"After reading some of the reviews for the Stansport pack frame, now unsure about it as some have noted product failure under load"


Cabelas Has one for $99  I think it is the Camp Trails frame under thier brand

I have one, I think from Cabelas - at least I've ordered a reclacement "shelf" from them - use it for hauling elk meat/heavy loads - have had it 20? years or so?

I've bought another from Bass Pro one time - it was a closeout with a big pack, for $59 - that is pretty heavy duty also

have used some really cheap (like $29) external frame pack for portaging 69# grummans - seemed to hold up well enough

I'd go check out thrift stores like ARC, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army and see what you can find cheap - it should be easy enough to make a shelf (I have one even cheaper frame that I added a piece of board to to make a shelf for hauling elk meat when there was two of us)

Since my leftover weather stripping shoe box is by a bunch of my wife's Robbermaid boxes...

That reminds me, FWIW, I put self adhesive soft rubber (or some sort of waterproof) weather stripping in the cover with the intention of creating a more weather tight, smell stopping seal. It certainly didn't hurt. I spray painted the top white since those pics too. That does help to keep my Hershey bars from getting deformed.

The lid can also serve as a convenient shallow tray for water that helps keep bagged fillets, Platypus bags o' water cool and firms up cheesecake batter with less attention. Hey, sorry, I really do love that thing for a foodpack. Best couple bucks I ever spent.

db, Thanks :dankk2 for the re-post, I appreciate it, now, where is my wife's Rubbermaid storage box??????????

dadman

After reading some of the reviews for the Stansport pack frame, now unsure about it as some have noted product failure under load.

Good thread here. I'm glad it was revisited. In the recent past i was thinking to ask db where the pics were to his pack set up (check). I've actually got an action packer box (check) and thought "i bet this would work on a modified frame pack" then the entry with the link (check)
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Interesting 'coincidence'...perfect.

I figured a group like this would be interested in a wannigan.  I like using it for long day trips where I pack lots of food good  food for the famillywith minimal or short poratages.  It is a table, stool, cutting board, rodent frustrator, and it also protects that nice bottle of wine . Rain storms are not an issue either.  Tumps work well for carrying:  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) One day I hope to build a nice wooden one.

What I've seen Wanagans used for was just the cook kit, not food. Food went in blue barrels.

The 8 gal action packer would be small enough to stack on another pack and carry using a tumpline. Fits under thwarts very nicely, sideways behind bow seat.

BC, Fuel bottle goes with the cook kit so you only need 1 box opened for cooking besides your lunch items of the day. Colder season trips often have a hot lunch.

Again, Think bigger group and fancier spread. Not your average Q trip. Like M_M said but instead of rafts it's canoes. Big rivers, very little portaging.

"The tradeoff could be price and weight and I wouldn't be surprised if the barrel harnesses currently on the market fit these as well"



Voyageur Barrel Harness - from Ostrum
[K0047] $199.95

they have a couple of others for about $130, but might be too small for a big box ?
 

I wouldn't waste my money on a barrel harness to adapt, when you can likely find an old packframe at a thrift store for $10 - an hours work with a piece of plywood or something would make a shelf for the box to sit on and a couple of straps for quick on or off - about what I have rigged on my packframes for carrying the boat if I want to strap a pack on instead.  or just buy a freighter frame packframe like this  for $65 - likely cheaper than buying seperate straps and hipbelts and adapting

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used to work for an outfitter that used those Action Packers a lot - they held up to a lot of abuse, but sitting on them eventually "sprung" the top seal, so I wouldn't recommend useing them as chairs - they did fit tightly when shoved under a thwart, and fit crosswise in most canoes.  He'd bring maybe a dozen or so - it was "fun" to try and find what you were looking for without having to go thru a dozen boxes before you found it. worked well to keep bread and chips from getting all squashed.

I have that same problem far too often as well Dadman but I've had to dig them out often enough to know where I last stuck 'em. Here's thumbs that link to slightly bigger images (hey, screens were smaller way back when). Keep in mind I never said my solution was perfect or elegant. I did it on the cheap when I was in college yet I've never felt a desire to improve upon the current version. What began as a what if, a work in progress based on need, improved on successive trips until - hey, good enough. State of the art at the time was a garbage bag inside a (way out of my price range) traditional canvas bag. Consider them food for thought like prouboy's hardpack wannigan link.

Here it is as it would be configured for hanging or travel. Notice the flexible lid is secured at 8 points.


Next shows how I rigged the shoulder straps. The white duct tape on the bottom holds (2L bottle) plastic that acts like a belt loop for the main two straps that keep it closed.


Next shows the hip belt. The two straps left and right are the shoulder strap bottoms. It is what makes it comfortable to portage.


Here's a detail that shows the simple block of wood stuck inside the handle at the only manufacture's provided holes. It also shows part of a foamcore divider that separates my food from my stove, pots ... for solo trips.


I freely admit this is a very personalized contraption and in a way I'm rather embarrassed to show them these days but I'm a frugal guy and it's allowed me to do this for less than a buck a trip over it's lifetime. Makes up for the funny looks I get at portages.


The first time my friend brought a Rubbermaid box for his personal gear I scoffed too and I still would as a bag would work better. The boxes this thread is discussing look like good, serious gear to me. The tradeoff could be price and weight and I wouldn't be surprised if the barrel harnesses currently on the market fit these as well but for convenience sake, a box beats a barrel or a garbage bag lined bag any day IMO - especially a cold nasty rainy day, when at the end of a portage, you find your day-foodpack lacking that little nosh that just might put a smile back on your face.

FWIW - LL Bean carries the same damn (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) and they don't say what it weighs either! It's gotta be way freaken heavy. Weight is important but convenience is too.

Ooops.  Just read the last sentence and learned the hardpack wannigan is not currently in production, so ignore my last question M_M.

I did write them and indicate my interest.  I figure it's always good to have choices.

prouboy