Frunk storage for camping gear

[gregr]

Pretty much everywhere in CO is bear country, and we have camping regulations about storing food, cookware, etc (either in bear boxes when provided, or in a locked car if not). This generally means my fridge, dry food, cooking items (cooktop, pans, utensils), and certain clothing and personal items need to go in the truck cab at night when dispersed camping.

I'm trying to reduce the amount of stuff I have to move into the cab at night (I'm using the Cybertent, so the truck bed isn't considered a "bear safe" location) to just the fridge, and minimal extra stuff. And I'm also trying to simplify the packing/unpacking situation at camp in the truck bed. So, I'm trying to figure out the best way to use the frunk - specifically for an induction cooktop, pots, pans, utensils, etc. And then if there's still room, then dry food also.

Looking around, I've come up with a few potential options.

3-pack cooler bags -
https://www.amazon.com/IMETAPLUS-Cybertruck-Organizer-Waterproof-Insulation/dp/B0G46GDBKQ

These look nice, and cover the full horizontal space (although could be bigger vertically). My only issues here are a) they're expensive compared to the next option, and b) I really don't need these to be coolers. I worry a bit about their durability when I'm putting hard things in there like a cooktop, pans, etc. I do like that there's three separate containers, so if they _did_ work for me, I could spread stuff out between them - so, like, one with cooktop and pots and pans, one with utensils and cleaning supplies, and one with dry food. Or something along those lines.

2-pack cooler bags -
https://www.amazon.com/Foronetry-Insulation-Cybertruck-Waterproof-Accessories/dp/B0D317QLX1/

Hard to tell from the pics, but they look a little more flimsy than the previous option. Same issues as that one, namely that I don't need them to be a cooler and I worry about durability. They do seem to take better advantage of the vertical space. They're also quite inexpensive. Amazon says it won't fit the 2026, but I'm not aware of any drastic differences in frunk dimensions between 2024 and 2026, so I'm guessing they'd be fine.

Front Runner Flat Packs -
https://www.dometic.com/en-us/product/flat-pack

@cyberoffroad mentioned these in a thread from 2024 - they seem like a nice, quality option, and they seem to be somewhat semi-rigid, so probably more durable than the others for what I'm looking for. They're not very big in volume, but I could probably get all my kitchen gear into 1.5 of them, and have a little space left over, plus potentially put a small duffel bag on top of them at night. And they also seem like the best option for just picking up the whole pack and walking around to the back of the truck for cooking, as opposed to getting items out of the bin and carrying them individually (because they're a bit rigid, more like a storage bin than the others).

I would love any thoughts you guys have on this, and any options I might have missed!

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[Qixer01]

If bears were that big of an issue getting into food, would you not be worried about sleeping in the tent? Aren’t humans bear food? My thoughts.

 

[shopaholic]

Not to be an alarmist, but there were bears that trashed doors and entered homes, looking for food in refrigerators in Tahoe ! I bet they can easily smell food in the frunk, even inside a refrigerator. Safest place for food is away from where you are, up in a tree or bear locker

 

[Coolhandz]

Pretty much everywhere in CO is bear country, and we have camping regulations about storing food, cookware, etc (either in bear boxes when provided, or in a locked car if not). This generally means my fridge, dry food, cooking items (cooktop, pans, utensils), and certain clothing and personal items need to go in the truck cab at night when dispersed camping.

I'm trying to reduce the amount of stuff I have to move into the cab at night (I'm using the Cybertent, so the truck bed isn't considered a "bear safe" location) to just the fridge, and minimal extra stuff. And I'm also trying to simplify the packing/unpacking situation at camp in the truck bed. So, I'm trying to figure out the best way to use the frunk - specifically for an induction cooktop, pots, pans, utensils, etc. And then if there's still room, then dry food also.

Looking around, I've come up with a few potential options.

3-pack cooler bags -
https://www.amazon.com/IMETAPLUS-Cybertruck-Organizer-Waterproof-Insulation/dp/B0G46GDBKQ

These look nice, and cover the full horizontal space (although could be bigger vertically). My only issues here are a) they're expensive compared to the next option, and b) I really don't need these to be coolers. I worry a bit about their durability when I'm putting hard things in there like a cooktop, pans, etc. I do like that there's three separate containers, so if they _did_ work for me, I could spread stuff out between them - so, like, one with cooktop and pots and pans, one with utensils and cleaning supplies, and one with dry food. Or something along those lines.

