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Corrugated plastic as a pack frame?


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Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
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  • #1236379
    Jeff Jeff
    BPL Member

    @jeffjeff

    Has anyone tried using corrugate plastic as a framesheet? It's bascially 1/4" plastic that resembles cardboard. I was thinking of using a 12"x24" sheet behind a lightweight 1/2" piece of foam padding.

    I think it would be a good middle ground between stays and going frameless or just using a pad. I'm not sure how much it would weigh though. Also, you can't shape it very well, so it's up to the 1/2" foam to conform to your back. You might be able to get some large radiused, shallow curvature out of it though.

    #1501841
    Dondo .
    BPL Member

    @dondo

    Locale: Colorado Rockies

    I've used it with my Jam. Mine was cut from a corrugated plastic lawn sign. It was cut to 7.5"x17" to fit into the hydration sleeve, and weighs 2.3 oz. You're right; it does provide a middle ground between frameless and using stays.

    #1501844
    Lance M
    BPL Member

    @lancem

    Locale: Oregon

    Search the forums for 'corrugated framesheet'. There are several threads.

    Adding aluminum or titanium stiffeners seems to be popular.

    Practicalbackpacking.com also has a entry from 6/20/06 titled 'Lightweight Framesheet for a pack'.

    #1501845
    Tom Caldwell
    BPL Member

    @coldspring

    Locale: Ozarks

    Why wouldn't it work? Just ran across this. There sure are a lot of real estate signs in yards these days.

    http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Packs/Internal%20and%20External%20Framed%20Backpacks/R2%20Custom%20Pack/Test%20Report%20by%20Jason%20Boyle/

    #1502427
    Matthew Dunn
    Member

    @boddunn

    Locale: Kirby Muxloe

    I think it's called 'Coroplast' (although we used to call it Corflute when I were a lad) and I'm using it in some MYOG panniers I'm making at the moment. I've riveted an aluminium sheet that's bent over the top to make it laterally rigid (I stole the Idea from some Carradice panniers I have) and works great.
    I think it would be brilliant for a pack from what I've seen so far.

    #1502436
    Joe Clement
    BPL Member

    @skinewmexico

    Locale: Southwest

    I keep planning to try it, I just can't find any that has the corrugations running vertically.

    #1502442
    David Olsen
    Spectator

    @oware

    Locale: Steptoe Butte

    The larger signs are even thicker. My neighbor is using them
    for paddles on a land/water craft. They are the thickness
    and stiffness of 3/8" plywood but much lighter. I think
    they would make good stays too.

    You may be able to laminate them like plywood, across
    the grain for better rigidity for some uses.

    #1503018
    Matthew Dunn
    Member

    @boddunn

    Locale: Kirby Muxloe

    Hey Joe,
    (no pun intended)would it work by turning it through 90 degrees? We have for sale signs outside houses in the UK that are plenty long enough both ways for any application i can think of.
    Sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick,
    Matt

    #1503062
    Joe Clement
    BPL Member

    @skinewmexico

    Locale: Southwest

    Most of the corrugated signs i see here are landscape (as opposed to portrait), so they are too short to use. Rare to see one that is tall and narrow, with vertical corregations.

    #1503071
    Jeff Jeff
    BPL Member

    @jeffjeff

    I don't need anything that thick. Something thinner would give a nice balance between flexibility so it countours to your pack, but still having at least a little more load transfer.

    #1503081
    Joe Clement
    BPL Member

    @skinewmexico

    Locale: Southwest

    I found it on EBay, it's just one of the many things I haven't gotten to lately. Looked at using Kydex, but it would be a lot of trouble.

    #1503086
    Rick Dreher
    BPL Member

    @halfturbo

    Locale: Northernish California

    Hi Jeff,

    I have a Golite pack that uses the stuff for the framesheet, and it seems to do the job. It's not a quarter-inch though, more like an eighth.

    I know it's tough because the Postal Service has used it for letter bins for decades.

    Cheers,

    Rick

    #1503115
    te – wa
    BPL Member

    @mikeinfhaz

    Locale: Phoenix

    at ace hardware.. 18×24 in 4mm thick size, $2
    20×10 (although reinforcements run horizontally, $1)
    the 20×10 is pro'lly the perfect size for my Conduit.. may try it with a can of 3M spray glue to hold the ccf in place.

    #1503297
    Alan Chapman
    Member

    @alanc

    Another place to look is at sign printing shops. I work at a repro shop and we throw away alot of that stuff that is "scrap" from customer projects. We buy it in 4'x8' sheets and cut it down to what we need. Just a thought. I picked up a bunch for a project a few years ago at the end of an election cycle. Just offer to clean up and you can get all kids of it.

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