How to Make a Canoe Basket

Canoes are products of Native American design. These open-hulled boats cruise through still water with aplomb and are great options for camping trips due to the large volume of open storage. To help contain the gear in the canoe consider using baskets. The original aboriginal baskets were woven from tree and plant fiber. Today, a canoe basket does not need to be so intricate in design. The primary function of the basket is to isolate and organize gear in the open hull. In addition, making the basket easy to attach and remove from the canoe makes transport during campsite setup and transport easier.

Things You'll Need

  • Medium to large collapsible cooler
  • Large mesh diving bag (optional)
  • Hook and loop fabric straps
  • Sewing machine (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set out the collapsible cooler in the center of the canoe where it is used. Measure the distance between the top of the cooler and the canoe's thwarts -- the crossbeams segmenting the canoe hull.

    • 2

      Mark the corners of the cooler where the thwarts are closest. Measure the distance between the thwarts and the cooler's corners.

    • 3

      Cut out the hook and loop straps in the distance between the thwart and cooler ends, double the length. Make four sets of straps.

    • 4

      Sew the straps onto the cooler corners so they have one side going under the thwart and one over, locking them together and securing the basket into the canoe.

    • 5

      Pack the basket in the canoe. Undo the straps and lift the whole unit up and out of the canoe when transporting the basket.