Trapper's baskets

[Chris338378]

Does anyone use one?  If so what size and brand do you like the best and why?  I'm leaning to the biggest on made by L.L. Bean because it's better to have extra room and I like  the quality of L.L. Bean's products and their good customer service.    Sure they may cost more but I'd rather pay a bit more now than a lot later buy replacing it.  What do you guys think?

[PerchFace]

I saw a cool video on youtube about adk pack baskets. The guy took a military Alice frame and attached a office garbage can. Looked pretty sturdy and what all ice fisherman love..... the mods are unlimited! sturdy pack for under 40 bucks

[mr.clean]

Chris besides L.L.Bean also take a look at Kittery Trading Post's offering one of Ice Shanty's sponsors. If you are willing to do a search through the Maine and New Hampshire communities there is a member who makes/sells pack baskets. To promote his products he built a shanty that looks like a giant pack basket, There was a photo and thread about the shanty.
Steve

[mr.clean]

I did a search the thread is titled( ready for season with my new pack basket ice shanty) started by packsman.  Also there is a company called Loring pack baskets that makes the baskets from synthetic materials with a life time guarantee.
Steve

[ff318]

I have a wooden basket from the New England basket co. and a Loring pack basket. both are good but my New England basket now lives in the house for decor. the loring is more conferrable. even in cold temps I feel more confident of it going in the woods and coming out whole. I have looked at the LL Bean basket. and it is just like my New England basket, you cant go wrong with what ever yo, u choice. I personal am a Loring guy now.

conferrable , style and rugged quality are why. but that's my two cents

[Chris338378]

I looked on the New England basket company's website but can't find trapper's baskets on there.  I also checked out the Loring basket but prefer the wooden baskets because of their traditional look however my concern is how they hold up.   If an when I get one I'm going to paint it with a quality oil inside and outside even though I'm going to put a liner in it.  The L.L. Bean one is made from Maple and others I've seen are made from Ash and am wondering which is better.

[ff318]

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=28473426&camp=CSE:GooglePLA:28473426:17167804:TACKLE&CAGPSPN=pla&CAWELAID=120138600001490809&catargetid=120138600001586850&cadevice=c that is a link to a new England pack basket from dicks. they don't say if it is ash or maple. But I do understand the want for traditional. that's why I got the New England co basket originally.and there are all kinds of pack baskets out there made of all kinds of materials. I have even seen one made out of aluminum.  good luck on your hunt

[Chris338378]

Thanks for all your help.  I checked out the basket you posted from Dick's and am going to take a ride up and see if they have any in stock that I can see in person.  What did you put on your basket to preserve it if anything.  I read that if you put on polyurethane it causes them to crack but I don't know if that's true or why it happens.  They use marine grade polyurethane on wood canoes and they don't split so why does it make baskets crack?

[Dags Bait Maine]

linseed oil is good for protecting ash from rotting plus you can reapply it as many times as you'd like.

-Dylan

[Chris338378]

Thank you for the advice, I'll be doing as you said.

[Chris338378]

Any thought on which wood is better, maple or ash?

[bart]

You may want to consider a Loring Synthetic Packbasket?

http://loringpackbasket.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmCjF8NNUCA

[Chris338378]

Thanks for the info but I prefer the traditional styled ones.  Any thought on which wood is better, maple or ash?

[Dags Bait Maine]

Traditional baskets were made with hand pounded brown ash. If you want a quality wood basket that you can pass on down, find someone whom still makes these. It will be hard to find one for less than $200 because of how much time it takes to split the ash. Hand pounded baskets are easy to recognise because it will be ruff looking. The strips run along the grain of the wood. sawed strips cut threw the grains and you can see the ring patterns across the wood.

Hybrid baskets aren't bad. They can be had for less than $100 and have hand pounded ash uprights and are weaved with sawed strips of either maple or ash.

Stay away from reed. These are a real light whitish color. They are about as functional outdoors as they are aesthetic. You could crush them with one hand. The less give a basket has the more durable its going to be, it's about as simple as that. The old hand pounded ash baskets have no give and can be used as a seat.

-Dylan

[gunn308]

Pete Rickard baskets are ash I bought one end of season from Dicks 2yrs ago. The urethane itself will crack because of the plastic in it even if it is Helmsman. Spar varnish is what you want it stays flexible and resists UV read the label to make sure it doesn't have any thanes in it just tung oil, linseed and turps or mineral spirits. I use it on all my outdoor equipment. The best marine grade spar varnish Epifane is expensive but worth it.

[Chris338378]

Now that the site is more active I thought I'd refresh this topic to see if anyone else had other opinions.  Please keep in mind I want the traditional wood basket, not interest int the ones made of modern materials.  Thanks.

[Chris338378]

I got the L.L. Bean jumbo trapper's basket and liner bag for Christmas and couldn't be happier.  It has the classic look that I like, is well made (no cracked wood like I saw on some other brands), and the bag is significantly taller than the basket so I can fit bigger stuff in it and have it covered up.  I'm going to give it a coat or two of linseed oil before I use it.  All and all I'm completely happy and would definitely buy it again.  Thanks everyone for all the info and suggestions.

[saltyshores]

I got the L.L. Bean jumbo trapper's basket and liner bag for Christmas and couldn't be happier.  It has the classic look that I like, is well made (no cracked wood like I saw on some other brands), and the bag is significantly taller than the basket so I can fit bigger stuff in it and have it covered up.  I'm going to give it a coat or two of linseed oil before I use it.  All and all I'm completely happy and would definitely buy it again.  Thanks everyone for all the info and suggestions.

When I used to trap beaver, I used to apply 6 coats of varnish both inside and outside of each pack basket. As others have said, it is important to apply something to stiffen them or the ash strips move and break apart. Beaver trapping was hard on them, with all the loads of 330 conibear traps or carrying out multiple beaver at a time with it.

[Chris338378]

I got the first coat of linseed oil on the basket, inside and outside, and will definitely be putting a second and third coat on it.  I was told by a few people that polyurethane isn't good to use because it cracks where the linseed oil soaks into the wood.