty of space for all our gear and being able to have everything in a single, waterproof container, ready to go is a game changer. We grab our bins, everything we need is packed and there’s no mess in the vehicle. We can even strap them to the roof rack if we’re short on space because they’re fully waterproof. Plus, if we end up getting wet or muddy we just toss our stuff back in the RUX and spray it out when we get home.
The design itself has some great features. Although we generally keep ours packed, we do like that if we bring them traveling they’re fully collapsible so we can tuck them out of the way when we unpack. The lid is fully removable but can be strapped down or clipped in place with the center hinge. There’s even a clear window on the side so that we can easily tell whose bin it is. The box has removable backpack straps as well so Matt can easily carry multiple bins while I chase after Aspen.
Lastly, the box is super durable, it’s made from coated nylon which means it’s flexible, waterproof, and mold-resistant. The material also makes RUX very light, at 4.4 pounds. It’s truly built for all-weather adventure.
Having the right gear is key to getting us out the door so we can spend more time adventuring as a family.
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