2-pack cooler bags -
https://www.amazon.com/Foronetry-Insulation-Cybertruck-Waterproof-Accessories/dp/B0D317QLX1/

Hard to tell from the pics, but they look a little more flimsy than the previous option. Same issues as that one, namely that I don't need them to be a cooler and I worry about durability. They do seem to take better advantage of the vertical space. They're also quite inexpensive. Amazon says it won't fit the 2026, but I'm not aware of any drastic differences in frunk dimensions between 2024 and 2026, so I'm guessing they'd be fine.

Front Runner Flat Packs -
https://www.dometic.com/en-us/product/flat-pack

@cyberoffroad mentioned these in a thread from 2024 - they seem like a nice, quality option, and they seem to be somewhat semi-rigid, so probably more durable than the others for what I'm looking for. They're not very big in volume, but I could probably get all my kitchen gear into 1.5 of them, and have a little space left over, plus potentially put a small duffel bag on top of them at night. And they also seem like the best option for just picking up the whole pack and walking around to the back of the truck for cooking, as opposed to getting items out of the bin and carrying them individually (because they're a bit rigid, more like a storage bin than the others).

I would love any thoughts you guys have on this, and any options I might have missed!

So I had the 2-pack cooler bags. They were nice for a little while but there was a tendency to fill them up a bit much for to them being so large. The straps ended up coming detached from poor stitching and excessive weight. Reached out to see if I could warranty them and got no response. Ended up on the trash.

I moved onto the 3-pack cooler bags. So much better. Waterproof zippers, handles that are stitched all the way down the sides of the bags, and a single piece liner inside. These work great and are much more convenient. They also feel more sturdy. Been using them about 2 months and I regret not going with these sooner. Had a bag of ice in one for a road trip and the bag ripped. The cooler bag was about 1/4 full of water and no sign of leaking outside.

 

[gregr]

If bears were that big of an issue getting into food, would you not be worried about sleeping in the tent? Aren’t humans bear food? My thoughts.

Many bears have learned that wandering around campsites at night is a good way to find some snacks that have been left out. They also often know what e.g. coolers look like, and how to get into them.

They're not typically actively hunting people, however (except polar bears).

Not to be an alarmist, but there were bears that trashed doors and entered homes, looking for food in refrigerators in Tahoe ! I bet they can easily smell food in the frunk, even inside a refrigerator. Safest place for food is away from where you are, up in a tree or bear locker

I don't disagree with this. If there's a bear locker, that's unquestionably where to store food, trash, toiletries, etc. Beyond that, I personally follow local agency regulations and recommendations, and usually in Colorado, that's storing bear attractants in a locked car, or in an approved bear canister like 200+ feet from camp.

There are many places, in bear areas, where one might camp where there are no tall trees, and no bear lockers.

 

[gregr]

So I had the 2-pack cooler bags. They were nice for a little while but there was a tendency to fill them up a bit much for to them being so large. The straps ended up coming detached from poor stitching and excessive weight. Reached out to see if I could warranty them and got no response. Ended up on the trash.

I moved onto the 3-pack cooler bags. So much better. Waterproof zippers, handles that are stitched all the way down the sides of the bags, and a single piece liner inside. These work great and are much more convenient. They also feel more sturdy. Been using them about 2 months and I regret not going with these sooner. Had a bag of ice in one for a road trip and the bag ripped. The cooler bag was about 1/4 full of water and no sign of leaking outside.

Thanks for this! That aligns with what the pictures look like. Glad to hear the 3-pack bags are decent quality.

I'm sort of leaning towards the Front Runners at the moment, just for my particular use case, but I'm still on the fence.

 

[Gigahorse]

Lived in bear country a good bit of my life, if they smell food in there they are going to open it like a tin can. You are better off leaving it beside the truck and hope they don't smell it vs having your truck shredded trying (and failing) to keep them out of $100 in food.

 

[gregr]

Lived in bear country a good bit of my life, if they smell food in there they are going to open it like a tin can. You are better off leaving it beside the truck and hope they don't smell it vs having your truck shredded trying (and failing) to keep them out of $100 in food.

Look, I'm here to talk about frunk storage, not bears. But this is bad advice IMHO, at least in Colorado.

In Colorado, intentionally or negligently leaving food or trash out that can attract bears is illegal and a misdemeanor. With a new law, penalties have become stricter:

• Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) eliminated mandatory first-time warnings, and officers can issue citations starting around $100 to $200.
• $5000 fine for third and later offenses

Random source - but the actual text of the new bill is available online.

