your go-to pack? here's mine

[teef]

thought it might be interesting to see what folks are using as their go-to pack these days. creds to LOL since it was him who inspired the idea because of his recent post in the F1/F2 tread.

anyway, here's mine, the awesomely humble but humbly awesome DPM 30L NI Patrol Pack:

why? i find it just works for me. the rocket pockets are big enough to actually hold a decent amount of stuff. the two pockets in the lid are a great organization aid. the thing is tough as old boots and it's a great size for good day out. also cheap as chips, comparatively speaking.

sure it has it's problems: the shoulder straps are a bit too short (for me); i'd swear the padding in the shoulder straps is old Vibram boot soles; no sternum strap and it's a bit of a faff to wedge one in; no webbing for add-ons on the butt of the pack; no extender straps on the lid; etc etc. who cares? from what i've seen the perfect pack doesn't exist, it's just a matter of finding something that works best for you.

for me the great thing about this pack is that it totally suits my organizational preferences: site gear (cordage, saw, small tools kit) in the right rocket pocket; "larder in the left"; first aid and "bog kit" in the top lid pocket; emergency clothing (poncho, extra base layer, rain cover) in the 2nd lid pocket. the rest goes in the bucket and i'm off. for me this is the way to always know where stuff is and to not lose things because i put them somewhere i can't remember. you get it sorted, you get used to it being there, and 90% of the time you just reach for it without thinking about it.

paid about £30 for mine, worth every penny IMO.

i've thought about doing some work on the shoulder straps but i'm not going to bother. when i finish making the wooden pack frame i've been tinkering with i'll try slinging this on there and see how that works out. if it's good, as i strongly suspect it will be, then the straps become a moot point because the frame will have its own suspension system.

anyway, that's me. keen on hearing what others have settled on as their go-to pack. i know LOL is liking his F2.

 

[Oot]

Well you name and I have bought and tried it,osprey kestrel being most expensive failure...think its the hump on my back.....but my go to russian army pack has been replaced by my new 44 litre highlander pro force...have the 65 and 88 although the 88 is old model and not as waterproof but they just seem to fit and a nice mix of civvy and military spec...

 

[teef]

nice looking pack. any idea what the volume of the side pockets is? i'm guessing 5-ish litres?

 

[Sharpfinger]

I too like the NI patrol style ruck, for certain tasks.

I have modified mine:

Chest strap
Quick release side lock buckle on one shoulder strap
Loaded lifter straps
Additional drag strap
Lower back pad
‘Under slung’ load straps
GP Bandolier pouch
Brolly pod
Waist stability strap

 

[teef]

nice mods! hope you don't mind if i lift some of those ideas for mine. any more info on this?

 

[Sharpfinger]

Feel free teef, I assume that’s what this forum is about.

That pouch is a copy of a British Army 51mm mortar ‘bandolier’.

As far as I recall they were only ever made in that format in dpm as I was still in service pre the dpm ones.
There was a much lighter version in olive and not as good.

The dpm ones were really plentiful about ten years back and sold for about a tenner a time and we’re snapped up not just by people of our ilk but as work satchels too. They are quite rare now.

I dismantled one to get a pattern for the two which I have made - one in poncho material (in the image), the other on another ruck which I will post in due course. (Image is from before I dismantled one).

I will make enquiries next week with a surplus supplies pal but suggest you look too as I may not be successful.

 

[Sharpfinger]

Aye Up Teef,

Here are some images of an ‘upgrade’ I made to an NI ruck to get even more capacity.
You can see the other bandolier pouch I made in a Cordura type material.

This ruck has been extended by joining two NI rucks together (quite a task but do-able - mostly hand stitched).
With the body of the ruck extended not only is there more capacity but you can share the load on your hips as opposed to just your shoulders (consider - the NI ruck was intended to be worn above waist belt order and sat on your rear belt pouches so indirectly transferred load to your hips that way).

It also has all the other mods shown on the standard size ruck I posted, plus a pukka load carrying waist belt - Warrior Assault Systems.

 

[teef]

must say, i admire your handywork with the NI Patrol Packs @Sharpfinger , nicely done all around.
i suspected this rucksack was intended to be used with a webbing belt. i've got a modern-era German webbing belt somewhere, must give the belt/ruck combo a go.
found an old listing for the mortor bandolier over at SurplusAndOutdoors (here). out of stock of course but interesting reference nevertheless.

funny thing about the NI Patrol Pack: my first encounter with them was one i was given one some time ago. it was black, had thin little shoulder straps of no substance whatsoever, mesh webbing on the front, narrow side pockets and only a single pocket in the lid. i was told it was original equipment -- may not have been true but the materials are certainly robust, aside from the shoulder straps -- but if it was i pity the poor squaddies who had to use that thing. i detested it and now use it only to store my spare cookware. took me a good long while to get around to being willing to give the DPM version a serious look, but obviously i'm very glad i did. totally different creature than that black POS.

 

[Oot]

nice looking pack. any idea what the volume of the side pockets is? i'm guessing 5-ish litres?

Well got two on ebay £5 each...they are osprey mk4 water bottle pouches,use mine for one of my cook kit set ups,enough room for bcb stove and titanium cups + spoon knife etc.

