Wannigan / Grub box

[latremorej]

Well I didn't post this as a follow along build as you would expect to see here, I didn't know if this camping box project would be a flop or a success. It turned out okay so here goes some pics and some descriptions. If there are any questions, comments, or " I wouldn't do that if I were yous" feel free!

I will start with a thanks to MuratV O.M. and others here for the motivation. I also want to give credit to "The Lorax" over on BWCA as the legs for my 'wannigan' came directly from his Grandfather's grub box.

http://www.bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseac...ID=12&confID=1

http://photos.bwca.com/thumbnails/TH...510-173137.JPG

 

[latremorej]

I started with what I think is a Keewaydin style? I think? box and glued together some pine and cherry to achieve a 12" width. The leg holders are also cherry. This whole project is put together frm scraps that were laying around my garage. The legs are white oak

 

[latremorej]

I ripped a Doug Fir 2x4 for the side supports and screwed and glued some 1/4" ply for the sides. Handles are made from cherry. The plugs for the lid are poplar.

 

[latremorej]

I used a router to thin out the lid to save some weight. I added a couple simple brass screw hooks to the bottom as well. This provides an anchor system for the lid when turned sideways and hanging half way off the box. I tie a string from hook to hook and use a truckers hitch to secure it. Makes for a very stable table top and leaves an extra 6" of box open for my propane burner.



I cut another piece of oak for the burner support and hallowed out a section to fit the burner. Room for one on each side

 

[latremorej]

Back to the legs.... I cut them to fit inside the recessed bottom. Total length is 24". Inside 23 1/2" so at 23" the legs slide in the cutout, and are held in place by the feet, which are also oak. i shook the box all around and couldn't get the legs to fall out. It makes some noise but not too bad.




I also drilled 1/4" holes in the legs to shave a little weight. the leg dimensions are 23 x 3/4x1. they attach to the base by a mortise and tenon type joint.

 

[latremorej]

I tried a tumpline and it killed my neck. I don't know if I had it right or if I'm just a wuss. anyways, I ended up gluing and screwing some oak 'pad eyes' to hold some old army Alice pack straps.

 

[latremorej]

It rides well. If you notice the top slightly lifted its because I have it loaded with anything that will fit totaling 48Lbs according to my fishing scale

 

[latremorej]

Next I will be working out a strap closure system. Thinking about making a daisy chain type of rig on top to clip things like map cases, solar panel, GPS, etc.. I already made the shoulder strap twin cleat and screwed and glued it to the opposite side ( no pic) so a basic over the top strap will be fine I think.

I am still waiting for some 50* or better weather to apply some spar urethane (already laying around) I applied one coat while in the basement to the top and stunk out the whole house.

That's where I have left off. So, what do ya think?. Oh, BTW, total weight as of right now with the legs and stove support (no straps) is around 13Lbs. Which isn't so bad when you consider the fact that we usually hump around a 10lb roll top table whilke canoe camping anyways.

Jason

 

[ppine]

So far so good. Because the wannigan is fairly deep, and far from your back, adding a tumpline to the should straps would help the geometry and body mechanics of using it when it is loaded.

 

[Guest]

I will start with a thanks to MuratV O.M. and others here for the motivation. I also want to give credit to "The Lorax" over on BWCA as the legs for my 'wannigan' came directly from his Grandfather's grub box.

I built a family car-camping grub box years ago, but I started with a stupid requirement. On family car camping trips I wanted a big grub box with a fold out prep area and compartments sized for our typical family foodstuffs.

Not stupid so far.

But, because of space limitations in our (then) minivan, I needed to be able to stack a large, heavy Igloo cooler atop the grub box while traveling, so we could get to some eats and drinks on the road and refill the cooler with ice.

That meant the grub box had to be urber sturdy.

OK, maybe overkill sturdy. I had some nice ¾” plywood on hand. Which I used to make the whole dang thing, including all of the internal shelves. It took two people to pick it up empty.





Worse, I made two.





I gave the second one away. Repeatedly; it kept coming back.

The second time I gave it away to a friend’s wife had seen our’s on a trip and wanted one (she had never tried to pick our’s up). She didn’t know I had a spare already made. I told her that her husband and I could make one if we had a day undisturbed in my shop.

I had some scrap plywood, and we spent the day in the shop drinking beer and staging photo ops of us cutting out wood, drilling holes and driving screws. Just before she was due to arrive we slapped on a new coat of varnish so it was just-finished wet and made sure we were liberally coated with wood dust.

We appeared plumb tuckered out from our labors, and deserved a quitting time beer or two.

She was suspicious, but there was no denying we had made lots of dust, and where there had been one Hulk Grub Box there were now two. We even had build photos.

There’s not a big enough tump line in the world, so they now live on as storage cabinets.

 

[latremorej]

ppine: I may give the tump another go, like I said before, I probably had it wrong. Maybe with some adjustments and practice it would work for me.

Mike: THAT IS A HILARIOUS story. My brother n law have pulled shenanigans similar! Nice boxes too! Maybe a french cleat on a wall would turn them into handy wall units

Jason

 

[sweeper]

Looks like a good design. The only thing I'd question is the leg storage notch, under the heading of "If its possible to lose something, you eventually will" you might want to put a gate on the notch.

Nice Box Mike, I like the fold down table on the 2nd one. Overkill is ok in car camping.

 

[latremorej]

Went with the buckle and strap over the top. Added loops to the straps for map case etc..

 

[Guest]

Nice Box Mike, I like the fold down table on the 2nd one. Overkill is ok in car camping.

I took the fold-down table and piano hinge off the first one, and the brass corner caps as well. I frequently access that one in the shop and didn’t need to deal with the fold down work surface each time I open it.

The shenanigans with the friend’s Missus were highly developed. To test her powers of observation there was something obviously wrong in each of the photos; no blade in the Skil Saw, using a slotted screwdriver to tighten Phillips heads, handsaw upside down, in use tools obviously not plugged in.

Half the fun was coming up with the “What’s wrong in this photograph?”.

She didn’t notice a one.

 

[redoleary]

Nice job on the wannigan! I've got one on my to-do list, not sure when I'll get to it though. What did the empty weight come in at?

 

[ThreeScoutDad]

Looks good. Can you post the physical size?

 

[Robin]

Nice, I use a wannigan when I camp in my wall tent and your leg system looks good Thanks for taking the time to document it so well.

 

[Jamie]

This is my wannigan that I built last month. I don't encounter long portages where I paddle so a tumpline can wait.

wannigan3

wannigan2

wannigan

Width of this one was determined by the size of the plastic wash basin. Just under 13" wide. Sides are 1/4" birch ply, bottom and end pieces are laminated pine and cedar (down to 3/4"), top is 1/2" poplar ply edged with butternut. Finished in and out with Dannish oil mixture (linseed oil, spar varnish and mineral spirits)


JP

 

[memaquay]

I really like that, especially the legs! Might have to try that!

 

[latremorej]

I'll check the dimensions again, off the top of my head, outside dimensions are 24x12x12. With the recess on the bottom I have 11 1/4" from top to bottom inside and the external measurement includes the handles and leg supports so inside is about 22 1/2". My fishing scale goes to 50lbs and is dead on compared with my bathroom w.w. scale when taking measurements in the 30to 50lb range. It came in at 17lbs including the legs, strapping, suspension, and stove support. Probably can plan for another pound after a few coats of spat urethane.

Thanks for checking it out

Jason