 

[hemiarch]

I’ll readily admit I don’t know shit about bears but if the concern is smell coming from the frunk why not store your stuff in vaccum bags?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/17978566577?sid=B0BC31AC-5D35-43D1-89CA-4685B7A2B0F7

Looks like there are various fancy campy looking ones too if that’s more your bag, so to speak.
https://www.flextail.com/products/flextail-x-vollyc-ezy-set-bundle-3-size-travel-vacuum-pack-for-luggage-space-saving?currency=USD&country=US&variant=50382409138423&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&stkn=1ba8463a86b8&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23524143336&gbraid=0AAAAApvxXmDMxUGIaWhNnbNmonNJN8YBu&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_vnQBhCxARIsADcZyxJT0FMDo3rBLQbzyiIVEQer4tNpIHkw_1PxTBfnOMPN8tqRszrYxEMaAnbGEALw_wcB

maybe even throw a couple of drift air fresheners or something in the frunk or spray some deet in there to mask whatever small amount of smell does escape.

 

[Hookalakupua]

We spend a lot of time hunting or camping throughout Colorado, Montana, and Northern Nevada. We also have 5 residential black bears that roam our backyard throughout the summer (the HOA doesn’t allow trash cans to be put out until the morning of pickup) and I can say with near certainty, that if a bear smells food inside your frunk and wants to get in, it will peel it open like a can of tuna fish! Haha. Our neighborhood had to evacuate for almost two weeks a year ago due to a large forest fire that came within 600m. Our neighbors are big cooks and had 2 freezers full of Alaskan salmon, a side of grass fed beef, along with some elk and chicken. The meat went bad with the electricity out during the fires and when they returned, there were 3 bears having the time of their life, feasting in their garage! They had pushed open one of their 400+lb wooden garage doors like it was nothing!

When in the backcountry, we always place all food, scented toiletries, dirty cookware, and trash, in approved bear-proof containers and within odor proof bags. It’s all then strung 12ft off the floor and 4-5ft away from the trunk of the tree. It’s time consuming for sure but you only need to experience a bear coming through camp once, to make sure that it becomes a non-negotiable. With that said, when car camping, I do believe most places allow you to store inside your vehicle as long as it’s hard sided and closed.

Pro-Tip - If you ever find yourself near Pullman, Washington (7 miles from Moscow, Idaho), stop by Washington State University. They have one of the largest Grizzly Bear research centers in the Country and it’s just on the outskirts of town. Call ahead of time so that you’re there for their daily feeding and then release from their pens to their open courtyard! Bring a change of shorts as you’ll swear they’re holding a T-Rex inside! Then you’ll see them go from 0 to Mach 1 in about 2 seconds and realize that you never want to come across one in the wild!!

 

[Eka]

I've used electric fences when distributed camping. I started doing it back in 2010 after I heard the Forest Service was using them. I have a couple solar battery operated fencers. I use 48" tall plastic step in posts every 5 feet with a half inch wide poly electric fence tape. Some use electric fence netting.

I can only imagine what it is like for a bear to be sniffing along on a scent trail and getting zapped on the nose. I can't remember what their setups were.

 

[Outdoors]

I've used electric fences when distributed camping. I started doing it back in 2010 after I heard the Forest Service was using them. I have a couple solar battery operated fencers. I use 48" tall plastic step in posts every 5 feet with a half inch wide poly electric fence tape. Some use electric fence netting.

I can only imagine what it is like for a bear to be sniffing along on a scent trail and getting zapped on the nose. I can't remember what their setups were.

I use them all the time up in AK. Bears love Beringer wheels on our Piper and the tires upon them. Bears are like giant toddlers. Love to poke around and be mischievous. Not always on smell. Habitual bears use sight as well.

Always a good idea to follow local rules and regs on bears vs. what someone thinks or is used to. I don't know. I think I remember they have an insane smell ability. That's like four or five times as good as a bloodhound. The ops sacks and all those things while good and everything are like providing a parachute to somebody that's getting on a commercial airliner. Just a supplement to canisters and hanging sans bear box.

 

[HaulingAss]

If bears were that big of an issue getting into food, would you not be worried about sleeping in the tent? Aren’t humans bear food? My thoughts.

No, humans are not bear food, they generally don't like human flesh. They do like most of the same foodstuffs that humans like. Safest/easiest thing to do is hang your food from a tree. Even if they manage to climb the tree and break off the limb and get the food, all you've lost is the food.

 

[pricedm]

1. Get a hard cooler such as https://canyoncoolers.com/collections/hard-coolers or https://www.yeti.com/coolers/hard-coolers

Add a lock to the cooler. Most, but not all hard coolers which accept a lock are designated "bear safe" by IGBC when locked.

2. Dry food can be kept in Ridgid or Milwaukee etc. ridgid box and lock the container.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...-Duty-Medium-Tool-Box-254065-254067/322035705

Keep ALL food AWAY from your vehicle and away from your sleeping area!

 

[hemiarch]

I’m in awe of all the woodsmen on here giving solid advice. I get stressed out just KNOWING that I’m the only one who can prevent forest fires when I’m out there.

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