I remember the E-4 Hobby Kit yellow box. Almost shaped like a shoe box. Seems to me that it was yellow corrugated cardboard with a hinged lid?? Wasn't there two separate pints (1/2 pints)?? of the developers that had a very short shelf life?? I can't remember.
First time I processed Ektachrome I was in 8th grade. I bought a gallon batch of E-3! I remember being careful to not explode the hot photo flood for reversal exposure with the wet reel. I had no decent bottles. I used 1/2 gallon Mason jars! Couldn't afford a Gra-Lab timer so I just counted the minutes on my Timex watch. Kodak Ready Mounts sealed with my Mom's steam Iron, (That made her happy) I had a pretty decent darkroom, started with refrigerator box cardboard and moved up to masonite. Had a sink we made from a dishpan with a garden hose drain to a gutter in our basement floor that went to a drain.
Eventually in High school I had a Kodak Rapid Color Processor model 11 with a Simmon Omega temp. control I still use it. Best, fastest, easiest way to make color prints. First prints with that machine was on Ektacolor Professional FIBER base color paper, and it made beautiful prints. CP-5 chemistry. The fiber base paper didn't really absorb much chemical on the model 11 as you presoaked the paper in water and the print floated on the chemistry.
RA-4 is an unbelievable technology. Modern paper and chemistry so easy to make a print. I hope it stays around because for me it's a heck of a lot easier than messing with inkjet.
Best Regards, Mike