Timeless and enduring, the Adirondack Pack Basket is a familiar sight in the place that I call home. Also referred to as a trapper’s basket, or backpack basket, the Adirondack Pack Basket has its roots in the Northeast. For centuries, Native Americans utilized baskets for transporting items, anything from food to furs. It is believed that French trappers adapted these pack baskets as a practical means for carrying supplies, camping and hunting equipment. They became known as “Adirondack” pack baskets owing to their extensive use throughout the area, particularly with guides and outdoorsmen.
Traditionally, baskets were made from pounded strips of Ash, but due to the destruction caused by the ash beetle infestations in many forests, baskets today are commonly made from other wood and materials, including maple, oak, pine and reed.
All of my packs are made with basket reed, stained and/or dyed by hand. Each basket is finished with a light coat of tung oil as a preservative. Tung oil is a natural oil extracted from nuts and has been used for centuries as a water-resistant finish for boats and other wooden objects. It is all-natural, environmentally friendly and food safe. Removable/replaceable plywood base and runners are included to protect the bottom of the pack basket from normal wear and tear.
Measurements and prices for each basket are stated.
Scroll through Available Baskets or click thumbnails below to Jump to Basket.
See Sold Pack Baskets
Traditional Style with Multi-Pocket Tactical Pouch
Pack basket measure approximately 6.5”x11.5”(base), 11”x14” (at belly) x 19.75” tall (including runners). Opening is 11” circle. An upcycled belt with multi-pocket zippered pouch (6”x7”x2”) is incorporated into the harness. The cotton straps are adjustable, one size fits most.
$275, includes domestic shipping
“Thunderbird No. 2”
Pack basket measure approximately 6.5”x9.5”(base), 10”x12” (at belly) x 15.5” tall (including runners). Opening is 8.75” circle. A beaded leather belt with Thunderbird motif is incorporated into the harness. The cotton straps are adjustable.
$195, includes domestic shipping
“Saguaro”
The saguaro is a tree-like cactus native to the Sonoran desert in Arizona, Mexico and Southern California. They have a relatively long lifespan, often exceeding 150 years. A saguaro can absorb and store considerable amounts of rainwater, and provides food and habitat to a large number of species. The saguaro blossom is the state wildflower of Arizona.
Pack basket measure approximately 6.5”x9.5”(base), 8” x11” (at belly) x 15.5” tall (including runners). Opening is 9” circle. A leather belt is incorporated into the harness. The cotton straps are adjustable. Perfect for child or small adult.
$195, includes domestic shipping
“Morel No. 2”
These distinctive fungi have a honeycomb appearance due to the network of ridges with pits composing their caps. Morels are prized by foragers and gourmet cooks. They are difficult to cultivate, but are found all over the northern hemisphere in spring.
Pack basket measure approximately 6.5”x9”(base), 10.5”x12” (at belly) x 15.5” tall (including runners). Opening is 10” circle with a built-in handle for easy carrying and hanging. A genuine suede leather belt with 4”x6”x2” pouch (magnetic closure) is incorporated into the harness with adjustable cotton straps, one size fits most.
$220, includes domestic shipping
Purchase the matching foraging basket here.
“Balsam”
Balsam Fir, Abies balsamea, is an evergreen tree native to eastern North America. A common species grown for Christmas trees (popular because of its heavenly fragrance), it also has medicinal uses.
Resin is the sticky substance secreted by trees when they get damaged. This natural response to injury protects the tree in several ways. It has has antiseptic, astringent, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Indigenous peoples used this sap for cuts and burns. A tea of the green needles was also widely used for colds and coughs. I’ve learned to identify these trees by their blistered bark. The underside of a blister can be pierced to release the sap. Dry, hardened sap can be chewed like gum.
Pack basket measure approximately 6.5”x11”(base), 11” x14” (at belly) x 18” tall (including runners). Opening is 10.25” circle. An upcycled belt is incorporated into the harness. The cotton straps are adjustable, one size fits most.
$248, includes domestic shipping
“Sagebrush”
Sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata, is found mainly in arid, cold deserts with powdery or sandy soil of the American West or Great Basin. Traditionally it is used for preventing infection in wounds, stopping internal bleeding, and treating headaches and colds. The wood was used as fuel, and the stringy bark was used in the manufacture of ropes and baskets. The silvery grey-green leaves provide food and habitat to a variety of birds and fauna, including grouse, deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and jackrabbit.
Pack basket measure approximately 6.5”x11”(base), 11”x14” (at belly) x 19” tall (including runners). Opening is 10”x10.5” oval. An upcycled belt is incorporated into the harness. The cotton straps are adjustable, one size fits most.
$248, includes domestic shipping
Traditional Pack Basket with Leather Cap
A sleek and simple traditional style Adirondack Pack Basket with a hand-stitched soft leather cap/lid. It attaches through a handle at the back of the rim and is fastened with a snap, making it removable.
Pack basket measure approximately 6.5”x11”(base), 11”x14” (at belly) x 18.25” tall (including runners). Opening is 9.5” circle. An upcycled belt is incorporated into the harness. The cotton straps are adjustable, one size fits most.
$278, includes domestic shipping
“Tongariro”
One of the best day hikes during my travels in New Zealand was the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, with its stunning Emerald Lakes. The 20.2 km (12 mile) trek traverses a volcanic landscape and passes the peak of the Ngauruhoe (the film adaptation of Mount Doom for all you Lord of the Rings nerds!).
Pack basket measure approximately 6.5”x11”(base), 11”x13” (at belly) x 18.75” tall (including runners). Opening is 10” circle. An upcycled leather belt pouch (5.5”x7”x1.75” magnetic and zipper closures) with green stone inlay is incorporated into the harness. The cotton straps are adjustable, one size fits most.
$278, includes domestic shipping
“Saunter”
John Muir said it best: “Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not ‘hike’ through them.”
Pack basket measure approximately 6.5”x11”(base), 11”x14” (at belly) x 18.25” tall (including runners). Opening is 10.5” circle. An upcycled leather belt with pouch (4.5”x6.5”x1.5”, snap closure) is incorporated into the harness. The cotton straps are adjustable, one size fits most.
$278, includes domestic shipping
Heartwood Homestead Farm 
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