Food & Equipment Packer

Food & Equipment Packer

If you like to work alone, like your own domain and are really particular about your job and think you would like to hang out in the packing room getting camping equipment and food packs ready for paddlers, this is the job for you.

One of the most important jobs in our canoe outfitting business is our food and equipment packer(s). Our complete canoe outfitting customers depend on us to provide them with all of their food and equipment for their entire trip. Our customers rely on our experience and recommendations to pack for them the things they’ll need and enough food for their group to sustain them for the number of days they’ll be out in the woods.

Complete outfitting customers pay a good deal of money for this service, as it is worth it to many people not to have to coordinate meals with their group members and take the time to pack it all up in an organized fashion. Many customers are coming for the first time and they don’t own all the camping and cooking equipment necessary to go on a wilderness trip like we provide in the BWCA/Quetico. For a number of reasons, our customers opt for us to pack their food and gear for their trip, and they have come to expect the best from us over the years.

There is a great deal of responsibility involved in this position as well as there is attention to detail. We must keep track of every last thing that goes into a pack and record it properly to not only make sure our customers don’t get a surprise out in the woods when they find out something’s missing, but also to make sure that we collect everything back at the end of the trip.

Our packers are fully trained upon arrival as to our processes and procedures. No direct experience is necessary, but applicants must be able to provide examples of attention to detail, efficiency, being trustworthy and responsible from previous work experience.

The packing position involves organizational skills and being able to document well. Management must be able to trust this person as much of the work is unsupervised. Taking inventory of supplies is also an important aspect of this position. We order fresh food throughout the year to keep up with the demand and to keep our precious freezer space stocked. It will be the responsibility of the packer to keep track of when we’re getting low on something and ensure it gets ordered on the next delivery. Some orders are made weekly, some every two weeks and some monthly. It all depends on the product and the supplier.

This position is also in charge of making sure that the equipment (tents, packs, tarps, etc.) are being cleaned properly when they come back from the woods before they go out with the next group. Communication is vital in ensuring that this doesn’t become an issue. We send all of our equipment out clean and fully functional. In a sense, our packing employees are the quality assurance managers of our business. This is an important part of our business and we look for individuals who will take pride in their responsibilities and help make our business run as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

The majority of the day will be spent indoors sorting and packing meals into individual bags for organizational purposes. We use a food saver to package fresh meats and cheeses that shrink-wraps the individual portions. Taking inventory and planning enough food for groups will also take some time. There are other jobs throughout the day that on any given day depending on the schedule may be necessary for the packer to perform.

Throughout our season, we receive many comments from customers as to how well organized everything was and how clean the equipment was and how good the food was, and how well it was prepared, etc. This is all a direct reflection upon our staff and especially our packing employees.

Please contact us if this position sounds interesting. A summer as an outfitting packer will provide excellent practical knowledge for experiences in the future, and a pretty fun summer in the northwoods to boot.

More Info and How to Apply

You can read more about the overall experience of a Seagull staff member by reading the Seagull Outfitters Job Description.

To apply for this position as a food and equipment packer, please access our Employment Application and either print it out and fill out and either mail or fax it back to us. Or you can simply download the file and copy the entire application into a blank Word document. Note: You may have to adjust the top and bottom and side margins in order for it to fit correctly on your screen. You can then complete the application and simply email us with the application as a Word file attachment. That will provide the simplest and fastest way and allow us to get a chance to view your information earlier. Thank you so much for your interest in our company and we wish you the best.