Years ago, when I used to read all the Big Three of the outdoor magazines, my favorite writer on camping was John Jobson.
I may have the spelling of his name wrong, but he worked for Outdoor Life in the Sixties.
He had a great plan for a Chuckbox.
For those of you who may not know what a Chuckbox is, it's really just a box to hold all of your cooking and eating supplies when you go camping.
We ain't talking about backpacking here, we're talking about guys who drive vehicles to good fishing or hunting areas and set up a base camp where they can be cozy - before they star their walkabout.
I guess I could design one from scratch but thought I'd ask here to see if anyone had a copy of old John's plan.
Tom Watson - WoodDorker tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (email)
Well Tawm ... you could go to the dentist's office ... betcha they haven't changed those magazines in a gazillion years ... which is about how long ago I remember reading something like that!
If that doesn't work out, I'll ask my neighbor ... he's a scout leader and has built many a camp box for the frequent camp outs, etc.
I sold the last homemade chuckbox years ago for $30.
In the design that I used, the back section held the campstove, so the height of the campstove should be known before proceeding. I gave mine legs made of 2x4 material which made it quite stout (and quite heavy). Big Bertha was what the other guys called it. It was HUGE. We used a piece of old office chair floor protector inside the dropdown door to have a nice work surface.
This plan looks like a good place to start:
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Years ago, when I used to read all the Big Three of the outdoor
Aw, man, thanks!! I have been scribbling designs out for one of these but kept thinking that *someone* must have designed one of these but I had no idea they had a name or what the name was. Now I know!!!
I think I have a quick project before the summer camping season swings in now...
One of the family runs long term expeditions in Canada, and third world countries. They use metal cases -- although much like being described. Of course they operate in countries where having a sturdy lock is often a requirement. Keep in mind these are professional and commercial requirements if they seem a bit "overdone" -- but they may make you think of some issues you might have forgotten. And I don't guarantee that I remember everything -- they seemed simple at the time -- but now that I think about it...
Anyway, some of their requirements are:
Sturdy -- must be able to be bashed about in a HD 4WD on miserable mountain roads, bandidos etc. Air travel (much worse :-) Termite proof Generally insect proof (Since food is carried in them obviously) Handles -- for at least 2 people to lift Handles on front and side are good because loading positions are not always controllable. Waterproof from the bottom - in case of truck leaks -- fording mountain streams and all that. (Able to shed water from a sudden non-sustained assault) Generally Waterproof in case of storage in damp places. (Sustained water presence) Solid hinging - again constant hard use. Solid locking mechanism and latching mechanisms -- so they can be closed securely, but not locked for easier access while in use. Reinforced corners -- even on the metal boxes. Generally small animal proof -- should be handled in other requirements
-- but don't make latches too simple. Grizzly and black bear proof for Canadian use. (Good luck on that one.) Forget Polar bear proof -- Bowser can handle that if he is big enough.
Sorry if some points appear duplicated - I am just trying to remember the times I packed/unpacked and stacked them and what I saw.
Also, a great deal of care went into what was packed in what box and the "compatibility" of the items. Things like smell, chemical issues (fuel and cleaners), fragility etc. Many of them had internal removable boxes to address these issues. (In warehouse management there is a whole science of optimization dedicated to non-compatible neighbors.)
We often found a thousand cockroaches under them - but never in them.
Best wishes -- make sure you guys show pictures when you are done.
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