Size of Main Boxes - using store-bought items

[JohnQTK5122]

I've got a boyscout backpack frame and I cut off just the vertical pipes that extend above the top horizontal tube. I made some main boxes using 22" long seed trays cut down to 13" long.

I think they are too tall, though, when laid on their sides. Including the lip, which I need to keep intact in order to attach the boxes together, each box is about 10 1/2" high. Total height from lower part of backpack frame to top edge of top box is about 21".

From studying movie stills, I think the two boxes should be the same size (on some packs, the top box looks a little smaller than the bottom one) but I think the two of them together should not be taller than about 18".

That's the distance from the bottom part of the pack frame to the top horizontal tube, both of which I can see in several movie stills.

I think I should remove 3" from the top box, or 1.5" from both of them. Do you all agree? Here's what I have:

[JohnQTK5122]

Thanks to messing with digital pictures of me wearing just the frame, and the boxes on the frame, and a movie still, I think I might have answered my own question but am still interested in your opinions.

But it looks to me like I definitely need to remove about 3" of total height from the boxes. They should not be taller than my shoulders.

It seems like all of the various movie backpacks extend from below the shoulders to about the waistline, right?

The boxes should be about 9"x13" I assume.

[Scott M.]

My trays are 13 3/8" wide and 9 1/4" high. Both are the same size, with the five rib tray on the bottom. This measurement includes the lips, or edges.

Hope this helps.

Scott

[TD-1536]

They're a little too big, but for what they are, that's a great find. I'd say keep working with them.

Also, the boyscout frames are really inconsistent. I've worked with at least five of them and each one was slightly different in how the cross bars were welded in place. It's still the best frame to use, but does require a lot of work to get right.

[Vogel]

I think your trays are great.

[JohnQTK5122]

I sliced the trays lengthwise and overlapped the two pieces so they fit very tight over the cat litter trays inside.

The seed trays are super flimsy, so I cut down my Walmart cat litter trays and put them inside the seed trays for strength.

These are still just slightly oversized but much better now.

I think someone with more patience could cut them and glue them together much nicer than I have, and they'd look pretty good.

I hope by time they are painted, have other boxes and things stuck to them, and then are weathered, my cut and glue job won't be so noticeable.

[JohnQTK5122]

After working with them some more, I've decided these are just too flimsy to use. They'd never survive trooping, even with the cat litter trays underneath for support.

[SethB6025]

Have you considered fiberglassing the insides?

[JohnQTK5122]

Considering what they look like on the outside, especially after I have had to cut them both lengthwise and widthwise to make them the right size, I think something like that would be too much work for me and these particular trays. My original plan was to fill them with Great Stuff and let it harden.

But they just don't look that good on the outside to go through all of that. ANd they really are paper thin. I don't know how they'd hold up even with fiberglass inside.

I'm going to try a different route altogether. 9"x13"x2.5" aluminum cake pans - the kind with no handles on the ends. A little expesive, but sturdy enough to bolt all the other boxes and bottles onto and stand up to the rigors of trooping.