Anyone own the Blackpak from YakAttack? Is this better than a standard milk crate ? Are their other options to store your gear and rods in your yak beside the milk crate? Seems like the milk crate is popular for kayak fishing.

Thanks

I use a milk crate. It's cheap drains well, and is easy to customize. The blackpak or even the new jackson product have lids (which I don't want or need) and they cost a lot. For what they cost I could have a nice real.

That's a pretty tricked out milk crate! Looks good. How is the hawg trough mounted?

No doubt! I use a crate, too. Some good ideas there. There is a file organizer like his in a vacant office down the hall that I think I'm going to grab before it hits the trash. Need camo paint for mine, too.

I use milk crates as well; just can't justify the cost of the Black Pack and J Crate. Milk crates are popular because they're sturdy, lightweight, and easily customizable. Another option is to start with an inexpensive hard-sided cooler to start customizing from. A lot of guys who do over night trips do this.

I used galvanized screen door handles and cut the top off. I lined the inside of the handle with silent track to make it grippy.

Most of the stuff on that crate came from the container store. The milk crate is a heavy duty one and it was 6 bucks. I added gear track the door handles for the hawg trough mount and the rod holders.

The scissor and pier holder is a tool holder I cut in two pieces.

Most of my ideas there came from just going through the office store and the organizing sections of hardware stores.

Could you post a picture showing the side that the hawg trough is on?

your mileage will vary. Before you drill test the layout in your yak to make sure things fit when your seat and other gear is in.

That is one great milk crate!!! I think I know what I am gonna work on this weekend.

That is a sweet crate Mike! I always loved the ingenuity of kayak owners to make things they need. Big Redneck makes some cool crates too.

I went with the Blackpak because I wanted a lid and I found the milk crate too brittle and would break easy. The Blackpak is a lot stronger and with the bigger flatter surface it gives more room for mounting things. Mostly I like the bigger compartment of the Blackpaks. I carry too much stuff for the standard milk crate.

The Blackpak is bigger so if you decide to get one make sure it will fit your kayak.

Where can you buy milk crates.$6 is awesome. I would rather use a milk crate IMO.The Jcrate and Blackpak are kinda pricey. Like texwhitacre, said thats a new reel!
TIGHT LINES!!

I have a Blackpak. I absolutely love it. Having said that, it is not, by any means, a game changer. If you're new to rigging out your kayak, there are much better investments than a blackpak or a JKrate. I like not having my stuff get snagged in the milk crate and the lid proved to be invaluable when I flipped down at the coast, as I did not lose anything. Not even my spare anchor made the lid come open.

But again, if you're just starting to rig out your yak, just get a milk crate and add some rod holders. Whitacre has some real innovative ideas on his.

But if money is a non-issue, I am very happy with mine.

you can put a lid on the milk crate too, just need a second crate and some hinges. There are instructions on here somewhere if you can't visualize it. all the fancy boxes are way overpriced.

Big redneck also has a wicked milk crate, lid and all. I need ti do some work to mine...insted I'm just gonna go fishin

He is the crate master for sure

Mine came from The Container Store. Their HD crates are only like $6. And they are slightly bigger than a standard milk crate (I have one of those, too) so my Plano 3700 boxes fit in them. The top is easy. a couple of small hinges and a piece of 1/8" thick plastic or plexiglass.

Here are some photos of my crate.




While I was down in Kerrville I found a black cutting board at Gibsons that I would like to use as a lid. I just have not figured out how I want to mount it.


But if your wanting to save money make your own rod holders out of PVC. The YAK Gear rod holders run about $20 each. So I spent more than I should have.

I like the supreme crate from the container store. it's the one they use for records. It's bigger and holds quite a bit of stuff.

http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10005526&N=&Ntt=crate

These are 3700 series boxes in this crate





I have a Black Pak that I won, but I have yet to use it.

Now I've seen all you guys' s crates I feel a little inadequite. Nice work. Now I gotta make improvements.

What did you use to attach the Yellow Crate Lid to your Crate?

Thanks

I did a similar double decker with lid and I used zip ties. it worked out well, just drill out a 1/4 hole into the crate and run the zip ties around.

looks like he used zip ties

I use zip ties to attach mine ,and a bungie cord to latch it closed

Correct I used zip ties.

I've seen the black pak and I think it's a high quality product that no one would regret buying. The Jackson box looks tough and it is no doubt. Probably a little like buying a super light 24 ounce paddle. I doubt anyone would be kicking himself or thinking its a waste of money. But a 29 ounce paddle that costs a fraction of that is really just fine when you think about it. I just can't imagine paying the full retail on these. Just too many reels, rods, graphs, lures that I could put that money toward that would directly improve my catch rate. The storage container that I'm holding my crankbaits and Plano boxes in really doesn't have a whole lot to do with that... The standard milk crate works fine, particularly if you take the time to add a lid and rod holders. But if I had all the kistler/dobyns/loomis rods for all the presentations that I need to be truly effective (ain't even close yet!), yeah I'd buy one... JMO...

What is best way to cut crate to create a lid?

Thanks for help, project for the weekend

I used a jig saw. Took about a minute then I used a pocket knife to cut any rough edges. You could sand down the edges to make them even smoother.

I was blessed with winning a BlacPak at the KBFT Open. It is a very useful piece of equipment. Being primarily a fly fisherman I wouldn't normally use a crate but the BP is real handy. I have even bought some of the thin Plano boxes for my flies. I put the custom lid in the man cave and am using the standard lid. It holds a lot of stuff and I like the fact that it has the lid so that everything is secure if I flip, and it keeps the sun from beating down on my "stuff".

I'm all for the custom milk crates, and even though I have the JCrate I ain't given up my custom milk crate. They are cheap to build and add too when more goodies become available to add on. I use a table saw to cut the bottom of a milk crate off and use it for the top. The milk crate will hold up and can take a beating too. The JCrate and BlackPak are very nice crates and yes they do cost a bit more. They both can be customized to fit your fishing needs as you see fit, and both are pretty darn tough and light weight. One thing that's nice about the storage crates, is lots of folks who build them on this forum love to share there ideas and even help out when some of us don't have the tools or place to build them. Good folks here.

I have an X-pak. Soft sided with panel inserts to stiffen the box. Zippered "lid". I ended up building an internal PVC frame just to make it more rigid. Good size, reasonably light, has pockets outside for rod holders/light and other items as well as zippered pockets on each side. D-rings to tie stuff off. Easy to get in and out of. The zippered top is designed to roll back and snap to leave it open if desired. Been using it all summer and has held up well so far. About $50-$60.

I'll pay for a crate when somebody invents one that holds 5 or 6 standard tackle trays that I can easily access without picking thru them and it keeps them laying flat on their bottoms.

x2

I just put my stuff inside the hull. It's nice to have an easily accessible hatch right in the middle of your kayak. No need for crates on my boat.