diff --git a/gapstring/gapstring.go b/gapstring/gapstring.go
index 0dca1c4..722eea1 100644
--- a/gapstring/gapstring.go
+++ b/gapstring/gapstring.go
@@ -280,20 +280,13 @@ func (g GapString) Hexdump() string {
 	return out.String()
 }
 
-func (g GapString) Uint32LE() (uint32, GapString) {
-	return binary.LittleEndian.Uint32(g.Slice(0, 4).Bytes()), g.Slice(4, g.Length())
-}
-
-func (g GapString) Uint16LE() (uint16, GapString) {
-	return binary.LittleEndian.Uint16(g.Slice(0, 2).Bytes()), g.Slice(2, g.Length())
-}
-
-func (g GapString) Utf16(o binary.ByteOrder, fill string) string {
+// XXX: These should probably move to Packet
+func (g GapString) Utf16(order binary.ByteOrder, fill string) string {
 	in := g.Bytes([]byte(fill)...)
 	ints := make([]uint16, len(in)/2)
 	
 	for i := 0; i < len(in); i += 2 {
-		ints[i/2] = o.Uint16(in[i:])
+		ints[i/2] = order.Uint16(in[i:])
 	}
 	return string(utf16.Decode(ints))
 }
diff --git a/packet.go b/packet.go
index 8eea74b..f3f0427 100644
--- a/packet.go
+++ b/packet.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package netshovel
 
 import (
+	"encoding/binary"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
@@ -8,19 +9,40 @@ import (
 	"github.com/dirtbags/netshovel/gapstring"
 )
 
+type ShortError struct {
+	wanted, available int
+}
+func (e *ShortError) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("Short read: wanted %d of %d available", e.wanted, e.available)
+}
+
+type MissingError struct {
+}
+func (e *MissingError) Error() string {
+	return "Operation on missing bytes"
+}
+
 type PacketFactory func()Packet
 
-type Field struct {
+type NamedField struct {
 	key, value string
 }
 
+type HeaderField struct {
+	name string
+	bits int
+	value interface{}
+	order binary.ByteOrder
+}
+
 type Packet struct {
 	Name string
 	Opcode int
 	Description string
 	When time.Time
 	Payload gapstring.GapString
-	Fields []Field
+	Header []HeaderField
+	Fields []NamedField
 }
 
 var never = time.Unix(0, 0)
@@ -31,7 +53,8 @@ func NewPacket() Packet {
 		Description: "Undefined",
 		When: never,
 		Payload: gapstring.GapString{},
-		Fields: []Field{},
+		Header: []HeaderField{},
+		Fields: []NamedField{},
 	}
 }
 
@@ -53,7 +76,7 @@ func (pkt *Packet) Describe() string {
 
 
 func (pkt *Packet) Set(key, value string) {
-	pkt.Fields = append(pkt.Fields, Field{key, value})
+	pkt.Fields = append(pkt.Fields, NamedField{key, value})
 }
 
 func (pkt *Packet) SetString(key, value string) {
@@ -79,3 +102,96 @@ func (pkt *Packet) SetBytes(key string, value []byte) {
 func (pkt *Packet) SetGapString(key string, value gapstring.GapString) {
 	pkt.Set(key, fmt.Sprintf("%s  %s", value.HexString(), value.Runes()))
 }
+
+func (pkt *Packet) Peel(octets int) ([]byte, error) {
+	pllen := pkt.Payload.Length()
+	if octets > pllen {
+		return nil, &ShortError{octets, pllen}
+	}
+	buf := pkt.Payload.Slice(0, octets)
+	if buf.Missing() > 0 {
+		return nil, &MissingError{}
+	}
+
+	pkt.Payload = pkt.Payload.Slice(octets, pkt.Payload.Length())
+	b := buf.Bytes()
+	return b, nil
+}
+
+func (pkt *Packet) AddHeaderField(order binary.ByteOrder, name string, bits int, value interface{}) {
+	h := HeaderField{
+		name: name,
+		bits: bits,
+		value: value,
+		order: order,
+	}
+	pkt.Header = append(pkt.Header, h)
+}
+
+func (pkt *Packet) readUint(order binary.ByteOrder, bits int, name string) (interface{}, error) {
+	switch bits {
+	case 8:
+	case 16:
+	case 32:
+	case 64:
+	default:
+	  return 0, fmt.Errorf("Weird number of bits: %d", bits)
+	}
+	
+	octets := bits >> 3
+	b, err := pkt.Peel(octets)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	
+	var value interface{}
+	switch bits {
+	case 8:
+	  value = b[0]
+	case 16:
+		value = order.Uint16(b)
+	case 32:
+	  value = order.Uint32(b)
+	case 64:
+	  value = order.Uint64(b)
+	}
+	pkt.AddHeaderField(order, name, bits, value)
+	
+	return value, nil
+}
+
+func (pkt *Packet) Uint64LE(name string) (uint64, error) {
+	value, err := pkt.readUint(binary.LittleEndian, 64, name)
+	return value.(uint64), err
+}
+
+func (pkt *Packet) Uint32LE(name string) (uint32, error) {
+	value, err := pkt.readUint(binary.LittleEndian, 32, name)
+	return value.(uint32), err
+}
+
+func (pkt *Packet) Uint16LE(name string) (uint16, error) {
+	value, err := pkt.readUint(binary.LittleEndian, 16, name)
+	return value.(uint16), err
+}
+
+func (pkt *Packet) Uint64BE(name string) (uint64, error) {
+	value, err := pkt.readUint(binary.BigEndian, 64, name)
+	return value.(uint64), err
+}
+
+func (pkt *Packet) Uint32BE(name string) (uint32, error) {
+	value, err := pkt.readUint(binary.BigEndian, 32, name)
+	return value.(uint32), err
+}
+
+func (pkt *Packet) Uint16BE(name string) (uint16, error) {
+	value, err := pkt.readUint(binary.BigEndian, 16, name)
+	return value.(uint16), err
+}
+
+func (pkt *Packet) Uint8(name string) (uint8, error) {
+	value, err := pkt.readUint(binary.BigEndian, 8, name)
+	return value.(uint8), err
+}
+