Let ALICE carry it!!

[nikocker]

Those are cool.

I use this, certainly cost more but I didn't pay for it. I haven't used it in a couple of years. It's primary use was trail maintenance. I could carry a saw and supplies all day.

That's what got me thinking of making my own. I saw those units on the web - but your right, they ARE pricey! Like yours, mine will be used for trail making and maintenance.

Al

 

[nikocker]

Thanks!

That is freaking kool!!

Al

 

[PB]

That's what got me thinking of making my own. I saw those units on the web - but your right, they ARE pricey! Like yours, mine will be used for trail making and maintenance.

Al

VERY pricey. I would not have bought one if it was my money. I tried to order the Dakine pack but my local guy couldn't get one.

Thank God that I got a grant to buy some trail maintenance equipment. You working on the North Country Trail out that way? I was working on it in PA.

 

[nikocker]

Nothing that grand.

This pack will be used on our 240 acres. My long term plan is to expand our walking trail system . . . we currently have about 3.5 miles of trails on our property.
My wife and I do a fair amount of snow shoeing, so more trails is a good thing for us. Might look at some mountain bike trail making as well.

Al

 

[Philbert]

This pack will be used on our 240 acres. My long term plan is to expand our walking trail system . . . Might look at some mountain bike trail making as well.

Al,

If you are going to work on mountain bike trails, you might want to check out your local classifieds or Craig's List for a used kiddie trailer to haul your saw and tools around in.

I picked up a used Cannondale clone for about $20 a few years ago that was basically a plastic shell with wheels. With a few bungees it could easily carry your saw, fuel, supplies, axe, Pulaski, etc., and will follow your bike to most places short of serious single-track. Could also be used to bring back a little firewood, shuttle some gravel, etc.

Based on your ALICE pack, I am sure that you could also make a trailer, but these used ones are usually pretty available and cheap (as long as you stay away from the more expensive Burley's and Bob's).

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/View_Catalog_Page.asp?mi=2173

Thanks for the product reference. I notice that on the vendor's web page that that they show the saw with a scabbard! Good idea for the pack and the worker!

Philbert

 

[Old Goat]

Ok - so it's winter and I'm bored. I've been thinking of a way to get all my saw gear back in the bush for making trails on my property. It's a PITA to hand carry all the stuff. Finally came up with an idea. . . . let ALICE carry it all!
For you guys that were in the ARMY like I was, you know ALICE - - great pack system. So starting with the basic ALICE frame and optional shelf, and using stuff I had laying around - I came up with this compact and light backpack to get my saw, brush axe, fuel and oil and a kit that will hold chains, bar wrench, extra plug etc. and other necessities back in the sticks.
Best part is I built it for under $50 and that included buying the frame.
I talked my son into wearing it for me.

Al

I know that I am late posting on this but everyone has seemed to miss the most important point of the original post. It is highlighted in red.

This also has me wondering about pack goats. I have a buddy that had a 55 Rancher smashed when his pack horse wigged out on him. The horse returned a day or two later. He found the saw and a few other items but the pack saddle panniers and a few other items are still up on the mountain somewhere. I thought about a pack dog, but a goat can handle more weight, is more surefooted, and will eat the underbrush. A well trained goat will follow you like a dog and can forage for feed as you are cutting. I know that a large wether can pull a cart loaded with 300 lbs or more. Just a thought.

 

[SilverBox]

I know that I am late posting on this but everyone has seemed to miss the most important point of the original post. It is highlighted in red.

This also has me wondering about pack goats. I have a buddy that had a 55 Rancher smashed when his pack horse wigged out on him. The horse returned a day or two later. He found the saw and a few other items but the pack saddle panniers and a few other items are still up on the mountain somewhere. I thought about a pack dog, but a goat can handle more weight, is more surefooted, and will eat the underbrush. A well trained goat will follow you like a dog and can forage for feed as you are cutting. I know that a large wether can pull a cart loaded with 300 lbs or more. Just a thought.

I'm only allowed 6 goats per acre!!!

 

[clutch25]

"Go ask Alice....when she was just small"....

Cool idea!!!

 

[Taxmantoo]

Are the fuel and oil bottles in bicyclists' water bottle cages?

