Backpack recommendations please

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Erbswurst

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Mar 5, 2018
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And Endicotts sells such pouches issued and used by the British army in nearly the same DPM camouflage pattern, that fit into the molle stripes on the belly of the Dutch rucksack.

One easily can create something looking and handy like the large US Army Alice pack, but instead of it the Duch will surely fit on his back and will of course be far more comfortable.

 
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lostplanet

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Aug 18, 2005
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Good choice. I have a lowe alpine in green. Didnt realise endis doing those at an excellent price too, bargain. Enjoy.
 

Erbswurst

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Mar 5, 2018
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I would already pack it now, ready to start.

If the forecast looks good for the weekend you don't loose time.

But of course I would wash it in the bath by hand with dish detergent before, using a soft natural fibre brush outside, and rinse it afterwards excessively, first under the shower, afterwards submerged. After it really dried, you put your stuff in and you are always ready to start. That's the best way to keep the stuff together anyway.

Disaster freaks call such a rucksack a bug out bag, an evacuation bag for worst case scenarios. I call it a correctly packed hiking rucksack, ready to use it in unexpected good circumstances.
 
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MrEd

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Here a British seller:


Here you can choose how used they are.
I would buy grade 1.
NATO equipment grade 1, handpicked, supergrade is nearly always the best deal you can make.

Ask him about the missing side pouches yourself, I think the British PLCE pouches will fit.

be careful with the PLCE pouches as the zips are the wrong way round so will go on the sting upside down. Not sure which generation of bag that is the case though.
Endicotts are very good, ring them and they will sort out the right bag and pouches and will know about the upside down zip thing

I got a sting plus 2 pouches from them a year ago, haven’t needed to use the 2 pouches yet as the main bag is big enough for everything I carry for a one nighter.

I am 6’2 and 100kg and the sting fits me fine. Took a few trips out to get it adjusted right but now I have it’s great, be warned though it’s comfortable so easy to way overload!
 
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Erbswurst

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Mar 5, 2018
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The best is to put all equipment on the kitchen scales and write such a list here.

Like this you really see how the weight of your rucksack content adds up.

You try to keep it as light as possible and do not carry things "just in case". You think about, what you really need and leave at home what you don't need.

This here isn't the minimum, its approximately the maximum what could be neccessary:

KARRIMOR 65 LITRES (+ 2x 2 ltr pouches)
Alpineste 2100g
Berghaus 2x side pouches 310 g

Main compartment:

Outside liner: (at your back)

German army mat 335g
(Fiskars Axe 1070g)

British army insertion bag small 50g,
on top of the tarp, contains:

Goretex jacket Austrian army M65// 1279g
In its left chest pouch outside
Solognac foldable waterproof cap 81g

DD tarp bag 13g
Tarp DD Superlight 3x3m 463g
Washing line 31g
Tarp lines Edelrid 2,5 mm 103g
4 tarp stakes DD with brown bag 46g

Dry bag with food, Ortlieb, olive green

British army insertion bag large 123g
contains:

Snugpak polycotton liner 294g
Sleeping bag, Snugpak 1758g
Bivvy bag Snugpak SF 340g
(US Army cotton case)

British army insertion bag small 50g,
used as a pillow, contains:

1× Socks 50g
1x Under breefs 56g
1x T-shirt, civil, 129g
Fleece jacket Solognac 100// 332g
in its right pocket
Fleece hat Solognac 29g
(Long Johns Solognac 100 Fleece ? 185g
Gloves Solognac liner 34g
(Leather gloves)

Side pouch left:
Crusader mug, stainless steel, 289g
Plastic lid BCB 32 g
(Covered in a usual freezer bag) 14g
Osprey canteen with plastic cup 298g
Crusader bail 26g
Gaiters, British Army DPM, 470g

