Canadian Rucksack Thread
 

Hi fellow Airsoft Canadians, I'd like to start a thread for info, photos, and discussion of Canadian Army packs.

Anything from the P07 Large Haversack (WW1) to the latest CTS Rucksack is fair game. Maybe even throw in some third-party/private purchase packs used by CF members on exercise and deployment.

Up first is my '64 Pattern "Jump Ruck" with old school CPGear CADPAT parts. The original P64 and P82 plastic hardware will be replaced with A7A cargo straps, eventually.

https://i.imgur.com/0qeo2MXh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/kEPUKMIh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/DqCGx8Hh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/EZEOcjDh.jpg

Note on the original Shelf, Cargo Support for the riveted '64 frame: in my experience, it does not fit well with the CADPAT bag attached. At some point I'll post photos of the frame and cargo shelf for carrying heavy, awkward equipment like stoves and jerry cans.

Got a CADPAT Pack too, no 64 pattern frame though, like the 64 frame, way better then the old spine busters they use to have

Saw a couple 64 frames at heros last weekend for about 100. I had bought a new jump ruck off warrior gear which was actually pretty great. Even the kidney panel had lots of padding. Way better them my original lightweight ruck from Nam.

Yes, confirmed last week that Hero's has 64 frames for sale. I don't know of any other store that sells them, other than the occasional surplus/thrift store or Kijiji find.

Addition #2: Original 64 pattern ruck dated 1980s; another cool find from a retired RCR soldier. The bag is in good shape with just a few pin holes, and the yoke is surprisingly comfortable, even with very little padding.

http://imgur.com/duibb3R.jpg
http://imgur.com/GI5Wpdl.jpg
http://imgur.com/zdTDoJ1.jpg
http://imgur.com/i4rrhiO.jpg

Decent, been tempted to get a 64 jump ruck to add to my Canadian kit collection. Typical mod putting the 82pat on there so much better. I have my dad's old frame he had from back in the day all that's left is the yoke and frame though.

All I can say is the current ruck sucks. Very uncomfortable to carry with frag+plates+tac, empty its heavy as hell, let alone loaded. I've only worn mine when I must. Thankfully being in the armoured core I don't have much need for a ruck. Most of the guys even ditch the current issue small pack for a 5.11 Rush 24 or 72. Personally I use the 24 as an every day bag and to live out of on exercise. Sleeping kit is carried separately on the vehicle so i only am concerned with putting extra next to skin and gucci stuff and tasty snacks in my bag. Sour keys and 3in1s, both are required equipment when tanking.

-Chorn

Chorn, thanks for chiming in with your work/field experience. Do most guys form the support bars to their backs with or without vests?

I know you mentioned the 5.11 RUSH bags, which are fantastic, but does anyone use large rucksacks besides the CTS rig?

Well... the bars, I can't speak for everyone's experience, but when they fitted me for the ruck, I wasn't wearing frag + plates + vest. I asked about it and was told that the ruck sack wasn't meant to be worn over that equipment. This statement was greeted by a blank stare of confusion and disbelief from myself and others. Perhaps its lack of education, experience etc. Within my unit it doesn't really matter for us, I have never taken the CTS on ex, I have used it only for one winter warfare ex. Wearing it for that was complete misery from start to finish. We couldn't even fit them on our vehicles if we tried to take them with us (the tank is big but storage is like a VW Beetle). So I have haven't built up much experience with the thing.

There are some guys within the unit that regularly take part in the Canadian Patrol Concentration competition (long distanced dismounted patrolling). The one claimed that we had the bag all figured out and could be comfortable with it. He said a lot of things that made sense but I didn't get much time to pick his brain about it and try his suggestions. Again I'm a tanker not an infanteer, so I'm not really motivated to become an expert on it.

I have however put many miles on hiking boots with several different bags on my shoulders. Multi-day wilderness backpacking trips in Ontario, Alberta, and New Brunswick. I have a pretty good idea of how to wear a bag and what for me works and doesn't. Based on this experience I think that before a company designs a piece of kit to be used outside, I think they should spend sometime outside. If you look at Canadian Military personal equipment you start to see a trend. Looks good in theory, poor performance in reality.

Rucksack, Tac Vest, the issued boots, cotton uniforms, rain gear that isn't waterproof, obsession with using the two burner coleman stove when so many better options are available, etc.

Sorry to sidetrack your topic a little.

-Chorn

No worries, and thanks again for your input. Having read the manuals and design notes on the '82 and CTS rucksacks, it's interesting how they corrected the problems of the previous, only to introduce entirely new issues.

That is quite shocking, like you said, how the rucksack wasn't designed to be worn over frag and tac vests. Soldiers do soldier things with soldier equipment on their backs. What a massive oversight by the design team.

The US Marines are pretty innovative with their kit, like the ILBE and FILBE pack systems. I wonder why the Canadian Army couldn't adopt a similar platform for their field equipment, even if slightly altered and manufactured by a Canadian company.

Personally my favourite part of the ruck is how the interior of the hip strap is the same cordura of the rest of the bag. And how the hip strap tends to push all my gear up as I walk until the hip strap rides on my bare skin, rubbing it away like sand paper. After the first walk with it I took to putting strips of duct tape or athletic tape on my hips so I would still have skin after the walk was over. God I hate that thing.

-Chorn

The fact that the backpack is not designed to be worn over vests is most shocking. This clearly shows the need for some educational activities; they can even refer to https://ukessay.com/essay-help to create a kind of brochure on the necessary items. It's a shame that all the fresh development in practice ends in disappointment and the need for help and improvement.

How lenient is the CF on using private purchase rucks/bags? I'm currently in the application process for reserve armoured officer and it isn't the first time I've read these complaints about the ruck. I imagine the use of personal gear is probably different depending on the unit?

The army has this weird thing where they like people to be uniform. You being the FNG officer with non-issue kit will get you the talking too.

Once you have some time in and you're the cool Captain you'll be able to bust out your own take on gear while all the while telling the FNGs to use the ruck they were issued.