recently NRS came out with a new version of the old York Pack.  I thought it might be of interest since it makes a nice non-wooden wannigan.
  (You need to Login or Register

If I was starting over and price didn't matter, I'd probably buy the   (You need to Login or Register. They don't state the weight though so I'm guessing 5-7 pounds which may give pause. The reviews bear out that while it's not waterproof, it is weather proof. Both of those terms are subjective IMO and shit happens so be prepared....

I've been using a   (You need to Login or Register for about ~25 years now for my foodpack with great success. This seems like the heavy duty commercial/industrial version of the convenient tub style foodpack I've been recommending for over a decade so if you can get past the price and weight I'll offer my  :thumbup  sight unseen.

I looked at the specs. Nice size but not tall enough for one liter MSR fuel bottles  :-/
Might handle the smaller ones, but I use mostly the larger one liter size.
Bigger one is too big, IMO. I'd just want it for the cookset, etc. Not food.

FWIW:
  (You need to Login or Register

Just out of curiosity, Pelican 1620 Case:
Specification      Description
Ext. Dim.      24.64" X 19.39" X 13.78"
Int. Dim.      21.48" X 16.42" X 12.54"
Lid/Case Depth      2.01" X 10.53"
Buoyancy      149.91 lbs.
Shipping Weight      35.0 lbs

Price: ~$200 w/o padding

As I recall there is a handle on both sides. Could be bear proof too for all I know. It would certainly last longer than a blue barrel, which would last longer than a Roughneck....

I'm curious, regardless of which box, would you put the box in a pack or just hump it over the portages using the attached handles.  I'm a "pack guy" so the idea of a box is alien to me.

prouboy

prouboy,
Usually just attach a tumpline. Carry it on-top of another pack or by itself depending on weight.

db, ActionPacker boxes are a nice size too.
  (You need to Login or Register

"I'm curious, regardless of which box, would you put the box in a pack or just hump it over the portages using the attached handles.  I'm a "pack guy" so the idea of a box is alien to me."

NRS makes stuff for rafters, not paddlers - its all heavy duty and heavy, not designed to be moved farther than from the vehicle to the boat ramp, or from the raft to the camp 20 yards away. 

There used to be a plastic wannigan sort of pack with shoulder staps, on the market years ago, contoured to fit the bottom of a canoe - not sure why that disappeared, but might be because it was too heavy ? though it didn't look too bad.  I've seen pictures of wooden wannigans with portage straps or tumplines attached - any of them would be an awkward carry - maybe strap it to a freighter frame ?


so I got curious to see if I could find what I was rememebring and googled for plastic wannigan - this wasn't it, but looks like a nice design - no weight givern for it, and not in production unless they get a lot of interest.

  (You need to Login or Register

M_M,
Some of the river trips, arctic, we don't portage much and the cook kit gets pretty elaborate. Plus it's a traditional thing with some people. It could work OK in the Q too, for a larger group that wasn't moving too much. Smaller or faster moving group, not a great idea.


One guide who does some cabinet wood working. Just put everything in his cook kit on a table, pushed it together, and measured the pile. That was his dimensions.

I'm definitely not a wannigan guy but here's something I stumbled on at another site for those who are looking for a plastic wannigan. It does look suspiciously like the NRS model.
  (You need to Login or Register

"Nice size but not tall enough for one liter MSR fuel bottles"

Why would you put these in a dry box?  I leave them outside the plastic liner in my pack and put them in the bottom because I don't care if they get wet.

The whole liner and water proof issue surprises me.  I've never used more than a pack and plastic liner - the heavy clear vinyl ones outfitters often supply - and never ahd a problem - including a dump in white caps in October - 40 minutes from shore.  (My lack of wearing pfd  was clearly partially offset by the very bouyant packs.)  Everything inside was bone dry.

Quote:

The whole liner and water proof issue surprises me.  I've never used more than a pack and plastic liner - the heavy clear vinyl ones outfitters often supply - and never ahd a problem - including a dump in white caps in October - 40 minutes from shore.  (My lack of wearing pfd  was clearly partially offset by the very bouyant packs.)  Everything inside was bone dry.

October, white caps, 40 minutes from shore and NO pfd :-?
Now that surprises me :o

"October, white caps, 40 minutes from shore and NO pfd
Now that surprises me  "

See the other thread about me trying to find a pfd I might actually wear or at least wear some percentage of the time. 

Puckster wrote on Jun 27^th, 2012 at 12:47pm:

I'm curious, regardless of which box, would you put the box in a pack or just hump it over the portages using the attached handles.  I'm a "pack guy" so the idea of a box is alien to me.

Hand carrying something of that size and loaded weight sucks. I know because that's what we did the first year when we called it a foodbox. Next year I added shoulder straps. It helped a lot but it flopped around on more difficult portages so the next year I added a hip belt and it became a foodpack that even my wife doesn't complain about portaging. Plus it's hard so things don't get crushed as well as a welcome seat/table.

Just to reiterate, I use a (what? 30yr old?) Rubbermaid roughneck. Not as strong as what's being discussed here but lighter and a whole lot cheaper. Oooh and it must be smell/bear proof too since one's never compromised mine.  :P :D

------
Love the axe strikes in that video but they don't say how much it weighs either.

[quote author=Jim_J_Solo link=1340376410/6#6 date=1340820224]db, ActionPacker boxes are a nice size too.
  (You need to Login or Register
Ha! From REI no less.  :)

8 gal is too small for such a big footprint IMHO. Looks like overkill to me. ;)

Hi  db,

I do remember you posting a photo of your strapping that you had made for your food/equipment box. I thought I had saved it. Unfortunately it's like every thing else I "put up so I can find later" and can't find it. I even printed a copy. I also did a search and came up dry.  Do you have a quick way for me to find your example?
I would really appreciate it. :dankk2

Dadman

[quote]NRS makes stuff for rafters, not paddlers - its all heavy duty and heavy, not designed to be moved farther than from the vehicle to the boat ramp, or from the raft to the camp 20 yards away. 

There used to be a plastic wannigan sort of pack with shoulder staps, on the market years ago, contoured to fit the bottom of a canoe - not sure why that disappeared, but might be because it was too heavy ? though it didn't look too bad.  I've seen pictures of wooden wannigans with portage straps or tumplines attached - any of them would be an awkward carry - maybe strap it to a freighter frame ?


so I got curious to see if I could find what I was rememebring and googled for plastic wannigan - this wasn't it, but looks like a nice design - no weight givern for it, and not in production unless they get a lot of interest.

  (You need to Login or Register

Of everything I've seen in this "genre" this one intrigues me, in that it looks comfortable.  We use the food barrel, (as well as another food pack), to haul our stuff.  I wonder how this "box" compares in size and comfort to a barrel?  Mad Mat -- have you seen and/or tried this on a trip?

prouboy

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

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 and they don't say what it weighs either! It's gotta be way freaken heavy. Weight is important but convenience is too.

"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

  (You need to Login or Register



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.

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.

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 One day I hope to build a nice wooden one.

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)
  (You need to Login or Register
Interesting 'coincidence'...perfect.

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

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

dadman

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.

"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)