Container Values
Here are some real world capacity and max weight values of some common containers, and if we estimated them, how we did so.
Small Containers
| item | container mass | contents volume | contents mass | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bag, kraft paper | 0.1 | 0.022 | 11 | ordinary grocery shopping bag |
| canteen, 1 quart, plastic | 0.4 | 0.0012 | 2.4 | basic Army canteen |
| pouch, small, leather | 0.1 | 0.00025 | 0.5 | enough for two decks of cards |
| pouch, medium, leather | 0.2 | 0.0005 | 1 | Sam Browne ammo pouch |
| pouch, large, leather | 0.4 | 0.00075 | 1.5 | size of a sporran |
| sack, canvas, 1 bushel | 0.3 | 0.035 | 53 | basic bag |
| sack, canvas, 5 bushel | 1.0 | 0.175 | 263 | useful for moving bodies |
| CFP-90 field pack | 3.9 | 0.120 | 180 | current US Army combat pack |
| rucksack, canvas & leather | 3.0 | 0.05 | 75 | big ol' military pack |
| backpack, nylon | 1.5 | 0.025 | 38.0 | not so big pack |
Large Containers
| item | container mass | contents volume | contents mass | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| barrel, oak, 9 gallon | 4.1 | 0.034 | 68 | a firkin |
| barrel, oak, 10 gallon | 4.5 | 0.037 | 74 | an anker |
| barrel, oak, 18 gallon | 6.5 | 0.068 | 136 | a kilderkin |
| barrel, oak, 30 gallon | 9.1 | 0.113 | 226 | an aum |
| barrel, oak, 54 gallon | 13.6 | 0.204 | 408 | a hogshead |
| barrel, oak, 108 gallon | 25.0 | 0.408 | 815 | a butt (or pipe if wine) |
| drum, 16 ga. steel, 55 gallon | 31.8 | 0.212 | 450 | typical ‘oil drum' |
| jerry can, steel, 5 gallon | 4.8 | 0.019 | 38 | ordinary ‘gas can' |
| steamer trunk | 16.4 | 0.215 | 215.0 | an 1898 piece of luggage |
| 40' ocean cargo container | 4,000.0 | 67.3 | 26,480 | typical trailer size |
Rooms
| item | container mass | contents volume | contents mass | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| closet, typical (2' x 3' x 8') | n/a | 1.35 | 1,350 | |
| dungeon room (10' x 10' x 10') | n/a | 28.3 | 28,300 | (This is often ‘rule-of-thumbed' to 30 and 30,000) |
| dorm room (15' x 9' x 8') | n/a | 30.5 | 30,500 | |
| living room, small (15' x 20' x 8') | n/a | 68.0 | 68,000 |
Container mass and contents mass is in kilograms. Contents volume is in cubic meters. Of course, both the ‘contents mass' and ‘contents volume' are actually maximums …
Remember to add the ‘container mass' to the ‘contents mass' to get the proper Woe-style ‘max weight'.
In a very general way, the difference between gross weight (including the container-objects own weight) and net weight (the weight of the contents only) is about 10%; if you don't know the actual value, it's a good rule of thumb.
As for the maximum weight which can be carried, multiply the volume (in cubic meters) by 2000 for a very crude approximation in kilograms, if actual values aren't known. I used a multiplier of 1500 for some of the items above, as it seemed to fit them better (the backpacks and luggage, mostly). This multiplier would actually be based on the engineering and materials of the container: a shopping bag made from sheet steel would be able to carry more than one made from kraft paper.
The volume converter at www.allmeasures.com can also be very useful.
All of the items on the list were referenced to measured examples … no guesses involved for the volumes or container weights. "Maximum weight" of course is a guess for each of them except the ocean cargo container and the 55 gallon drum.