Gunner Kennels' Food Crate Review

Why Do I Need A Dog Food Storage Container?

A few years ago, I drove up to Michigan for an early season goose hunt. I put a bag of dog food in my truck for the trip, and I drove through a little rain on the way. I didn't think anything about it until later that evening when I picked up my bag of food to start feeding my dogs. The bag lifted with much more ease than usual, because the bottom of it busted out and all of the food spilled out into the bed of my truck, and the entire bag was ruined!

If you have a working dog, you probably have a hungry dog. Working dogs consume a good bit of food, and often times the owners of working dogs will feed the best dog foods, designed specifically to keep their hunting dog in shape. If you only have one or two dogs, a bag of dog food may last you well over a month. Whether you feed a bag a month or a bag every day, quality dog food is an expensive part of owning a gun dog.

Even though some the bags that quality dog food comes in may last a while on the shelf at the store or in your garage, it is not usually designed to keep food safe once its open. Air, humidity, water, bugs, and critters are all a threat to an opened bag of dog food. This is where a food storage container comes in handy!

What about air and moisture?

When it comes to choosing a food crate that is best, my first priority was always finding something that protected my dog food from the list of culprits above. Many of the containers out there are not airtight, so humidity and open airflow present a problem for keeping food from going bad. The Gunner Food Crate has an air-tight design with a seal around the lid. In fact, it has an IP67 rating, which is one of the best ratings possible for defense against airborne particles.

The rubber gasket seal also makes the lid water-proof, a very important factor in protecting your duck dog's kibble from mold. This is important for us duck hunters who might be traveling in harsh weather conditions with our dogs. Leaving dog food in the bed of the truck for a weekend trip is much easier to do when you know that it won't be ruined by rain or snow.

Can my dog break into it?

The Gunner Food Crate is also able to keep both insects and animals out of your dog's food. For some of us, the most important animal to protect our dog food from is... well, our dog! The latch on the food crate makes it easy for you to open but very difficult for dogs or other animals to get inside. If you happen to have a dog who learns how to open it, a certified genius, there is a cotter-pin style lock that will make it 100% unable to be opened by an animal.

Some guys, like me, may keep their food next to an outdoor kennel or in their garage. Its important that other animals are unable to break in and either eat or contaminate the food. The latch on the crate keeps this from happening, and the air-tight seal eliminates the possibility of smell attracting other animals.

Is it easy to use day in and day out?

Some of the more helpful aspects of Gunner's food crate are found in the design. The handle on top makes it super easy to carry to and from the truck or around the kennels. This is a huge benefit for anyone who travels with their dog, since keeping food fresh and easily accessible on the road can be challenging.

The crate opening is located on the front at an angle instead of on the top. This makes it so that you don't have to awkwardly turn your dog scoop when you're pulling food from the crate. You can easily pull out a full scoop of food without spilling any, and you can also easily clean out the food crate with a water hose and pour the water out of the opening.

How much space will it take up?

The crate also takes up a pretty small amount of space compared to many other food storage containers. Its relatively compact considering you can fit up to fifty pounds of food. For the guys who are even more limited on space, especially if you're traveling on the weekend with one or two dogs, Gunner just released a smaller version of the crate as well.

The food crate also has rubber feet on the bottom, which helps keep it from sliding around in the bed of your pickup truck. The low-profile shape also keeps the crate from easily flipping over.

How long will it last?

Like their G1 Kennels, the food crate has a lifetime warranty. So, as long as you don't have a dog who works day and night to destroy the crate, you should be able to use it for years and years. The material used to mold the food crate will keep it from cracking due to hot or cold temperatures, which has happened to every other type of food storage container I have owned.

With a price tag of $275 ($225 for the smaller option), it is important to know that the crate will last a long time! This puts the Gunner food crate in the "buy once, cry once" category, for sure.

Final Thoughts - Its A Game Changer

Overall, the food crate is a fantastic product available from Gunner. They covered all the bases on this one, from practical usability to overall food preservation. It has been a game-changer for traveling with my Labrador retrievers both during duck season and when traveling for retriever training.