The No. 1 camping container box is DOD's Yokumiru Ya-tsu Now M. It is 50L at JPY 5,060 incl. tax, with a static load capacity of 100kg, which the maker says is strong enough for people to sit on with confidence. For people who want a box and a shelf in one at the campsite, I put the Snow Peak Shelf Container 50, which becomes a shelf when opened and stacked, at No. 2.
The Gear Nerd's Pick
A hard plastic box can use only 60% of its outer volume for contents. The lid overlap, handles and stacking steps stick out. It is the outer size that eats up your car's trunk, so I look at outer dimensions before capacity figures, and for the same outer size I decide by how many kg may be placed on top.
Key points
- Price per liter of capacity runs JPY 99.0 to JPY 634.1. The lowest are the Captain Stag FD Container 50 and the DOD Yokumiru Ya-tsu Now M, both around JPY 100
- The share of capacity against outer volume is 59.9% for the hard plastic boxes, 64.5 to 69.0% for the steel Shelf Containers, 77.2% for the folding plastic one and 80.6% for the aluminum one
- Load capacity is two different numbers: weight allowed on top and weight allowed inside. DOD's 100kg is static load; Snow Peak's 20kg is the maximum load allowed inside one box
What is in this article (14 items)
- Container box load capacity runs from 15 to 100kg at the same 50L
- How I chose
- Quick table of 6 container boxes: capacity, load capacity and price
- Why this order
- No. 1 DOD Yokumiru Ya-tsu Now M
- No. 2 Snow Peak Shelf Container 50
- No. 3 Captain Stag FD Container 50
- No. 4 Captain Stag Black Aluminum Container Box 50L
- No. 5 Snow Peak Shelf Container 25
- No. 6 LOGOS Loopadd BOX L
- Container box load capacity is measured in different places by each maker
- For reference: boxes from non-camp brands
- Who is it for?
- FAQ
Container box load capacity runs from 15 to 100kg at the same 50L
The Captain Stag FD Container 50 is 15kg. The DOD Yokumiru Ya-tsu Now M is 100kg.
When you spend half the year camping, you load and unload a box from the car dozens of times a year. So before capacity, I look at how many kg can go on top and at the outer size.
How I chose
I narrowed the candidates to current boxes from camping and outdoor brands. The first things I looked at were the weight allowed on top, and whether sitting on it is stated as OK.
Next I separated close ranks by price per liter and by what percent of the outer volume is capacity. What I wavered on was the Snow Peak, which becomes a shelf. Reading the 5.5kg weight and the price gap as plain numbers, it takes No. 2.
Quick table of 6 container boxes: capacity, load capacity and price
Scroll the table sideways →
| Model | Capacity and weight | Capacity vs. outer size | Stated load capacity | Official price (per liter) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 DOD Yokumiru Ya-tsu Now M | 50L, about 2.6kg | 59.9% | Static load 100kg | JPY 5,060 (JPY 101.2) |
| No. 2 Snow Peak Shelf Container 50 | About 47.2L, 5.5kg | 69.0% | Load 20kg, up to 3 boxes | JPY 18,480 (JPY 391.5) |
| No. 3 Captain Stag FD Container 50 | About 50L, about 2.4kg | 77.2% | 15kg | JPY 4,950 (JPY 99.0) |
| No. 4 Captain Stag Black Aluminum Container Box 50L | About 50L, about 4.7kg | 80.6% | 15kg | JPY 27,280 (JPY 545.6) |
| No. 5 Snow Peak Shelf Container 25 | About 22.9L, 3.6kg | 64.5% | Load 20kg, up to 3 boxes | JPY 14,520 (JPY 634.1) |
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
DOD Yokumiru Ya-tsu Now M
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 5,060 (as of 10/14). Prices change daily.
Why this order
| Rank | Model | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DOD Yokumiru Ya-tsu Now M | A static load of 100kg and a stated sit-on rating together, at JPY 101.2 per liter |
| 2 | Snow Peak Shelf Container 50 | It becomes a shelf when opened and stacked, up to 3 high, but it is 5.5kg and JPY 391.5 per liter |
| 3 | Captain Stag FD Container 50 | It folds to about 75mm high and is JPY 99.0 per liter, but its load capacity of 15kg is far from No. 1's 100kg |
| 4 | Captain Stag Black Aluminum Container Box 50L | 80.6% of the outer size is capacity, but at about 4.7kg it costs about 5.4 times No. 1 |
| 5 | Snow Peak Shelf Container 25 | The 20kg load is the same as the 50, but the capacity is about half and it is JPY 634.1 per liter |
| 6 | LOGOS Loopadd BOX L | At about 1.8kg it is the lightest and stores down to about 5cm high, but it is a box chosen for lightness, separate from the five ranked by load capacity |
No. 1 DOD Yokumiru Ya-tsu Now M
Here is what I am excited about. The static load capacity is 100kg, and it is pitched as strong enough for people to sit on with confidence. It is made in Japan under contract by Lis, the company that makes Trunk Cargo.
This part is a weak point. A note says 100kg is a measured guide, not a promised value. If you are looking for your first box, this one settles it.
No. 2 Snow Peak Shelf Container 50
Open both ends of the box and stack them, and they become a shelf as is. One box takes up to 20kg inside, and you can stack up to 3 in either box or shelf shape. Why No. 2: its weight is about 2.1 times No. 1 and its price per liter about 3.9 times.
This part is a weak point. The instruction manual requires you to take everything out before you change its shape. It is a box for people who do not want to stack a separate shelf. I wrote the detailed numbers in the Shelf Container 50 review.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Snow Peak Shelf Container 50
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 15,680 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 23,178 between shops. Prices change daily.
