Hmmmmm,You all are gettin me thinkin.Mostly I beaver ,otter and rat trap anyhow ,so usage would be about the same.My baskets get beat!This time of year they head out on the sled behind me and wind up on my back generally on the way back in.If they are that heavy shipping must kill hey? I can see how it could be better,last woven I got local was birch,ya just can't afford a good ash one anymore.If yoou can find one,and the birch just don't hold up.I got so many great places to beaver trap this year IF i could just get out to them.Maybe next week,I'm gonna start checkin some tommorow,without much weight.Gonna be snowshoein wherever I am headed now but thats ok,I enjoy that part.....