 

[Sharpfinger]

must say, i admire your handywork with the NI Patrol Packs @Sharpfinger , nicely done all around.
i suspected this rucksack was intended to be used with a webbing belt. i've got a modern-era German webbing belt somewhere, must give the belt/ruck combo a go.
found an old listing for the mortor bandolier over at SurplusAndOutdoors (here). out of stock of course but interesting reference nevertheless.

funny thing about the NI Patrol Pack: my first encounter with them was one i was given one some time ago. it was black, had thin little shoulder straps of no substance whatsoever, mesh webbing on the front, narrow side pockets and only a single pocket in the lid. i was told it was original equipment -- may not have been true but the materials are certainly robust, aside from the shoulder straps -- but if it was i pity the poor squaddies who had to use that thing. i detested it and now use it only to store my spare cookware. took me a good long while to get around to being willing to give the DPM version a serious look, but obviously i'm very glad i did. totally different creature than that black POS.

Thanks. It’s often been a case of necessity being the mother of invention - or urgent operational requirement!

With regards to use of the standard NI pack with a waist belt (as opposed to just a stability strap), the NI pack is effectively a ‘short back’ ruck and is intended to sit on top of kidney pouches which are attached to a waist belt.
That belt may or may not be attached to a (shoulder) yoke thus spreading the ruck load between shoulders and hips.

Depending on how tall you are, or more correctly what the distance between the nape of your neck and the top of your hips is, will depend on whether or not attaching a waist belt to the bottom of the ruck will work at transferring some weight to your hips. For me a waistbelt added to the bottom of a standard ruck sits just too high and the top of it catches my lower ribs.

When I made the extended NI ruck I specifically made the measurement between shoulder straps and the new waist belt fit my dimensions - result - I can share/shift load between shoulders and hips and it’s brilliantly comfortable!

Regarding that black lookalike ruck of yours - the company that eventually made the NI rucks for the Forces initially produced copies for the civilian market. Just before they won the contract they beefed them up re materials and construction. Perhaps you have one of the former?

 

[teef]

... Depending on how tall you are, or more correctly what the distance between the nape of your neck and the top of your hips is, will depend on whether or not attaching a waist belt to the bottom of the ruck will work at transferring some weight to your hips. ...

the German webbing system i have at hand is all based around the yoke that comes with it. remove the yoke and you've just got some unwieldy pouches and an abnormally wide belt. i've messed with the full rig a bit and i can see where it could definitely help bear the weight of a ruck. not knowing any better i'd figured you'd wear it as is in which case you'd have to carrying paving stones in those pouches to justify that get-up as stand-alone gear.

When I made the extended NI ruck I specifically made the measurement between shoulder straps and the new waist belt fit my dimensions - result - I can share/shift load between shoulders and hips and it’s brilliantly comfortable!

i'd never realized how easy it can be to carry a load until i ended up with a rucksack that had the shoulder harness on a ladder system so that it could be adjusted for height. it took me a few tries at adjusting it up and down but i finally found the sweet spot and like you say, brilliantly comfortable. suddenly 30 kilos was a lot less troublesome to hump through the woods.

Regarding that black lookalike ruck of yours - the company that eventually made the NI rucks for the Forces initially produced copies for the civilian market. Just before they won the contract they beefed them up re materials and construction. Perhaps you have one of the former?

sounds like a good guess. there are the stitch markings when one of those MOD item ID tags would normally be. i've only ever seen those tags on government issue gear. i imagine prototypes might have them too.

 

[Sharpfinger]

the German webbing system i have at hand is all based around the yoke that comes with it. remove the yoke and you've just got some unwieldy pouches and an abnormally wide belt. i've messed with the full rig a bit and i can see where it could definitely help bear the weight of a ruck. not knowing any better i'd figured you'd wear it as is in which case you'd have to carrying paving stones in those pouches to justify that get-up as stand-alone gear.



i'd never realized how easy it can be to carry a load until i ended up with a rucksack that had the shoulder harness on a ladder system so that it could be adjusted for height. it took me a few tries at adjusting it up and down but i finally found the sweet spot and like you say, brilliantly comfortable. suddenly 30 kilos was a lot less troublesome to hump through the woods.



sounds like a good guess. there are the stitch markings when one of those MOD item ID tags would normally be. i've only ever seen those tags on government issue gear. i imagine prototypes might have them too.

It sounds like you are heading in the right direction pal.
I will be visiting that surplus contact on Friday, I’ll ask about those bandolier pouches.
Another thought - maybe someone in this community already has one they don’t use - might be an idea to flag it up in Wanted’s in case it hasn’t been picked up in this thread?

 

[lol]

ooer..........my go to???? Horses for course of course, but my modified LK is probably my first consideration for overnighters....... constantly amazes me how good it was/is/become......or the Sting.... or the Snugpak Bergen......or day pack , my modified French F1...or 2, I can't remember the designation.

Like tents. you can't have too many.....

 

[teef]

... my modified French F1...or 2, I can't remember the designation. ...

the one with side pockets yes? that's the F2. two times as good as the F1.

 

[lol]

I knew you'd sort me out!!!

 

[38thfoot]

The black day-sack isn’t a black NI pack; it was introduced as the hand luggage component of the black deployment grip and came in black for the army and navy and blue for the RAF. No one in the infantry and the majority of the army ever used them for fear of ridicule; I used mine for riding my off road bike. As a pack it is considerably smaller than the NI pack and isn’t as robust.

38

 

[teef]

... it was introduced as the hand luggage component of the black deployment grip ...

that sounds exactly right. that mesh "panty pocket" on the front should have clued me into the fact that it was luggage and not field equipment.

 

[lol]

My beloved LK has just been superseded by a Lowe Alpine Sting with its adjustable back....just wow
(Just don't tell my LK......)

 

[lol]

love 'em both, lol!

 

[lol]

And of course........the Snugpak Bergen albeit not getting the use I had hoped for/planned....and just added a modern budget pack, a Forclaz Trek 100, 70 litre model.......amazing back adjustment system......... (no piccies yet of that!)