Don’t they make alum’n or even plastic lunch-pails any longer? All I seem to find are those floppy insulated things that won’t carry a Thermos without squashing my sandwiches…
All the best…
To those who know – this may be obvious. To those who don’t – I hope I’ve helped.
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Did a Google -- try http://www.lunchboxes.com. They even have a black steel model that would've been at home on the jobsite 30 years ago.
Having said that, I've noticed small coolers (Igloo small "PlayMate" style) have become pretty popular, especially in warmer climates. Nothing like turkey and mayo that's been riding around in a black steel box in the sun on a 95 degree day. Yummy.
musta been looking at that one as U were typing!
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
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Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Thanks got my eye on a Christmas present for myself.
Only rigid lunch pail you're gonna find today is one of those mini-size red Thermos¯ coolers. I don't use mine anymore because my coffee thermos won't fit inside it. I wound up using a Kuny's gate-mouth tool bag. Holds a ton of stuff, but no insulation. So on hot days I also have to bring a four-litre picnic-type Thermos¯ jug with dilute Gatorade¯ in it. PITA but I go thru a lotta bug-juice when it's hot.
Actually, I just remembered that Canadian Tire was selling some traditional hemi-top metal lunch pails earlier this summer, but I can't find it on their website. These were 'automotive collectibles' with photos of Indy race drivers and their cars on them. They were a bit pricey or I would have bought one myself.
There are some 'double-decker' soft-sided lunch kits out there which resemble the old hemi-top metal lunch pail. The upper and lower compartments are separate. Ryan uses one of those for school and it works pretty well. I load him up with two Thermos¯ bottles; a wide-mouth for his soup, and a regular one for his Ovaltine¯. The bottles don't squish his sandwiches, which is impressive when you consider the way little kids toss their lunch boxes around. The upper compartment will take a 16-oz bottle; the lower compartment holds his 10-oz wide-mouth plus the rest of the lunch.
Edit: Just saw Jeff's post. I WANT ONE!!!
Dinosaur
A day may come when the courage of men fails,when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship...
But it is not this day.
Edited 10/6/2005 12:30 am ET by Dinosaur
check ebay ...
a whole bunch showed up for ebay when I googled "thermos lunch box"
mighta been for "stanley lunch box" ... forget which I typed in now?
But there was a long list.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I found the thing; it's on lunchboxes.com. Amazing. I've been looking for one of those for years. I also found those NASCAR lunchboxes I saw in CanTire there. Bloody wonderful website!
I had a 'black dome' lunchbox at some point when I was in school. I don't know what happened to it; I haven't seen it since I moved out of my folks house. I guess it got tossed. But this one looks identical...and it comes with a stainless vacuum bottle, too. (Don't ask me how many times I busted my glass ones when I was a kid, LOL....)
Dinosaur
A day may come when the courage of men fails,when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship...
But it is not this day.
I like the look of the yellow and black craftsman professional toolboxes at sears that come in all sizes, so that's what I use for a lunch box.
I use a black plastic DeWalt equipment case originally sized for a corded drill as my lunchpail. A local lumber/supply store was disposing of dozens of empty equipment cases they had on hand - many DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita cases all for $5 each. Cutting out all of the internal dividers down flush was simple using a Fein Multimaster. With internal dim's of 10" x 16" x 3-3/4", it can hold a fair amount, including issues of FHB and FWW without folding them.
I used to use an old US Army butt pack. The PBJs, on toasted whole wheat, frequently got squished and the apple and orange bruised and warm but no big deal. PBJs are far less a threat for food poisoning than meat with mayo. Drink was a half-gallon cooler with ice water that was empty after lunch refilled and gone by end of the day.A friend used a .50 caliber ammo can. It is uninsulated but like me he never brought anything that was likely to go bad even in the southern heat. The ammo can had the advantage of being sealed, rainproof, and quite rugged. Made a decent seat and place to cut conduit with a hacksaw. A bit low but useable.
I love ammo boxes for all the reasons you mentioned. I've got a few different size models. One I use for carrying one of those silly BernzOmatic acetylene torch sets, which I find useful about twice a year; the bottles, hose, torch head, striker and a pair of welder's glasses all fit in nicely. Another I use for, well, ammunition, heh, heh...all the cartridges and pins for my Remington.
Dinosaur
A day may come when the courage of men fails,when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship...
But it is not this day.
What do you think I donated the Craftsman box for---Lunch for a crew--Bottom Ice and beverage of choice. Mid tray for sandwiches and chips etc. Top for candies , condiments, breathmints. And you can stand on it--Just try that with a spidey lunch box.Mike" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
Thankyou one and all - I suppose I am traditional...look in the stores. I must remember why I bought this 'puter!All the best...
To those who know - this may be obvious. To those who don't - I hope I've helped.
I found the perfect christmas gift for dieselpig, and Mike Smith.
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I could carry toilet paper to work in that.
I remember my kids used to get a new plastic lunch box at the beginning of each school year because by the end of the year they were pretty banged up.
Those are collectables now. Spiderman, Pac Man, Voltron etc are fetching some good $. The less desirable ones are used for storing small power tools.
Last year my fiance's mom bought me one of the old-style lunchboxes from lunchboxes.com, the one that Jeff Buck posted. It looks cool but is very small. The thermos (how does Dinosaur make those "R" things?) only holds a small amount of coffee or tea, about a cup's worth. The lunchbox part will hold a sandwich but not if it's in a tupperware container, and has trouble fitting all the pieces of fruit and snacks I like to pack.
So, at Target I got the black, dome-topped soft-sided container Dinosaur got for Ryan, and have been very happy with it. I didn't want a soft-sided box but it's actually quite rigid and the insulation is nice. There's plenty of room in the top compartment so my fruit doesn't get crushed, and lots of room below for Nalgene water bottles, sandwiches in containers, leftovers in containers, and snacks in zip-lock bags.
PLUS there are outside pockets, perfect for tucking paperwork you don't want to forget to bring, or a magazine for perusing at lunch. It only cost $10 or $12 so I feel like I got my money's worth.
Mike
The best lunch box I ever saw was one that my dad's partner made. (Yes, made. Hammer, saw, wood, nails - the works.) It was the size of a small attache case, with brass hinges, locks and a leather handle that he got from an old suitcase. It held two full sized thermoses, a clipboard full of paper and as much food as you could eat in a day. He usually had six good sized sandwiches and room left over for fruit or whatever. Then again, he usually built his own tool boxes too. I still have 4 or 5 of them and they are over 40 years old.
My newes FAVORITE shopping spree..
http://www.DuluthTrading.com
They got the grub sacks galore
I just scored a pr of irregular ( cuz i am a irregular kinda guy) long skivvies...awesome....t'ain't cold nuff yet, but it will be.
Call them..the cataloge is just a starting place..I also got a pair of "firehose" pants FREE!!! cuz I am " irregular" 32x38...a snafu in manufacturing, they had them in stock for 2 yrs...hehehhehh one pair..just waiting for me. Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Whoa!!! I thought my 32x36 size was irregular. But now that I hear of a 32x38... I'm basically normal! <g>
Local lumberyard gave me this a few years ago. Don't know if they still make them or not. Works pretty good.
Mike
Thanx for pic - I recall something like that fairly recently. Hmmm, now, where...?All the best...
To those who know - this may be obvious. To those who don't - I hope I've helped.
They used to sell them at Wal-Mart. In the camping section, if I recall. I bought one for my brother a few years ago.
Thanks, pal.All the best...
To those who know - this may be obvious. To those who don't - I hope I've helped.