In this weeks blog I’ll be showing you how I have set up one of my Really Useful boxes to suit my needs whilst out in the field.
It is more of a demonstration rather than a how to on this occasion as it is very simple.
I have 3 cook boxes depending on the purpose of my trip.
- One is dutch ovens, trivets, skillets and heavy cook ware for cooking in a fixed camp on an open fire.
- Another is much smaller scale, is generally stainless steel for cooking on an open fire and can be carried distances within the woods.
- The third is for cooking on gas for quicker cooking when travelling or doing multiple stops with limited time.
So whilst I pack my cook box and keep it in an orderly fashion by the time I arrive at my destination it has become a bit of a shambles. Nothing damaged, just disorganised with my cooking knives generally littered along the base of the box.
Using various left over or scavenged sections of pipe, downpipe and guttering I made storage tubes to house the knives, utensils, olive oil and seasonings I carry for cooking.
I managed to get a short off cut of square down pipe from a skip which was my tube of choice for this purpose as it had the greatest flat surface area for adhesion to the box. I didn’t want to use mechanical fixings as this would mean making holes in the box and potential leaks when out in the woods.
I also had a piece of guttering leftover so purchased some end caps to make a shelf of sorts at a higher level in the box.
I cut the required lengths using an angle grinder however a hack saw or hand saw will do. I sanded any rough edges after cutting using some 120 grit sandpaper I had.
I cleaned the surfaces to be glued using a cleaner/degreaser I had. White spirit will also do.
I supported the pieces on books whilst the adhesive dried to keep them a little off the base of the box so I could slide a sponge underneath for periodic cleaning.
I opted for a flexible adhesive as the box will move/flex and be subject to vibration when being transported and carried etc.
The gutter brackets I glued near the top and held in place with some tape whilst the adhesive cured so they would not slip down.
The guttering section marked ready for cutting before installing
I would add that I may have to resort to mechanical fixings with rubber washers to form a seal and will have to see how this particular adhesive holds up. This adhesive is what I had available at the time. There are many others available.
