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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum Gear Forum Created Coroplast food box for Duluth Pack Camp Kitchen |
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05/27/2019 01:46PM
I've been thinking about buying a new food pack that has a more comfortable strap system for portaging. However, I really like the Duluth Pack Camp Kitchen I've owned for over 20 years. It's painful to carry at the beginning of a weeklong four-person trip when it's fully loaded, but I like the side pockets to keep all my kitchen gear (stove, pans, plates, etc.) in one place. Alas, I chose to keep the Camp Kitchen, but I decided to upgrade it.
Until now I've used cardboard boxes modified to fit the size of the pack in order to give it stable shape. However, I needed to use a plastic pack liner to keep the cardboard from disintegrating when the pack got wet.
I bought a large sheet (48" x 96") of Coroplast (a corrugated plastic), Loctite Plastics super glue, and silicone sealer. I measured, marked, and made the necessary cuts in the Coroplast, leaving a two-inch overlap for the corners. I scored one side of the seams so I could make the folds. The Loctite bonded the overlaps and I used the silicone to seal the inside seams for good measure.
It will get its maiden voyage June 15 on a QPP trip to Agnes and Kawnipi. I'll probably put some weight in it and set it in the bathtub to test it before we leave.
Until now I've used cardboard boxes modified to fit the size of the pack in order to give it stable shape. However, I needed to use a plastic pack liner to keep the cardboard from disintegrating when the pack got wet.
I bought a large sheet (48" x 96") of Coroplast (a corrugated plastic), Loctite Plastics super glue, and silicone sealer. I measured, marked, and made the necessary cuts in the Coroplast, leaving a two-inch overlap for the corners. I scored one side of the seams so I could make the folds. The Loctite bonded the overlaps and I used the silicone to seal the inside seams for good measure.
It will get its maiden voyage June 15 on a QPP trip to Agnes and Kawnipi. I'll probably put some weight in it and set it in the bathtub to test it before we leave.
05/30/2019 09:21PM
Oh, I like that idea. Great work on that. A lid might help to make it more rigid & you might end up with more space to stack light stuff on top. Is the coroplast available at hardware stores usually? I have a good sized box made out of the same material that has an integrated folding lid that attaches to itself with heavy duty Velcro. It also has 2 hand hold cut outs on either side for toting. A friend who worked for Lays gave it to me, it's what they use to transport & deliver bags of potato chips in. I use it for my car camping kitchen stuff. It cleans up easily & holds a ton, I've had it for over 15 years & it still looks like the day I received it. Good luck with it on your trip, let us know how it holds up.
It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop. -Confucius
06/25/2019 06:57PM
deerfoot: "Please let us know how it works out on your trip. Very clever idea."
I've returned from a great trip. Check it out in the trip reports if you're curious.
The box worked well in terms of keeping things dry and not needing to fight through a bag liner to pack and unpack food in the pack. We didn't get any significant rain to truly measure the waterproofness, but when I removed the box from the pack after the trip, the bottom of the pack was and the exterior of the box were damp from sitting in the bottom of the canoe which always takes on a little water at the portage since we wet-foot. The interior of the box showed not even a hint of dampness.
I did make and use a lid for the box. It ended up being required because the pack doesn't actually completely cover the entire top opening so I needed a lid in case it rained.
I encountered two challenges:
1) I did too good a job measuring and cutting the box and lid to maximize the dimensions of the pack. With the side pockets full, the material on the bag was stretched taut and it was challenging to remove or replace the lid because the box was very snug inside the pack.
2) The edges of the box were extremely sturdy and held up well, but this also meant they were sharp and stiff. The bottom edge of the box surprised me when I put on the fully-loaded pack for the first time as it dug in right across the top of my arse. I got used to it and it didn't really bother me after the first day.
I'm glad I did the project and I'll use the box again.
06/26/2019 04:59PM
pcallies: "deerfoot: "Please let us know how it works out on your trip. Very clever idea."
I've returned from a great trip. Check it out in the trip reports if you're curious.
The box worked well in terms of keeping things dry and not needing to fight through a bag liner to pack and unpack food in the pack. We didn't get any significant rain to truly measure the waterproofness, but when I removed the box from the pack after the trip, the bottom of the pack was and the exterior of the box were damp from sitting in the bottom of the canoe which always takes on a little water at the portage since we wet-foot. The interior of the box showed not even a hint of dampness.
I did make and use a lid for the box. It ended up being required because the pack doesn't actually completely cover the entire top opening so I needed a lid in case it rained.
I encountered two challenges:
1) I did too good a job measuring and cutting the box and lid to maximize the dimensions of the pack. With the side pockets full, the material on the bag was stretched taut and it was challenging to remove or replace the lid because the box was very snug inside the pack.
2) The edges of the box were extremely sturdy and held up well, but this also meant they were sharp and stiff. The bottom edge of the box surprised me when I put on the fully-loaded pack for the first time as it dug in right across the top of my arse. I got used to it and it didn't really bother me after the first day.
I'm glad I did the project and I'll use the box again."
Thanks for the review, I will be making a box for my food pack. I guess I can retire the 2 old returnable beer cases I have been using.
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