Natural material Packframe

[Man of Tanith]

I've got a soft spot for the Roycroft Pack Frame first introduced to Mors Kochanski by Tom Roycroft then reintroduced to social media bushcraft by Dave Canturbury.
However it has certain downsides
You cant access the kit inside it unless you unwrap the whole bundle which to get a water bottle or bite to eat is somewhat irksome.
So today i had a mess around in the shed with some jute, some hazel and a yugoslavian army surplus haversack to see what work arounds i could come up with.

After an initial failure i added a third crosspiece

This is phase one R&D but i think it has potential.
By threading the top crossbar through the loops in the yugo pack its firmly attached to the pack frame and i can easily access the day to day or regular used items whilst still having tarp and bedding bundled up yet attached seperately

 

[Kepis]

Looks good Sam.

 

[Man of Tanith]

Looks good Sam.

Thanks mate
This as i said is phase one but i reckon it should work fine n dandy whilst showing me areas to tweak

 

[Tony]

nice webbing straps keep us up to date on the progress Sam, looks like a good start

 

[Man of Tanith]

nice webbing straps keep us up to date on the progress Sam, looks like a good start

These where just what i had lurking about at moment
Theyll be replaced eventually

 

[Janne]

Paleo!

Well done.
As it flexes it should be a pleasure to wear!

 

[crosslandkelly]

Nicely done Sam.

 

[scruff]

Yes, nicely done amigo.

Has a lot of potential I'm sure.

Did you carve any joints where the pieces meet or are they just lashed?

 

[Man of Tanith]

Yes, nicely done amigo.

Has a lot of potential I'm sure.

Did you carve any joints where the pieces meet or are they just lashed?

No mate
This was a test piece to see if it worked sufficiently to make the effort with joint carving etc

 

[scruff]

No mate
This was a test piece to see if it worked sufficiently to make the effort with joint carving etc

What a half job! ;-p

 

[John Fenna]

Interesting!
When using my Roycroft I have hung a haversack off the top joint by shortening the shoulder strap as much as poss and then securing it by having a reach of cord pulling from the shoulder strap (where it meets the bag) down to the bottom corners of the frame - all this on top of the main pack bundle - TBH it carried a bit low and far from the back to be ideal.
I will be interested in how much flex you get in the rectangular frame and if it needs diagonal bracing if use with a load - keep us updated!

 

[Man of Tanith]

I will be interested in how much flex you get in the rectangular frame and if it needs diagonal bracing if use with a load - keep us updated!

So will I John, so will I....
I think its dependant on the load i put on it and how/where i may attach items such as bowsaw and axe.
I had the haversack and a blanket on there whilst wearing it and it certainly felt comfy
However i was only in my shed so not really arduous terrain

 

[John Fenna]

my roycroft - I cannot find a pic with the haversack but the strap went above the pack but under the green bedroll.... which is lashed to the top of the pack .

 

[Man of Tanith]

Have you tried the toggles on a roycroft pack frame John?
They save a lot on cordage needed to secure the kit bundle to the frame
I can visualise how the haversack was attached

 

[John Fenna]

Ah - but the cordage is my tarp ridgeline ... toggles would be extra weight with only one use...

 

[Man of Tanith]

Just watched Mors Kochanski dvd where he makes the roycroft.
He mentions loops of string to thread the lashing through

 

[crosslandkelly]

Here's one I made earlier this year, with toggles.

 

[Janne]

Can you make some sirt of flat padding for the ropes?
You would not be able to carry much weight for long. Cuts off the blood supply to the arms.

 

[Dreadhead]

Some great pack frames here! Love that toggle system too Colin.

I've fancied making one for a while, more like yours Sam but the sides made from one long piece bent over at the top, though yours is probably more practical for attaching kit along the top support.

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

 

[crosslandkelly]

Can you make some sirt of flat padding for the ropes?
You would not be able to carry much weight for long. Cuts off the blood supply to the arms.

The pack weighed about 11kg, so not to much of a problem. Two 50mm wide leather strips threaded onto the rope will help.

Some great pack frames here! Love that toggle system too Colin.

I've fancied making one for a while, more like yours Sam but the sides made from one long piece bent over at the top, though yours is probably more practical for attaching kit along the top support.

Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Here is a pic of some Willow I have bent for that purpose Hamish.

It is known to work, even Otzi used one.