Usually, everything came in three types of containers. These consisted of barrels, boxes, and sacks. Some items such as clothing came bound in linen covered bales. However, these were sometimes repacked in barrels for long shipment (Bouquet Papers).

Barrels were of the following sizes:

Firkin: Approximately 8-gallon oak cask with iron hoops. It was used to transport butter. Usually a fifty-pound round log of butter was rolled in salt, then wrapped in cloth also impregnated with salt. The butter log was placed in the barrel and a salt pickle poured in; then it was sealed (Farmer, Page 103).

Barrel: Approximately 8 firkins or 31 1/2 gallon oak cask with iron hoops. This was used to transport salt pork and salt beef. It weighed 200 pounds - 128 pounds of meat with approximately 11 gallons of pickle weighing around 72 pounds (Luecke, page 105, Farmer, page 103, & Yearbook, page 15). When used to transport flour, there were around 196 pounds of flour per barrels, or four bushels (Yearbook, page 15, & Farmer, page 103). It could also transport shoes, hats, cockades, and clothing (Bouquet Papers, Vol. I, page 189). When used to transport salt fish, it weighed 200 pounds per barrel. This use was mainly confined to Nova Scotia or New England (Yearbook, page 15).

Hogshead: Two barrels or approximately 63 gallons in a white oak cask, either iron-hooped if packed in Europe, or possibly vine-hooped if it contained liquid and was packed in the West Indies or the Carolinas. This was used to transport rum, molasses, sugar, wine, beer, and whiskey. Spruce beer may have been stored in this size barrel. It was also used to pack shoes, clothing, hats, etc. (Bouquet Papers, Vol. I, page 189).

Tierce: Approximately 42-gallon white oak cask with iron hoops. It was used to transport dry goods such as beans, rice, and peas. Its approximate weight was 520-531 pounds (Farmer, page 104 & Luecke, page 105).

Keg: Approximately 25-pound white oak cask with copper hoops and nails (Incapable of producing sparks). This was used to transport gunpowder, musket flints, and rolled musket cartridges.

Sack: Holding around 100 pounds and sewn from heavy linen or sailcloth, it was used to transport flour and seeds for the fort gardens.

Box: Coming in various sizes, boxes were used to transport muskets (12, 20, or 24 per chest? Bouquet Papers, Vol. III, page 387), tools (unknown quantities), musket balls, and flints. There were usually 2,000 lead balls per box weighing 133 pounds each. Flints were also packed at 2,000 per box with the box weighing around 60 pounds (Bouquet Papers, Vol. II, page 476).

More British Army Supply of the Seven Years War

Introduction
The Packaging of the Military Stores
Some Notes on Supplies Issued: Salt Pork and Salt Beef

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