Show us your Vintage Rucksacks!

tempesh · Apr 6, 2012

my vintage swiss army backpack - salt and pepper pattern

Hello,
here is one image of one of my backpacks. A Swiss army backpack with the salt and pepper pattern from 1963.
For the daily use I think this one is just perfect and the craftsmanship of this bag is just outstanding. Check my blog for
more images and detail shots and also the comparison with the heavier version of this rucksack.

The links are here:
The heavier Salt and Pepper - Swiss army backpack
The comparison between the lighter and the heavier Swiss Army backpack, 1963 and 1973 both salt and pepper pattern.
and if you happen to have the lighter one and have not figured out to how to close it, my latest post about
to close it - my way.

Renault · Jan 13, 2013

Dagnabbit! Wished I could post pics. Just scored a really nice Trager mfg "Trapper Nelson" packboard and pack!! I'm bustin' at the seems to head back to the mountains!!!

Renault

Selous · Jan 19, 2013

Mine is a Swedish 1942 pack, cost a pittance and is fantastic, leather creaks when you walk !!

Also got this retro style canvass pack, made in India I think, this is modern but I remember my Pa having something similar when he was demobbed from the British army in the late 50's.

DavidJones · Feb 15, 2013

Any ideal where I can acquire one of these packs made in Indian? They look like a copy from old P-37 gear.

GJ nord · Aug 25, 2013

first post...here's my recently acquired rucksack.....

Renault · Aug 25, 2013

Very nice GJ! Welcome to our campfire!

And since I too, have figured out how to post pics, here's my old "Trapper Nelson" hanging on my closet door!

Dragon Soldier · Aug 25, 2013

Here's my proper oldy. Although the orange nylon, framed sac that took me through Scotland & Germany in my early teens probably qualifies as "vintage" for many of you!

British Commando Bergan.

Renault · Aug 26, 2013

Found this old bent wood pack frame about a year or so ago. Fitted an old school Boy Scout yucca pack to it. Fabricated three back support straps this morning of leather. Re-rigged with new hitching lines. Prolly fit some felt pads on the shoulder straps.

Mojave Jack · Sep 1, 2013

I've been using this pack for about the last year.

Pretty stock from the front. It is a Czech rucksack, if memory serves. They've been all over the web for some time, and just kept getting cheaper.

I got three of the packs for about $25 from a random surplus site, and started cannibalizing two of the others for parts. I figured for the price at worst I had a few gear bags to toss into the back of the Monty. Here are the straps it came with:

I combined multiple pieces of the straps into shoulders straps that attached at the rings at the top of the pack, and used the rings from the strap assembly to create attachment points at the bottom. I used other cannibalized strap bits to make a waist belt. I used a fastex buckle, since I couldn't find a vintage buckle that would work quickly and easily. I may replace that if I find a better buckle, but at the time I wanted it done and didn't feel like trolling the web for a buckle!

On the inside, I scavenged a piece of closed cell foam from an isotherm mat I had since my Marine Corps days, and was currently only being used for a sit up mat. It is pretty stiff foam, so it makes an excellent back pad to keep sharps things from poking in my back and to give the pack some rigidity when empty. That makes it much easier to load and unload, as well as find things inside!

The pad inside the pack, secured with some canvas stitched around the outside:

The rest of the isotherm mat was cut up and now lines a .50 cal box for my air pump in the Montero. Like a deer carcass, nothing goes to waste!

Nikita4ever9000 · Sep 6, 2013

In this Movie clip from the Movie "Foxfire" with Angelina Jolie is that a "Swiss Rucksack"
at 5:54 into the video? And if so is it a "Swiss OD Engineer Rucksack"? If not what is
it and where can I find one like it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvXr5gG0Dak

Spencer · Mar 24, 2015

May not be vintage, but I use it daily.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/5412...l-rucksack&attrValue_0=Khaki&productId=909928

Here is their version of a trappers pack basket
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/6144...rge&attrValue_0=Khaki Brown&productId=1024876

Heeresbergführer · Apr 2, 2015

My French 'Sac Lafuma' rucksack (c.1940-50's) out on a little ski tour through the woods in Northern Virginia last winter.

_MG_0099 by bergfuhrerkiser, on Flickr

Dinerman · Apr 9, 2015

Mid 1930s

fireman · Jul 1, 2015

Great thread.....love the old rucks.

Mr. Godfrey · Jul 5, 2015

Selous said:
Mine is a Swedish 1942 pack, cost a pittance and is fantastic, leather creaks when you walk !!

I saw this young chap with one on his back as he left the school the other day, he was about 11 and I thought good for you for being stylish and not following the crowd. All his contemparies all had either a modern nylon rucksack or a retro Adidas,Dunlop,Gola sports bag.

Funny I had a black Adidas sports bag first year at senior school then I changed to a RAF blue canvas and leather from the rucksack with a single pocket, it lasted years and died in my late 20's after much abuse and it was more an off white than blue in the end.

Some very nice rucksacks here, for daily use I still use a canvas and leather sack but it is a modern copy made by Barbour, although it is now 12/3 years old.

I have seen the Swiss sacks made into cycle panniers and that's the one for me.

L'Onset · Sep 28, 2015

Vintage rucksacks can make a good pillow for an exhausted 9 year old boy after a long day visiting castles and old churches...

Harrifer · Nov 26, 2015

A Norwegian Army 'bergen' made by Bergans of Norway.

I dyed the white leather black, and used Barbour wax to weatherproof the canvas. I saw Nepal and Dartmoor with this bag!

Bushman · May 7, 2016

Hey guys, I just got my Willis and Geiger rucksack in! It's a little used, but it's otherwise fantastic. The distribution of weight of the bag is far superior to my old pack.

jswindle2 · Feb 21, 2017

I just landed a very clean Swedish M39 on OFAS. The problem is that it lacks the frame. If anyone has one they want to get rid of or knows of a place I can get one, please let me know. Either by message reply or private. It is the cleanest ruck I've seen for quite some time. Posting pics on arrival.

green papaya · Mar 22, 2017

US Marine Corps M1941 pack system. This was issued starting in mid-1942 to replace the overly complicated and inefficient M1928 Haversack.

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