I have been carrying my Roycroft Pack Frame a lot as of late. If you’re unfamiliar with this type of pack, I’ll explain. A Roycroft Pack Frame is essentially a DIY Wooden Pack Frame made from 3 sticks found in the woodland, lashed together with 3 pieces of cordage, and finished off with a large diameter rope that can be used as backpack straps.
One of my favorite parts about this wooden pack frame is how well it blends into the system that I already carry and utilize for my outdoor ventures (more on that later). It also allows me to utilize every single part of the pack when I am setting up my camp. In this way, I’m making the most of the weight I’m carrying and finding purpose for everything.
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Roycroft Pack Frame Materials
The materials needed to create a Roycroft Pack Frame are minimal. In fact, you probably already have the materials lying around. But, if you do not, you can purchase these for $10 or so.
- (x2) Sticks:
Armpit to Finger-Tip Length (thumb thickness) - (x1) Stick:
Elbow to Finger-Tip Length (thumb thickness) - (x3) 6 Foot Sections of Jute Twine or #36 Bankline
- (x6) 1 Foot Sections of 550 Paracord
- (x1) 30 Foot Section of 550 Paracord
- (x1) 8 Foot Nautical Style Rope (unless you use the XL Haversack strap)
Shown Above: My Roycroft Pack is tied down and ready to hit the woods.
Roycroft Pack Frame Haversack
I have chosen to personalize my Roycroft Pack Frame to include a couple of extra items, which include:
- (x1) Additional Stick, used as a cross support midway up my back:
Wrist to Elbow Length (thumb thickness) - (x1) Campcraft XL Haversack
- (x1) Campcraft Utility Mat (used as a lumbar pad, which serves a lot of other purposes)
While I am not going to go into detail and teach you how to build a Roycroft pack frame in this article, I can point you towards this fantastic resource from Kevin of Tawodi Nature School.
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My pack frame, minus the utility mat that I use as a lumbar pad.
Benefits of a Wooden Pack Frame
There is a lot of pros to using this type of a pack frame. I’ll break down a few of them below:
- Multi-purpose: Every item from this pack frame has a purpose.
The rope can be used to hang gear, drag logs, and create ridgelines. While the utility mat serves as a dry place to work or sit. The haversack can be used as a foraging sack when empty. And the frame itself can be used as a standalone carrying system for firewood. - Easy field repairs: Unlike modern backpacks, I know I can easily fix my pack frame in a matter of minutes if something breaks in the field.
- Traditional skills: Knowing your gear and how it is made goes beyond just being able to make repairs (or customizations). It gives you a new skill set that will strengthen you as a woodsman or woman.
- Minimalism: Just as I love a simple haversack, I love the Roycroft Pack Frames for the same reason. They are minimal and don’t complicate the outdoor experience. If you’ve ever tried either, you know what I’m talking about.
- Outer lashing points: Remember the 6 pieces of paracord I listed in the materials section? Those are excellent for adding exterior lashing points for bulky items like gloves, camp cups, etc.
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When Do I Carry my Roycroft Pack?
The Roycroft Pack Frame is a strategic part of my outdoor system and how I prefer to carry things. It falls between needing a haversack and a full rucksack. Let me explain below:
- Tier 1 – My Belt Kit
My belt kit (as shown here) is always accompanied by a trusty fixed blade knife and a water bottle. This serves me well on a short hikes or land scouts. Let’s just call this my Outdoor EDC. - Tier 2 – Haversack
I add a haversack on top of Tier 1 when I need to spend the majority of the day outside and have some emergency gear. I’ll add in things like a survival blanket or poncho, a lightweight folding stove, folding saw, food, etc. - Tier 3 – Roycroft Pack Frame
When I need a bit more gear than my small haversack can handle, I swap out for the XL Haversack shown here and I toss it onto a pack frame. This allows me to still carry all of the above + a full overnight loadout for fair-weather months. - Tier 4 – Rucksack
If I have exhausted the comfortable load-bearing capabilities of the Roycroft Pack Frame, I switch up to my full rucksack. This allows me to carry heavy winter equipment and have straps that distribute the weight a bit better.
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Roycroft Pack Frame
I hope you all have enjoyed seeing my personalized Roycroft Pack Frame so far. Please take a second if you haven’t already and sign up for my free checklist above. There is plenty of awesome info in there that I’d love for you to check out!
What’s Next? See my Belt Kit Here • Lt. Colonel Knife Review
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