Adirondack Pack Basket

I took a night class and learned how to make an adirondack pack basket. These style of baskets were used for hundreds of years by hunters, trappers, and traders. They feature a large open rigid basket with a set of sholder straps for carrying. In the class we used a flat reed called rattan, and started by setting up the base of the basket. Ten reeds (stakes) are arranged into a rectangluar lattice, with 5 on the horizontal axis and 5 on the vertical axis. After several rounds of a locking weave, the corner stakes and the stake in the middle of the back is split. From there weavers are woven in a circular pattern (kind of like a coil pot) around and around until the basket reaches the finished height.

When finishing off the top of the basket, I decided to integrate a short length of climbing rope for a more personal touch. While functional in its current state, I plan to stain the basket and do some additional finishing and sewing on the straps. I'm looking forward to using the basket in the woods this Spring.