Japanese picnic boxes

I while back on the forum someone mentioned being able to get Japanese picnic or sushi boxes. I've been searching for them for some time. I have an old one which is beat up pretty good-- it used to be sold by the Early Winters store, (no longer around here) in Seattle. Mine is made of aluminum and has a look of the tobacco tins, but the lid has a rubber seal and there's clamp at each end to keep the lid on tight. I'm willing to have one of my asian contacts decipher the stamped Japanese? writing on the side.

Welcome to the forum. I mentioned the boxes some time ago. I too, have been looking for them. They also used to be a hot item in ship's chandleries.

I too, have the lunch box from Early Winters and have always loved it. Pete

I have been looking for these also. I have only found them listed in stainless steel from Seagull brands in Thailand, www.seagull-brand.com/023.htm. I cannot find a US distrubutor or a price. The MSR cook sets in stainless are made by Seagull.

from what i can gather, most of these uluminum boxes have given way to plastic. I think Barry @ Blueline has a larger locking unit messkit. I emailed Seagull. Sometimes you just have to knock on the back door to get in.

Last summer I contacted Adventure Tools to see if they would sell small quantities of the stainless boxes used for their kits. After an initial contact where they found out I could not purchase the entire supply of leftover containers, I heard nothing further from them.<br><br>It may be another avenue to contact them again if you are in a position to purchase an entire lot....(Barry???).....assuming they are still around.<br><br>Here is the email address still listed on their website.<br><br>buyusnow@adventuretools.com

OK-- perhaps Barry from blueline outfitters can get some of these in stock. I'll send him an e-mail. I'm very interested in the stainless possibility. The aluminum one I have is fairly soft- dents too easily for my taste. Or, it could be I'm a little hard on my gear-- but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that idea :v)

There is a shop here in Singapore that sells just the seagull brand lunch boxes u are looking for. They go for<br>about S$13-15 (US $ 7-8). Unfortunately, they are out of stock till june.<br>I'm waiting to get my hands on them too......

Hi all<br><br>I'm new to this site and it's great. About the Japanese picnic boxes. They don't sell metal ones anymore only plastic. If you were in Hawaii I would sugest looking at a swap meet, pawn shop or even garage sales. But for me I haven't seen them in stores. hope this helps some.

Trusbx,<br><br>That is great. Please let us know when you are able to purchase these.<br><br>I think these boxes would work great for an expanded kit. I wish I would have bought one 20 years ago.<br><br>

You reminded me that I have meant to publicly thank Barry for going the extra mile. I needed some hard to find stuff in a hurry before I went over the pond to London and Barry got the goods to me super quickly and very inexpensively. I have absolutely no financial interest in Blueline, but this is a resource that we can't afford to take for granted and really need to support. Whenever I buy anything from now on, I am going to first see if Blueline has it, or can get it. His profit margin for these items can't be much, especially in that he breaks it up and sells us individual items we would otherwise have to buy in bulk. We need to keep this guy in business.<br> <br>By the way, if you are like me and have trouble getting started on putting together a decent psk, Blueline sells a "combat survival kit" made by B.C.B. International (Doug has reviewed it). They are very inexpensive (I think about $20) and Barry sends along a page of suggestions on how to improve it. If you follow those suggestions and Doug's, you very quickly end up with a serviceable kit to use while you are trying to learn the ins and outs and assemble your own "perfect" kit (which may NEVER happen in my case). This isn't very meaningful to the pros out there, but a great help to those like me (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) who are the "survival illiterate". <br><br> Robb<br><br>

Robb, "survival illiterate"? The day I have the hubris to call myself literate old Mother Nature is going to backhand me. Anyone who becomes cognisant of being prepared is literate. The first book of matches and SAK in the pocket 24/7 is a kit. Perhaps not all the whistles and bells we would like, but light years ahead of the herd. Barry is indeed a valued resource and friend to this forum. The "pros" would be cobbling together pop bottle and old boot sock water filters without Barry and his peers. Looking at my socks, Id rather drink downstream from a drowned steer that is slipping it's hide :O(

I bought a bunch of things from Adventure Tools in December and had no problems. I bought boxes for six kits, and ran them out of some things like esbit stoves.<br><br>I got them at sales@adventuretools.com, you might also try:<br>negrino@adventuretools.com<br><br>Good luck.<br><br>P.S. I am now a happy Blueline customer.

I too would like to thank Barry for his help. I've been struggling for a couple of years to improve my survival kits. I contacted him through the EQS listing and my kits are a finally a few days away from completion. (until I improve them again). He has a great selection and next time I will go through him before I run to the local outdoor store. If everyone who is looking at completing kits here would use him first, he would greatly appreciate it I know and might, just might, be able to keep this great thing going.<br>IMHO :v) 9-fingers

Well, I've asked around at the local sushi establishments and the chefs do regognise the beaten-up former box that I have--- btw, It's not able to seal at this time-- I'm too sentimental to toss it though---I used to keep cigarettes in it back in my smoking days, and it went through its final beeting at the fire academy in my bunker coat....<br>They referred me to the local asian stores and to chinatown in Seattle-- where I couldn't find any help. So far the writing on it is a mystery-- I'll have to ask my Chinese-American neighbor and my Japanese mother-in-law. Also, I've got relatives in-law in Japan so I'll attempt to see if any might be avail. Thanks for all the posts.

My mother-in-law from the "old" country of post WWII Japan says the boxes used to be used for warming up a meal on the wood stove. Since that isn't done much anymore they aren't made apparently. Plastic is now used to heat up leftovers in the microvave, much as we typically do. I'll quit this discussion for now-- and will re-post if I find out something new. tx, 9fingers