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seeking a basic MOLLE bucket, 40-60 litres

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teef

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i've been doing a buy-and-try tour of cheapo midsize surplus rucksacks and have figured out a few things based on my "hobby" of collecting deadfall/windfall wood for carving projects:
  • i prefer external frame packs for their great ability to keep a heavy load stable and comfortable. the ease of reconfiguration is very nice too.
  • PALS/MOLLE webbing is pretty damn convenient stuff.
  • i (mostly) keep my gear in outer pockets and leave the main bucket for carrying my scavenged wood load home.
  • large external pockets are ideal for ease of access to my basic woodland tools.

so what i've done is tweaked an old Polish bucket pack with some PALS/MOLLE on the main face and both sides.
this i strap to my beloved LK35 frame, meaning of course that the shoulder and waist rigging on the pack itself are either removed or ignored since i've already got all that figured out on the frame itself.
I've found MOLLE pockets that i'm happy(ish) with so those just get stuck on the outside of the pack.
and off i go!

as i've said, i've banged this together myself but i made some poor design choices resulting in weight and webbing limitations that are a lot greater than needs be.

so, i'm wondering if i wouldn't be better off trying to buy something than start over with another DIY project.

can anyone recommend a basic bucket pack in the 40-60 litre range that is covered in PALS/MOLLE?

something build solid, preferably rubberized or otherwise nicely water-resistant, would be ideal. the less faff on the exterior of the bag the better imo.
as i've said, the rigging is likely going to be ignored so that's not really part of the equation.

thoughts?
 
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i thought i'd mention that the Savotta Jaakari packs are somewhat like what i've got in mind, though way more features than i need and way higher price than i'm willing to pay:

savotta-jaakari-med-pack_w400px.jpg
 
ah yes, the 6Sh112 daypack. i remember coming across that a while back. looks like a great bit of kit, do you like it?
unfortunately it is almost always out of stock and when you can get it it ain't cheap. about £80 last time i checked.
that said you are quite right, that would probably suit my purposes quite nicely. thank you for taking the time to post.
 
i've spent a few hours searching and found a few other options:
  • the USMC FILBE Assault Pack looks pretty good, hard to get though and a bit dear since most are coming in from the US.
  • something called the Rasputin "Item Over 5" Backpack is good, a bit small though and £££.
  • also, the Pantac MOLLE Expedition Pack is great, though quite large and, again, £££.

so at this point i've convinced myself to press on with the DIY option. my starting point is a Czech M85 Waterproof Rucksack, the bucket measures about 48cm tall by 40cm wide by 20cm deep:

czech-m85-rucksack_w400px.jpeg


it's not pretty -- apparently the nickname for it was "the green toad" -- and the rigging is a joke but the basic bucket is not too shabby (imo). it's basically rubberized nylon tarp material and can take a hell of a beating, though i wouldn't want to get it too near an open flame. i do like the fact that it sits quite close to your back -- i have mine mounted on an LK35 frame -- as this allows you to slide through the woods (and fencing) without getting snagged up. i was able to a get a few of these for a fiver each.

here's a shot showing the two full-length interior pockets:
czeck-m85-rucksack-interior_w400px.jpg


now if those pockets had been on the exterior i might not have started on this whole business in the first place but there you go i guess.

here's a shot of the work in "progress". well, barely started actually, though getting the layout right took a few tries:
czeck-m85-rucksack_molle-layout_w400px.jpg


some day that will be a full MOLLE spread. :)

so, on with the project. i'll post again when the webbing is on.
 
An option that may crop up is the British army assault pack

https://flic.kr/p/bWNtUu

Probably cheaper in dessert DPM which should have the MOLLE or woodland DPM which doesn’t but all versions can have zip on side pouches.

I use one in the army as my day sack, because it was originally designed to carry bowman radios it’s strong and has well padded shoulder straps and back supports. The lid was originally removable but I paid a cobbler £5 to fix it in place (one side only!!!).

If eBay searching use terms such as British army radio pack and British army bowman pack etc

Available at various prices on the bay of evil but links will disappear.

