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)
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/ (website)
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:
http://clipart.usscouts.org/library/Scouting_Images/plans_and_blueprints/chuckbox.pdf
On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 20:28:49 -0400, Tom Watson <[email protected]>
wrote:
>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.
I like these: they look pretty nice. Plus, unlike others that take up
table space (or require you to lug separate stands or saw horses),
these create their own table space.
http://www.blueskykitchen.com/Plans_booklet.html
Tom Watson wrote:
> 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)
> http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/ (website)
"Tom Watson" wrote
> 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.
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.
Regards,
Rick
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] wrote:
> I like these: they look pretty nice. Plus, unlike others that take up
> table space (or require you to lug separate stands or saw horses),
> these create their own table space.
>
> http://www.blueskykitchen.com/Plans_booklet.html
Great link! Thanks for that.
Rob
Paul Kierstead wrote:
> Tom Watson wrote:
>
>> 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.
>
>
> 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...
>
> PK
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.
--
Will
Occasional Techno-geek
Tom Watson wrote:
> 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.
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...
PK