Side pouch right:
Mug, TBS 750 ml, stainless steel with bag 224g
(Covered in a usual freezer bag) 15g
Bottle, Nagelne, stainless steel 398g
Toilet paper in dry bag 186g
Raintrousers Solognac 100, rolled, 249g
Folding saw, Bahco Laplander, 193g

Lower lid pocket:
Dutch wash pouch 152g
with kitchen stuff:

Lighter, UCO stormproof, 98g
Candle wrapped in kitchen foil ? g
British army Hexamine stove + fuel 378g
Spoon, civil stainless steel, 29g
Victorinox Compact, 64g
Cotton handkerchief as pot holder 38g
Stainless steel spreader for bottle 43g
(Spices)
(Tea bags in zipp lock freezer bag)
(Instant coffee in 0,25 ltr bottle)
Alcohol gel 54g

(Hiking map in zipp lock freezer bag)

Mora Garberg 169g
leather sheath TBS 72g

Upper lid pocket:

First aid kit 112g
including Whistle 10g

Solognac X-Access Organizer S 100g
in 3 larger loops:
Head lamp Petzl e+ lite 27g
Compass Silva Ranger SL 24g
Mosquito head net Sea to Summit Nano 25g
behind the zipper:
(DC4 sharpening tool 65g)
Spare batteries in small plastic bag 7g
(2x Spare trousers buttons 5g)
(Aluminium capsule (waterproof) with green polyester thread wrapped around a match and Sewing needles 56g
In smaller loops:
2x Lighter Bic mini orange+pink x11g = 22g
Ferrocerium rod, light my fire army 50g

Solognac X-Access Organizer S 100g
In the lid loops:
Toothbrush, folding ? 15g
Toothpaste ? 20g
behind it:
Sea to Summit body wash soap 89ml. 100g
in the main compartment:
Nabaji Towel size S black 45g
bug repellant 102g

Waterproof pouch Caperlan 32g
contains cable and charger. weight 110g
Waterproof pouch Caperlan 32g
contains smartphone. weight 190g

Under the flap:
British army roll mat 624g

Rucksack in total: 14.574 g

On the man:

Wool socks British army 136g
Boots Altberg brown Defender 1434g
Breefs, thin cotton weight 56g
Trousers 597g
Leather belt 163g
Wallet 66g
House keys 73g
Car keys 40g
Wrist watch, 93g
T-shirt 129g
German army field shirt 403g
Fleece jacket Solognac 300// 459g
in its left pocket
Larch hat Solognac 300 // 74g
(British army smock 1166g)

On person = 4.890 g


With additional 2 litres of water you have in this example above 16.574g on your back, and with food in a dry bag that you can hang animal protected in a tree, you reach round about 18 kg what is the absolute limit that most persons are able to carry over longer distances.

That means, the example above is a nice equipment for a static camp but the list should be shortened for trekking tours.
14 to maximum 16 kg total rucksack weight should be OK in winter conditions, in the summer 10 to 12 kg should be your goal.

And especially if one needs to buy new equipment it is really sensible to keep the weight of every single item in mind!
 
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Erbswurst

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Mar 5, 2018
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Great!
That looks good!

I don't know the British army MOLLE pouches.
I just ones have seen a couple of them in a surplus shop in another town.

But I think you can get used and cheap pretty handy pouches that fit into the stripes on the belly of this rucksack.

Perhaps you should open an own thread about this question. If you ask for example:

"Which British army MOLLE pouches for Dutch Sting rucksack?"

people who know the equipment could tell you what fits the best.

Because they probably don't know your rucksack you should show them a photo like this here where they can see clear and count exactly the MOLLE loops.

Like this you would surely find one, two or three well fitting pouches, where you could store for example a whet tarp or waterproof clothing separately, and perhaps other little items.

These pouches exist in a lot of different sizes.

Of course you don't need to buy British army pouches from this German seller, I just set you the link that you get an impression about what exists.

And as you can see here, most used MOLLE pouches on the European surplus market are British.
(Others exist as well of course.)

