I used a wanigan for the first time on a recent trip and really liked it. I have had this wanigan since 1999 when I acquired it from a dear friend. He was moving out of state and left me with everything he didn't know what to do with. It marked the end of an era when my garage had a place for everything and everything was in it's place. I never really evaluated the box, mostly because I didn't want to have to find a place to put everything that was in it and also because I was happy with my current packing system.
On this trip I had to make some changes, as I was down one Duluth pack that I took back East to do trips there, so I took a closer look at this box. It was the right size, but the wood wasn't treated or waterproofed. It was very simply made with rope handles and cotton webbing for hinges that were screwed on. I did notice that it had runners on the bottom to keep it out of the bilge and off of the ground so I thought maybe Helmuth did use this on trips. He was a veteran of many season long trips that he did by raft. Looking closer at the box I could see some faded writing on it that said "fragile glass." It was then that I guessed that Helmuth did take this on trips and probably had his booze in it.
I found the wanigan to be a very practical addition to my kit. It fits nicely in the boat, it protects fragile items from being crushed, and best of all it doubles as a chair or table. It can also be used for items that you may need access to while underway because it is so easy to get into. This was a no portage trip, but I don't think I would have a problem carrying it when needed. I would probably throw it on top of another pack for a carry.
I found it to be a very useful piece of gear and like the pack basket I added last year it makes things easier and more comfortable on a trip. I have found that using this old traditional gear, including my canvas tent, does make a trip more comfortable and it goes a long way in increasing our enjoyment in general. I think I need to make another one for my East coast kit where I can combine it with using the pack baskets.
On this trip I had to make some changes, as I was down one Duluth pack that I took back East to do trips there, so I took a closer look at this box. It was the right size, but the wood wasn't treated or waterproofed. It was very simply made with rope handles and cotton webbing for hinges that were screwed on. I did notice that it had runners on the bottom to keep it out of the bilge and off of the ground so I thought maybe Helmuth did use this on trips. He was a veteran of many season long trips that he did by raft. Looking closer at the box I could see some faded writing on it that said "fragile glass." It was then that I guessed that Helmuth did take this on trips and probably had his booze in it.
I found the wanigan to be a very practical addition to my kit. It fits nicely in the boat, it protects fragile items from being crushed, and best of all it doubles as a chair or table. It can also be used for items that you may need access to while underway because it is so easy to get into. This was a no portage trip, but I don't think I would have a problem carrying it when needed. I would probably throw it on top of another pack for a carry.
I found it to be a very useful piece of gear and like the pack basket I added last year it makes things easier and more comfortable on a trip. I have found that using this old traditional gear, including my canvas tent, does make a trip more comfortable and it goes a long way in increasing our enjoyment in general. I think I need to make another one for my East coast kit where I can combine it with using the pack baskets.
