Wanigan or Larder box

**jason saunders** · 13-01-2006, 10:31

Hello Bushcrafters, i was wondering, does anyone know of any plans out there in the ether for a wanigan/ larder box, i fancy making one myself to take on trips, i know they were/are used in canoes and certain water craft but as yet have not found any decent blueprints. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Great website this!

**MagiKelly** · 13-01-2006, 10:39

I've seen it suggested that you can use the blue barrels that you get for storing stuff in canoe but not sure how practical this would be.

On canoe trips my food tends to be split up into different dry bags and all of them, with my cooking stuff in a larger dry bag. Works well for me but does not give the physical protection of a barrel or the like.

And welcome to BCUK

**Kane** · 13-01-2006, 12:22

Not much detail but here's one :-
http://www.wcha.org/wcj/v22_n6/wanigan.html

some for sale here I like the look of these - shaped to fit the bottom of a canoe :-
http://www.islandnet.com/~canoes/wanigan.htm

Kane

**george** · 13-01-2006, 13:14

Hi Jason

I haven't found any plans for a traditional wanigan but I have one myself that I made out of plywood. It looks the part and works well.

The main thing is to ensure that it fits your boat properly - no point in having it rattling about all over the place.

Mine fits in just behind the centre thwart and can be used as a third seat if neccessary.

It's about a metre long by almost half a metre wide, when it fits in the boat it reaches from the bottom of the boat to the centre thwart. I've fitted three flat metal loops that a piece of webbing slides through to fasten it to the thwart and keep it secure (They are actually the metal "keepers" from a garden gate latch assembly) I have other lashing points on it too but those three will keep it secure unless I'm on pretty wild water.

The lid is strapped on with long webbing straps that go completely around the box through more of these metal loops and fasten with fastex buckles at the top. I keep meaning to sort out a more elegant solution though - maybe leather straps screwed to the side of the box.

I made it from 8mm marine ply so it is pretty sturdy but possibly heavier than it needs to be.

I started out with a sheet of 8mm marine ply and some cardboard from a large packing case. The cardboard was so that I could make templates of the curve of the hull so that I could make the box curved to fit it.

The base of the box itself isn't actually curved however, only the two sides. The base is actually flat as is the two ends and the lid.

I constructed the sides of the box by routing out dovetails in the side pieces and the end pieces for the two ends to be joined to the sides and then by routing out slots for mortice and tenon joints to hold the base on.

The lid is close fitting with a groove routed all around and a tongue routed out of the top of the body of the box. The groove in the lid was given a bead of kitchen sealant all around it so that when the lid was strapped down with the tongue in the groove of the lid the box is pretty water tight.

Before putting it all together I routed out a load of vertical grooves inside the body of the box - I made up seperators out of 4mm ply and I can slide them in and out of the box and move them into different positions depending on what I am carrying. I also cut slots into the seperators half way down. Then I made up some other seperators also with slots cut through half way - that way I can shift things about and customise the inside to fit what I want to carry - it works like the cardboard seperators inside a wine case.

As I put it all together I glued it with waterproof wood glue and made a bead over all the seams. th exterior got several coats of yacht varnish but I left the inside unvarnished so my food doesn't taste bad.

The lid has a nylon chopping board inside it so that I can flip it over to use the top of the wanigan as a prep table, then turn it the other way round to use as either a table or a chair. The board is held in with swivel pegs so I can take it out easily to clean it.

Hope this helps

george

**happy camper** · 13-01-2006, 13:18

hello and welcome to bcuk

a wanigan is on my "to do" list aswell, there are threads on the canoe-camping type forums and sites about them and i would imagine there are various commercially available ones in the states and canada that you could glean some ideas from. Try doing a google for either "wanigan, wannigan, chuck box, camp kitchen" etc. and add words like "design, plans, how to make" etc. and then just follow the paper trail.
I read that the literal translation of wanigan / wannigan / wanikan is something like "man made hole in the ground", which was the name given by the ojibway to describe what is basically a wooden box used to tranport stuff in the canoe. If you cant find the right blueprints to follow, depending on your skills, you could design your own, and make the box to be as simple or as complex as you like, just have a look at some of the ones already out there and then adapt them to meet your own specs., as you're going to the trouble of making it , it might aswell be exactly what you need. Good luck with it and keep us posted on how it goes!

here's a few links to get you started, hope they are useful..
http://blueskykitchen.com/
http://www.troop168.net/forms/patrolboxa.htm
http://www.netwoods.com/document2/patrol%20bx.htm
http://www.hadfield.ca/Gear/grub_box.html
http://dthomsen1.tripod.com/Wannigans/Wannigans.html
http://www.wcha.org/wcj/v25_n6/
http://www.myccr.com/SectionForums/v...=3348&forum=20

**g4ghb** · 13-01-2006, 13:23

sounds great George!!!

the only critisism is 'Piccies!' - we want piccies the cry goes up!

would love to see it!

**MagiKelly** · 13-01-2006, 13:37

George you taking orders for these

**george** · 13-01-2006, 13:51

Good links happy camper

george

**george** · 13-01-2006, 13:53

Sorry folks no piccies just now - I didn't get the new camera I wanted for christmas

But if I get the chance with a borrowed camera I'll post them.

Fraid no orders yet John - I've still to finish one for my wife - made to fit the back of the Berlingo - not a canoe

George

**MagiKelly** · 13-01-2006, 14:40

Originally Posted by george

I've still to finish one for my wife - made to fit the back of the Berlingo - not a canoe

Thats the Wanigan that is made to fit the back of a Berlingo not your wife

**george** · 13-01-2006, 15:07

Originally Posted by MagiKelly

Thats the Wanigan that is made to fit the back of a Berlingo not your wife

George

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