I've been admiring traditional wannigans here and elsewhere for some time now. Seeing two of them last summer nestled between someone else's thwarts finally tipped me over the edge, from woesome admirer to willing DIYer. Something else that is woesome are my carpentry skills. Nevermind, what's the worst that can happen (besides personal injury), more firewood? After checking the dwindling kindling pile and stocking up on bandaids I decided to go for it.
As much as I like tump lines, I'm not getting any younger, and for the past few years I've been trying to lighten the loads. For that reason I wanted an alternative to a big, heavy wannigan I'd have to tump across portages. I planned and scribbled design ideas to fit a slimmer smaller wannigan into my Woods canvas canoe packs. This means a radical change from a "trunk" design to a "cupboard" design. First I measured the kitchen kit dimensions, such as coffee pot, fry pans, cook pots etc. And then I "built out" using plywood not too thin, not too thick, forgoing an interior frame to further provide interior space and reduce weight, all the while trying to make sure the final result would still slide into the Woods pack. Another woesome problem was my being a little arithmetic challenged, making the necessary tweaking of measures interesting, as a slight incremental adjustment seems to complicate matters exponentially all over the place. Ah well.
My Woods Blueridge #1 Special has room for a wannigan built of 1/2" plywood, measuring 22" high, 18.5" wide, 8.5" deep (outside dimensions). I kept the 2 interior shelves loose, so they can be left out for larger items. Brass, nickel plate and an old leather belt completed the fittings. All joinery was glued and screwed, but this box is not waterproof. It's purpose is to contain kitchen kit only, and hopefully give a little protection against dents and dings. I like the look of the exterior stain, but chose a white (primer/sealer) interior to make it brighter inside to find things on grey days. I haven't weighed it, but am impressed by how light half a sheet of plywood can be. I'll probably slide a spare sleeping pad down the inside of the back for added comfort on the carries.
My hatchet and small saw fits into that narrow shelf, but we'll probably find other places for those. Cutlery and stuff will tuck in there instead. I ran out of ideas of what to pack in this simple box. Every trip we take is a little bit different, but any and all the basics fit. I like the fold down work table idea; I saw it on another build on the internet. Lots of good ideas out there, and far better workmanship than my own, but it was an enjoyable project. The cupboard design doesn't easily lend itself to a waterproof result, not without gaskets and such. I half thought of tinkering with old bicycle inner tubes etc, but gave up on that. I settled for a simple wooden box with which to prepare our meals up off the ground. An added plywood cleat on the top front edge gives extra oomph for the draw clasps as well as providing a foot to keep the work space just off the ground and out of the dirt.
As much as I like tump lines, I'm not getting any younger, and for the past few years I've been trying to lighten the loads. For that reason I wanted an alternative to a big, heavy wannigan I'd have to tump across portages. I planned and scribbled design ideas to fit a slimmer smaller wannigan into my Woods canvas canoe packs. This means a radical change from a "trunk" design to a "cupboard" design. First I measured the kitchen kit dimensions, such as coffee pot, fry pans, cook pots etc. And then I "built out" using plywood not too thin, not too thick, forgoing an interior frame to further provide interior space and reduce weight, all the while trying to make sure the final result would still slide into the Woods pack. Another woesome problem was my being a little arithmetic challenged, making the necessary tweaking of measures interesting, as a slight incremental adjustment seems to complicate matters exponentially all over the place. Ah well.
My Woods Blueridge #1 Special has room for a wannigan built of 1/2" plywood, measuring 22" high, 18.5" wide, 8.5" deep (outside dimensions). I kept the 2 interior shelves loose, so they can be left out for larger items. Brass, nickel plate and an old leather belt completed the fittings. All joinery was glued and screwed, but this box is not waterproof. It's purpose is to contain kitchen kit only, and hopefully give a little protection against dents and dings. I like the look of the exterior stain, but chose a white (primer/sealer) interior to make it brighter inside to find things on grey days. I haven't weighed it, but am impressed by how light half a sheet of plywood can be. I'll probably slide a spare sleeping pad down the inside of the back for added comfort on the carries.
My hatchet and small saw fits into that narrow shelf, but we'll probably find other places for those. Cutlery and stuff will tuck in there instead. I ran out of ideas of what to pack in this simple box. Every trip we take is a little bit different, but any and all the basics fit. I like the fold down work table idea; I saw it on another build on the internet. Lots of good ideas out there, and far better workmanship than my own, but it was an enjoyable project. The cupboard design doesn't easily lend itself to a waterproof result, not without gaskets and such. I half thought of tinkering with old bicycle inner tubes etc, but gave up on that. I settled for a simple wooden box with which to prepare our meals up off the ground. An added plywood cleat on the top front edge gives extra oomph for the draw clasps as well as providing a foot to keep the work space just off the ground and out of the dirt.
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