One near me is having an issue with rats. I think really they just need better trash pickup mainly, and better shelters in general, but they've specifically asked for help getting rat poison. Would bait boxes with poison even make a dent in an outdoor environment like that? I can't singlehandedly improve the cleanliness of the camp or get everyone rat-proof shelter obviously, but I feel like just going straight for the poison could have adverse consequences and not be effective, potentially.
Rats will gnaw through plastic like nothing. Sometimes they eat plastic just for fun. If there is already an infestation some buckets aren't going to do a thing other than turn into trash.