38
 
38thfoot said:
An option that may crop up is the British army assault pack
...
Click to expand...

interesting option! i do like the sound of the beefed-up shoulder straps and back support. thank you for suggesting it.

do you have the side pouches? are they the standard ones used on the BA bergens or something different? i'm curious about the top-to-bottom length as these are what i'd use for saw storage on at least one side. even the measure of the zip length would be most helpful.
 
Forest wanders said:
Another option is the Swiss army rucksack.. 2 pouches and expands for extra storage...
Click to expand...

:} got it, used it, like it, but i found two short-comings (probably only relevant to my particular needs):
  • the bucket is a bit on the small side for my intended purpose (wood scavenging). i found that if you overload it using the LONG extension collar the balance becomes a bit unwieldy.
  • those side pockets are a bit on the short side for medium to large-ish bush saws. pockets are around 25cm tall as i recall.

it certainly does tick a good number of the boxes though.
all in all a great pack for the price, assuming you aren't going to rely on the medieval rigging it comes with. :eek:
 
Last edited:
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teef said:
interesting option! i do like the sound of the beefed-up shoulder straps and back support. thank you for suggesting it.
teef said:
:} got it, used it, like it, but i found two short-comings (probably only relevant to my particular needs):
  • the bucket is a bit on the small side for my intended purpose (wood scavenging). i found that if you overload it using the LONG extension collar the balance becomes a bit unwieldy.
  • those side pockets are a bit on the short side for medium to large-ish bush saws. pockets are around 25cm tall as i recall.

it certainly does tick a good number of the boxes though.
all in all a great pack for the price, assuming you aren't going to rely on the medieval rigging it comes with. :eek:
Click to expand...



do you have the side pouches? are they the standard ones used on the BA bergens or something different? i'm curious about the top-to-bottom length as these are what i'd use for saw storage on at least one side. even the measure of the zip length would be most helpful.
Click to expand...

It’s designed for the standard side pouches off an issue Bergen.

38
 
searched bay of evil, found a couple likely candidates for the pack, typically around £80. also seeing something a bit cheaper, very similar looking with fixed side pockets called a "cadet's" pack. does that mean anything to you, the "cadet" bit?
 
excellent! thank you. :)
i had misunderstood earlier, thought the "60mm mortar" thing referred to the side pockets.
 
fwiw found another option:

DD-Bergen.jpg


has most of the features i was looking for. not exactly "cheapo" but not terrible either: around £65+ new or £45ish used.
no idea about durability on this bergen, and that's definitely worth a few extra quid (to me) given the option.

the 60mm mortar bag mentioned above promises to be serious gear, but finding standard issue side pouches for it is no easy task. one you've bought the bag and side pouches you're looking at pretty much the same price as the DD Bergen (new).
 
and another, while we're at it. this one is the SnugPak Endurance 40L Rucksack:

SnugPak-Endurance-40L-Rucksack_h600.jpg


bit priceyer, seems to vary rather widely. seen it for everything from £65 (though currently old out) to £100+.
 
bit more info on that SnugPak Endurance 40L Rucksack:

seems the early version had:
  • hydration bladder pouch on the left _side_ of the pack rather than center-back as is typical.
  • no load lifters on the shoulder straps.
  • rain cover stashed in a zipped pocket on the bottom.

new version:
  • hydration bladder pouch moved to center-back.
  • load lifters added.
  • nixed the rain cover and zipped storage pocket.
 
DD quality should be fine as they have a market leader reputation (albeit for other products) that they wont want to jeopardise.

An option to get hold of PLCE side pouches is to buy a complete Bergen then sell the main body.

38
 
38thfoot said:
An option to get hold of PLCE side pouches is to buy a complete Bergen then sell the main body.
Click to expand...

:D now that's thinking out of the box! interesting suggestion. judging from the prices i've seen you'd end up spending a fraction for the sides that you would if you bought them alone. 'course there's the faff of selling off the bergen but i reckon that would be a useful learning experience. 👍
 
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