 

MrEd

Life Member
Feb 18, 2010
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Great!
That looks good!

I don't know the British army MOLLE pouches.
I just ones have seen a couple of them in a surplus shop in another town.

But I think you can get used and cheap pretty handy pouches that fit into the stripes on the belly of this rucksack.

Perhaps you should open an own thread about this question. If you ask for example:

"Which British army MOLLE pouches for Dutch Sting rucksack?"

people who know the equipment could tell you what fits the best.

Because they probably don't know your rucksack you should show them a photo like this here where they can see clear and count exactly the MOLLE loops.

Like this you would surely find one, two or three well fitting pouches, where you could store for example a whet tarp or waterproof clothing separately, and perhaps other little items.

These pouches exist in a lot of different sizes.

Of course you don't need to buy British army pouches from this German seller, I just set you the link that you get an impression about what exists.

And as you can see here, most used MOLLE pouches on the European surplus market are British.
(Others exist as well of course.)


always full of good ideas you are!

I use a maxpedition large tactile pouch on mine, fits between the straps and works as a small ‘possibles’ pouch. I keep compass, torch, phone and snacks in that to save rummaging in the main pouch.

I use the top zipped pouch of the bag (in the lid) for personal first aid kit, poncho and waterproof trousers and a map (if carried)

internal pouch in the lid is where keys, wallet and glasses case live

Everything else goes in the main body, haven’t needed to sue the side pouches yet but if I did they would be food and water
 
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Erbswurst

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Mar 5, 2018
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Berlin
Does one of these very well designed pots fit into the side pouches?

Pathfinder Bush pot 1750 ml


TBS mug 750 ml


The best would be to put a straight Nalgene Stainless steel bottle or a lighter clear Nalgene plastic bottle into the TBS mug. They fit well.

I think Pathfinder Bush pot as pot and TBS mug as cup are currently the best option on the market, because they are mainly constructed to use them over open fire but should work well too with a small gas or meth burner.
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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@MrEd

I would put compass and phone in the lid pouch, because fragile items are better protected there.

I guess two British army canteen carrying pouches could fit on the belly and waterproof jacket and trousers should fit in there.
I don't know that, but I can imagine that this would work well.

Usually NATO armies also have one larger pouch at the belt, where a tarp or a complete rainsuit would fit in, or if chosen lightweight even both, former called "bread bag" or "haver sack", today of course called something like

"Most genius all purpose utility pouch, middle large, where you can put easily in the most genius stuff we issued to you or even half a bread and a sausage, NATO stock number 8-5-1945 because that's a definitely genius thing."
 

MrEd

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Feb 18, 2010
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@MrEd

I would put compass and phone in the lid pouch, because fragile items are better protected there.

I guess two British army canteen carrying pouches could fit on the belly and waterproof jacket and trousers should fit in there.
I don't know that, but I can imagine that this would work well.

Usually NATO armies also have one larger pouch at the belt, where a tarp or a complete rainsuit would fit in, or if chosen lightweight even both, former called "bread bag" or "haver sack", today of course called something like

"Most genius all purpose utility pouch, middle large, where you can put easily in the most genius stuff we issued to you or even half a bread and a sausage, NATO stock number 8-5-1945 because that's a definitely genius thing."

yeah maybe but to be honest I am not that worried. Phone is in an otterbox and compass is a silva plastic thing and I have yet to break it and I have had it years. I have my system, waterproofs on the top works best for me. I try to avoid using the side pouches and if I did it would be for food and water
 
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Scottieoutdoors

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Oct 22, 2020
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@bbdave

Hello, Dartmoor is my local haunt....well for walking and for ahem van camping maybe....

Just so you're aware technically speaking, a bushbox isn't allowed on Dartmoor AFAIK. I mean, neither is van camping and I've already not really maybe admitted to not maybe doing it... But yeh, just to be aware.
 

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