I made my pack basket out of a trash can I had laying around. I cut the straps off an old backpack and bolted them on. It works wonderfully and even looks kind of professional, if I do say so myself. Total cost was like 3 bucks for some bolts from Ace hardware. You can make one out of as big of a trashcan as you want, and use whatever backpack straps are comfortable.

I've always been a sled guy they drag easily over land,ice and they float just like a boat on water. I have put easily 200 plus pounds in my sled when I trap a water trapline. I like how easy it is to get everything out of the sled when you make a set

Forest- if you look back at my pics you will see that I put a board inside on the bottom. It is 1/4" plywood cut to fit. The skids are cedar. I put a few coats of oil based polyurethane on the skids and the "floor board" to help preserve them. The skids are bolted through the bottom of the basket and the "floor board", which prevents the floor board from falling out.
Brisket- I like the back pad idea. I might have to borrow it!

Ok thanks.

Thanks Guys,
Some really good ideas on here- I have some modifications to make. Has anyone added a chest strap to the Fiber-Tuff baskets? I was thinking of adding one or replacing the shoulder straps with something similar to oneoldboot's basket.

for water trapping I packed a wicker one for years just because it’s what I happened to have axis to, later I bought a fiber tough and realized how comfortable the wicker one compared to it. The fiber toughs are heavy, ackward, and downright uncomfortable without doing a bunch of modifications to them, also in the pnw where it rains 70% of the time your outside the hole they put in the bottom of them dirrects the rainwater right down your backside which is not my idea of a good time. The positives of them are they will take some serious abuse and won’t rot or break down but at this point mine is mostly used for a storage container in the back of the pickup. If I’m dry ground trapping everything goes on the four wheeler and I have no need for a pack basket.

I filled the drain hole that came in it with epoxy and made 3 smaller ones on the CORRECT side. Not sure why they put that quarter sized hole where they did....

Andy Weiser makes a great product.

I took my trapping basket out for a walk down memory lane... 40+ years old and worked fine. Health restrains how far I wonder from the vehicle now-a-days.

I trap off my ATV and rarely walk more than 50 yards. I use this $8.00 tote from Walmart. 7/8" dowel is my handle. Lots of room and easy to work out of. Also wont tip over.

I will never carry a fiber toughbasket again as said hole is in the wrong place [WAY TO GO ON TESTING THEIR PRODUCT] also the cheap plastic clips break when carrying a 38 lb beaver & also tips over every time you set it down.

This one will handle anything. Unfortunately the oldest daughter played claim to it right about the first time she show it.

It's 23" and curly maple and walnut

The drain hole is definitely in the wrong place, but a very easy fix. Cover one side of the hole with masking tape and fill in with a 2 part epoxy. Let sit 24 hours and pull off the tape and its fixed. Then, drill a hole (I drilled 3) on the correct side.
The "cheap plastic clips" have not failed me yet and I've been using mine for 4 years. My pack is heavy and I load it down with traps, sometimes over 100 pounds. I once carried two 60+ pound beaver for 1/2 mile in the pack and had no failure. IF the clips ever do break, it will be an easy fix with some 9 gauge wire. And the tipping is corrected with the skids on the bottom.

Weiser beaver bag for me with a plastic trash can cut to fit. Bombproof. Lol

weiser bag here also.. if I was walking my entire line id also pull a sled. I use an ice fishing sled with high sides and it also has a spot to hold a bucket

Hands down Loring Pack baskets are the best on the market.

Go with plastic... or a bag system. The woven ones don't last. A home made plastic one will far far outlast any woven one.

Well, I see this thread is still bouncing around, so I'll add my two cents worth. I've always liked the woven baskets. When I upgrade to a new one, the old one becomes the basket for ice fishing gear.

It's been awhile since the Amish basket maker set up at the WTA rondy, but when he did, he had packbaskets setting out for sale among other handwoven baskets. One rondy maybe awhile back I asked him to make a basket to my specs, and he came back the next year with it done. I believe he charged me just over a hundred bucks. To me it was worth it. Exactly what I wanted.



That isn't a 5-gallon bucket, maybe 3-gallon. With a #11 on top of it. But you get a real nice shot of the leather straps, first rate.



I gave this basket three coats of spar varnish before using it. Guess what the basket is made of? Most Amish in this area make all their baskets out of this material.



It's made out of bamboo. Those of you who remember starting out with a cane pole, how long did that cane pole last you? Years, right? I wanted a basket that you could really fill up, strap on, and away you go.



Setting this basket in the otter sled and away you go for back bottom edge setting.



Today's baskets just seem too small. This basket is only as heavy as the gear/critters you put into it. Older pics. I've upgraded to all #150s and got rid of the #110s.



Anyway, this is what I like. Works for me.

Hope it is OK to keep this thread going. Always looking for ways to improve the life of my back since I have to hump everything on my lines. Got some ideas so far from this thread.