 

[doc874]

Patent that setup and sell it. Make more-buy more saws You get the idea. Gotta rep ya for that one nice job.

 

[Moss Man]

Excellent idea, well put together.

 

[ehgauss]

Not nearly as elegant, and more from my generation (not quite, but almost), I used to use a WW2 army surplus rucksack. Everything was just dumped into the bag. The straps finally rotted off it and the remains are somewhere up in the barn loft. Varments won't touch it because of the amount of oil and other general crud soaked into it.

 

[371groundie]

i had to lay boundary line though what might as well have beed a 200 acre hedge in northern maine. i couldnt see 4 ft hardly. some other poor schmuck and laid it in with ribbon. he gave up trying to tie ribbons and just walked letting it roll out behind him. the ribbon never touched the ground. red spruce and balsam fir seeded in to about a foot by a foot spacing.

anywho, i usually do boundaries with a nice sharp 2.5 lb axe. makes good blazes and is small enough to take care of the limbs in the way. but this was not the place for that. a brush hog would have been better, but wasnt an option.

i ended up going after it with a husqy 353 (this was before i owned my own saws.) i ended up with a pack frame to carry my gas oil and water. i tried working with it on, but that just didnt work well. however it made the carry in and out much easier.

 

[kevin j]

I made a trail backpack from an old Kelty frame. Mainly it is for clearing trails and setting trials sections. Actually quite stable to ride with. Trials motorcycles have no seats and even the loop we ride standing up...

Added a shelf on the bottom made of 3/4 coper tubing sweated together. Holds my little 12 inch top handle Echo, and the flat bottom allows the pack to set upright by itself when working in a section. I haul fuel and oil in aluminum Sigg/REI screw top backpacker stove fuel bottles.

hope this can post a pic. I've tried and various people have helped me many times, I just can't recall...

 

[CORNFEDMIDGET]

Great idea. I see plenty of old aluminum and magnesium framed kelty, jansports, and gerry packs at the second-hand stores. They seem a lot lighter than the ALICE, and would probably work just fine. You can find them for $5 to $10. Pax

 

[nikocker]

Sure are.

Are the fuel and oil bottles in bicyclists' water bottle cages?

Tried to keep things light and use items I had here.

Al

 

[nikocker]

ALICE isn't Heavy!

Great idea. I see plenty of old aluminum and magnesium framed kelty, jansports, and gerry packs at the second-hand stores. They seem a lot lighter than the ALICE, and would probably work just fine. You can find them for $5 to $10. Pax

The ALICE is all aluminum (except for the straps) in fact I think the straps weigh more than the frame and shelf. I wanted to stay away from fabric packs because I didn't want oil and gas soaking into every thing.

Al

 

[Chopwood]

In my days in the combat engineers, we had packs for cutoff saws. The assault pack had a cutoff saw, bolt and wire cutters and other good stuff (boom-boom!). Basically designed for assault on fenced in or gated areas.

 

[IndyIan]

I know that I am late posting on this but everyone has seemed to miss the most important point of the original post. It is highlighted in red.

This also has me wondering about pack goats. I have a buddy that had a 55 Rancher smashed when his pack horse wigged out on him. The horse returned a day or two later. He found the saw and a few other items but the pack saddle panniers and a few other items are still up on the mountain somewhere. I thought about a pack dog, but a goat can handle more weight, is more surefooted, and will eat the underbrush. A well trained goat will follow you like a dog and can forage for feed as you are cutting. I know that a large wether can pull a cart loaded with 300 lbs or more. Just a thought.

Hmmm, maybe I'll have to try that, we have goats and in new territory they will follow you around just because they are nervous and you are the leader. I find our Saanen dairy doe to be the smartest and our Boer bucks to be the dumbest but I guess any of them could be trained as well as many dogs and our wether is friendly to the point of being annoying.

Back on topic, I like the pack, before we got our atv we would pack our saw in, gas and oil in an old back pack with the files and wedges and just carrying the saw switching hands often! Maybe you aren't an atv person but getting an older 300cc 4x4 is pretty cheap way to get around your trails without tearing them up, and to avoid hauling it back and forth we just hid ours a 100 yards into the woods, chained to a tree with a green tarp on it for a couple years.
Ian