Pack Frame Update

Inspired by Oetzi's packframe I have decided to make one for myself. Hazel is a wood with most excellent bending qualities and was the wood used in the original. Consequently I chose to use this wood as well. Cutting down the tree is simple enough, but I struck stone with my antler axe, giving it a serious dent in the edge. Clearly one of the reasons that natives often cut trees with long stumps. Because of very few good speciemens, I didn't have that luxury however.














To make the stave bend on a particular location and without serious cracking, the wood is thinned in the future bend. Thin from both sides and preferably a rather long section, to make the bend more gradual. Compared to the original, my bend is too short. Thus making the frame narrower than the original. To compensate for this, I think I will leave the frame slightly triangular. Below thinning the tree.














The rest of the sapling was debarked with the cannon bone scraper.














I used hot water to bend the wood. When the wood is fresh like this, you don't need much hot water to bend it. Notice the string holding it together while it's drying.