The Snow Peak Shelf Container 50 is my pick for people who want to turn the box they carried into a shelf at the site. The deciding point is that the 5.5kg steel box becomes a shelf just by opening and stacks up to 3. It is not for people who choose on lightness and price (JPY 18,480 incl. tax).
The Gear Nerd's Pick
Open both ends of the box and the side panels become shelf boards. So without stacking a separate shelf, you get as many tiers as boxes you carried. I read the 5.5kg not as the weight of a box but as the weight of a box and a shelf in one.
Key points
- Multiplying the instruction manual's inner dimensions of 370 × 500 × 255mm gives about 47.2L (my own calculation)
- 2 of the Shelf Container 25 comes to JPY 29,040 and 7.2kg, with a total inner volume of about 45.8L. The 50, with 1, holds more than that, JPY 10,560 cheaper and 1.7kg lighter
- The instruction manual says to take all gear out before changing the shape, and that leaving it out in the rain speeds up rust
In this article (8 sections)
Shelf Container 50 size: multiplying the inside gives about 47.2L
Multiplying the instruction manual's inner dimensions of 370 × 500 × 255mm, the Shelf Container 50 holds about 47.2L (37 × 50 × 25.5 = 47,175cm³).
It is worth buying for people who want to use the box they carried by car as a shelf at the site as is. The weight is 5.5kg and the price is JPY 18,480 incl. tax. If you put lightness and low price first, there is another way to choose a box.
How I judged it
The first things I looked at were the 20kg load capacity and the statement that it stacks up to 3. When you spend half the year camping, the box sits at the site far longer than it travels. So before capacity, I look at what the box becomes after you unload it.
This box becomes a shelf when opened and stacked. What I wavered on was the 5.5kg weight. I read it as the trade-off for not stacking a separate shelf, and made it my pick.
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.
Differences from the Shelf Container 25 and the FD Container 50
| Item | Shelf Container 50 | Shelf Container 25 | FD Container 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official price (incl. tax) | JPY 18,480 | JPY 14,520 | JPY 4,950 |
| Outer size | 625×405×270mm | 520×325×210mm | About 530 × 365 × 335mm |
| Inner size | 370×500×255mm | 290×405×195mm | About 493 × 335 × 311mm |
| Volume from inner size | About 47.2L | About 22.9L | About 51.4L (official capacity about 50L) |
| Weight | 5.5kg | 3.6kg | About 2.4kg |
| Load capacity | 20kg | 20kg | 15kg |
| Stacking | Up to 3 | Up to 3 | Up to 3 tiers |
| Body material | Galvalume steel | Galvalume steel | Polypropylene |
| How the shape changes | Opens into a shelf | Opens into a shelf | Folds down to about 75mm high |
Two Shelf Container 25s come to JPY 29,040 and 7.2kg, with a total inner volume of about 45.8L (22.9 × 2). One 50 holds more than that, costs JPY 10,560 less and is 1.7kg lighter. For the same amount of gear, the 50.
However, the 25 also has a load capacity of 20kg per box. With two you can split up to 40kg, so if you have many heavy items like iron tools, you can also read it as two 25s.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Snow Peak Shelf Container 25
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 12,342 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 21,938 between shops. Prices change daily.
The FD Container 50 costs about a quarter as much and weighs less than half, and on days you do not use it, it folds thin. If you have no place to keep a box at home, this one will do. I lined up plastic boxes in the container box ranking.
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.
Why the Shelf Container's steel plate resists rust
The body is Galvalume steel. According to Nippon Steel, it is steel plate coated with an alloy of 55% aluminum, 43.4% zinc and 1.6% silicon, and the zinc dissolves first in place of the iron. The company says it is 3 to 6 times as durable as zinc-coated steel plate.
However, what protects it is the surface coating. The instruction manual says rust can appear at plate edges and scratched spots, and that leaving it out in the rain and washing with water speed up rust. The manual's care is to wipe it with a dry cloth and dry it when it gets wet.
The weak points
The first is weight. 5.5kg is about 2.3 times the FD Container 50, and with 20kg inside it becomes 25.5kg (20 + 5.5). The manual asks you to carry them in box shape, one at a time. With all three loaded to the limit it totals 76.5kg, so for sites far from the parking lot you need an outdoor wagon.
The second is the effort of changing shape. When you change from box to shelf and back, the manual says to take all gear out first. If you move it with things inside, the gear may break or the weight may make it open unexpectedly. When you arrive, you first need a place to put the contents.
The price is about 3.7 times the FD Container 50 (18,480 ÷ 4,950).
What you need with it, and who it is for
The set contains one box and a manual, with no extra parts for making a shelf. For a three-tier shelf, buy three boxes. The legs are listed as consumables, and the official store has replacement leg parts (L and R, JPY 1,650 each) and a two-piece set of fastening screw rivets (JPY 550).
- People who go by car and want to line up cooking gear and firewood on a shelf at the site.
- People who use the same box as a shelf in the garage or a room on days they are not camping.
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.
Who is it for?
It suits people who want to turn the box they carried into a shelf at the site as is. The load capacity is 20kg, and you can stack up to 3.
If the site already has a shelf, a box just for carrying is enough. Leaving it out in the rain speeds up rust. If you want to store it thin, a folding container fits.
FAQ
How many liters is the Shelf Container 50?
Multiplying the instruction manual's inner dimensions of 370 × 500 × 255mm gives about 47.2L (my own calculation).
Shelf Container 25 or 50: which is better?
For the same amount of gear, the 50. It costs JPY 10,560 less than 2 of the 25, is 1.7kg lighter, and holds more in total inner volume.
Can I turn it into a shelf with gear still inside?
No. The instruction manual says to take the gear out before changing the shape.
If a Shelf Container leg cracks, do I need a new one?
No. The main legs and auxiliary legs are treated as consumables, and Snow Peak takes orders for replacement parts and requests for replacement repairs.