No. 3 Captain Stag FD Container 50
Folded, the height is about 75mm, 22% of the assembled height of 335mm (75 ÷ 335). At about 2.4kg it is lighter than any of the four hard boxes, the lid has a lock, and the official page says it stacks up to 3 high.
This part is a weak point. The load capacity is 15kg, far from No. 1's 100kg. It suits people with no place to keep a box at home, and people with more gear on the way out.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Captain Stag FD Container 50 (Olive)
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 3,209 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 6,485 between shops. Prices change daily.
No. 4 Captain Stag Black Aluminum Container Box 50L
It uses its outer size best of the six. The inner width is about 59cm, so it holds gear about 9cm longer than the No. 2 or No. 3 can. The official page says the lid has a gasket (synthetic rubber).
This part is a weak point. The weight is about 4.7kg and the stated load capacity is 15kg. It is a box for people who value inner length over price.
No. 5 Snow Peak Shelf Container 25
The build is the same as No. 2: 20kg per box, up to 3 stacked. Why No. 5: two of them come to JPY 29,040 and 7.2kg, with a combined inner volume of about 45.8L (22.9 × 2). That holds less than one 50 and costs JPY 10,560 more.
This part is a weak point. JPY 634.1 per liter is the highest of the 6. It suits people who want to split heavy items like iron tools into 2 boxes of 20kg each.
No. 6 LOGOS Loopadd BOX L
At about 1.8kg it is the lightest of the six, and stored it is about 5cm high. The official page says you can hang pouches and firewood tongs from the same series on the loops on the side, and stack units of the same series.
This part is a weak point. If you choose by load capacity, the other five suit you better. Multiplying the outer dimensions gives about 64.9L (53 × 34 × 36cm). It suits people who bundle light small items and hang tongs on the outside.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
LOGOS Loopadd BOX L
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 6,237 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 6,930 between shops. Prices change daily.
Container box load capacity is measured in different places by each maker
Box load capacity comes in two kinds: the weight allowed on top and the weight allowed inside. DOD's 100kg is the “static load capacity,” the figure when something is placed on top without moving. Snow Peak's 20kg is the “maximum load,” the weight allowed inside one box.
Stack three Snow Peak boxes and the bottom box carries (20 + 5.5) × 2 = 51kg. The instruction manual says to keep to that count of three.
Once you have more than three boxes, you also need something to carry them. I compare load capacity in the outdoor wagon ranking. If you are setting up a place to eat, see the table ranking too.
For reference: boxes from non-camp brands
I do not put boxes from household and tool brands in the ranking; I only line up their numbers.
| Model | Capacity and weight | Load capacity on the lid | Official price (per liter) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUJI Sturdy Storage Box Large | About 50L, about 2.6kg | About 100kg | JPY 2,990 (JPY 59.8) |
| Iris Ohyama RV BOX 600 | About 44L, 2.1kg | About 80kg | JPY 2,620 (JPY 59.5) |
| Lis Trunk Cargo TC-50SE | 50L, 2.6kg | 100kg | JPY 5,980 (JPY 119.6) |
| Trusco Trunk Cargo 50L | 50L, 2.71kg | 100kg | JPY 6,721 (JPY 134.4) |
MUJI can serve as a simple seat, and Iris Ohyama as a bench or step. The No. 1 DOD has the same outer size, weight and load capacity as Lis's TC-50SE, and its official price is JPY 920 lower.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
MUJI Sturdy Storage Box with Recycled Polypropylene, Large
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 2,990 (as of 10/14). Prices change daily.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Iris Ohyama RV BOX 600 (RV600R)
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 2,240 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 16,310 between shops. Prices change daily.
Who is it for?
It suits people who load a lot of gear in the car and want to put things on top of the box too. The Yokumiru Ya-tsu Now M has a static load capacity of 100kg, strong enough that people can sit on it with confidence. If you want a box and a shelf in one at the campsite, the Shelf Container 50 suits you.
If your gear still fits in one large bag, you can also start with a lidded case from home. The Shelf Container rusts faster if left out in the rain, so keep it under a roof.
FAQ
Is it OK to sit on a container box?
The No. 1 DOD Yokumiru Ya-tsu Now M has a static load capacity of 100kg and is pitched as strong enough that people can sit on it with confidence. If you will sit on one, this is the box.
How many tiers of container boxes can you stack?
The two Snow Peak boxes and the Captain Stag FD Container 50 are officially stated to stack up to 3 high.
Hard or folding container box: which is better?
I pick the hard box first, because you can stack things on top. A folding box suits people who carry more gear on the way out, as a second box.
Gear in this article
Ads & images: Rakuten IchibaSources (13 official pages)
- DOD official brand site: Yokumiru Ya-tsu Now M (CX2-098-BG)
- Snow Peak official online store: Shelf Container 50 (UG-055G)
- Snow Peak instruction manual: Shelf Container 25 / 50
- Snow Peak official online store: Shelf Container 25 (UG-025G)
- Captain Stag official: FD Container 50 (Olive) UL-1082
- Captain Stag official: Black Aluminum Container Box 50L UW-1540
- Captain Stag official online store: Black Aluminum Container Box 50L
- LOGOS official product information: Loopadd BOX L
- MUJI official online store: Sturdy Storage Box with Recycled Polypropylene, Large
- Iris Ohyama official product information: RV BOX standard type
- Iris Ohyama official online shop Iris Plaza: RV BOX 600 RV600R
- Trunk Cargo official (Lis): TC-50SE
- Trusco Nakayama Orange Book.com: Trunk Cargo 50L OD color (ODC-50)
