The best thing I bought at last year’s Great American Outdoor Show

By Walt Larsen

Ammo Buddy’s from Clamtainer are rugged, clear plastic ammunition containers that replace the cardboard carton in which you buy your ammo. Ammo Buddy’s cradle each round and provide weatherproof containment and storage.

The wind driven snow pellets stung my face as yet another squadron of green-winged teal emerged without warning out of the squall and past the wave riding decoys. I managed to fire twice and miss twice before the ducks were out of range riding the wind to a hasty exit. Almost out of shells, I decided to wade back through the thigh deep water to the stashed canoe for my only spare box of #2 steel. 

The splash from the pounding waves had managed to soak everything in the boat. As I grabbed the shell box and turned to head back to the blind, the bottom of the box tore and most all of the 25 shells hit the water and sunk into the muck, too deep to ever attempt to recover. I bummed a few from my brothers but we soon, collectively, were out of ammo on one of those days you dream about, left to watch flock after flock land in our decoys. 

Never again.

I now put all my ammo into Ammo Buddy’s

Now, my duck shells all reside in 5-count Ammo Buddy’s from Clamtainer. These rugged, clear plastic containers are custom designed to hold your ammo. Ammo Buddy’s cradle each round and provide weatherproof containment. They’re clear so I see what size shot is in each. And they open with one hand so I can easily dump the shells into my parka pocket. There are Ammo Buddy’s for both 12 and 20 gauge shotgun shells and a bunch of different rifle and handgun calibers, as well.

I found these Clamtainers at the Great American Outdoor Show. If you’ve been to the show in recent years you probably know the booth. It’s always busy with people loading up on all different kinds of clear plastic storage containers. And it’s always manned by one, Jay Baker, owner and inventor of Clamtainer which is a small part of his bigger business, Jamestown Plastics. Jay is an avid outdoorsman (which is why these Clamtainers even exist – he understands why we need them) and a master storyteller. Watching him in action is worth the price of admission. 

Yes, these Clamtainers are, essentially, empty clamshell packages but with a twist – a clever, patented closure system. This simple, ingenious closure system allows for one-handed opening and snaps shut with a distinctive “click” which is why the product was originally called Click-It Clam. But as easy as it is to open, an Ammo Buddy, or any Clamtainer, will not pop open if dropped. Drop a Clamtainer full of screws or hooks or such on the floor and it will not open or spill the contents. That’s the genius! I think the blueberry industry needs to use Clamtainers. If you’ve ever managed to drop a plastic container of blueberries in a supermarket with a dozen customers watching, you know what I mean. 

Besides Clamtainer Ammo Buddy’s for my shotgun shells, I picked up some for my rifle and handgun ammo as well. They stack nicely in my gun safe, taking up less space and keeping things organized. All of my gun cleaning accessories, cleaners, pads, oils, etc., are kept in Clamtainers, too. They do a great job of collecting any spillage, something you cannot say about a cardboard box.

There are Clamtainers for your batteries, hardware, fishing gear, and household stuff, too

I also picked up some Clamtainer Battery Buddy’s which now hold all of my AA and AAA batteries. We are all tired of the battery packaging that requires tearing through the cardboard back to extract needed batteries. The Battery Buddy’s stack nicely for a far more organized cupboard or junk drawer. 

 In my garage, my screws, nails, nuts, bolts and washers now are all separated and organized by general size in Clamtainers. I also bought some Clamtainers for electrical components, and I promise you, it takes me no time at all to grab what I need because I can see what’s inside through Clamtainer’s clear walls. And, because everything is organized. 

And how about the fishing gear? Sinkers, hooks, leaders, jigs and, especially my panfish plastics, I now keep in Clamtainers. For the first summer ever, because Clamtainers breathe, I didn’t have to pull from my tackle box a jig head with melted paint, a spinnerbait with a melted skirt or twister tails that came out in a sticky mess. 

Even in the house, everything from rubber bands to paper clips can now be found, literally, in a Clamtainer. And, my wife just may have more Clamtainers than I do for her sewing, crafting, scrapbooking and kitchen paraphernalia.

If you have a cabin, camper, RV or stored boat, you need DoomBox Enclosed Mouse Traps

But, perhaps my favorite Clamtainer of all is the one with the mouse trap inside. Dubbed DoomBox, this mouse-trap-in-a-box fully contains the trap and the mouse. By containing the trap, it protects kids and pets from getting snapped and keeps them from setting off the traps. Even better, the clear plastic enclosure contains the trapped mouse making DoomBox essential for use in cabins, boats, RVs and campers. Anywhere you may not get to check your traps often. This means you’ll never again have to clean up or touch decomposed mice. I have DoomBoxes all over in my cabin and stored boat and in my garage and basement at home. As Clamtainer inventor, Jay Baker, told me, “DoomBox keeps the mess with the mouse.”

I wish I could tell you to stop by the Click-It Clam/Clamtainer booth at this year’s Great American Outdoor Show. Because the show has been canceled, you’ll have to go to the Clamtainer website instead. You can see the entire lineup of Clamtainers at Clamtainer.com. Plus, for the month of February, you can sign up on the site to receive 20% off your next order!