Elastic on the back of a rucksack

[durulz]

Does anyone know the intended purpose for that criss-cross of elastic you often get on the back of a rucksack?
I've often wondered.
I've still never found a use for it, and wondered if it had a specific purpose.
No need to reply if all you can think of is 'use it for what you want' - out of morbid curiosity I'd be interested to know what purpose the designers actually had in mind (unless, of course, they did intend it for whatever the user wanted).
Cheers.

 

[Shewie]

I always thought it was for stuffing wet jackets into when it's stopped raining, often wondered myself though tbh

 

[Teepee]

Its to compress the pack if its not full-it moves the load towards the carriers back, making the load less upsetting to the centre of balance and stops it moving inside the pack.

I always have loads of room in my pack after the first night of a trip, coz I've gnoshed a loaf of bread, and drunk plenty of cider.

 

[JonathanD]

It's just a place for quickly stuffing fleeces/gloves/hats and stuff to keep them handy and to save opening the whole thing up. And wet jackets of course.

 

[Retired Member southey]

it could also be a helmet web?

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

roll mats, wet jackets, cam nets, don't know what else. waste of time most of the time.

 

[sapper1]

it could also be a helmet web?

It's definitely a helmet web.It's a throwback to the older style climbing packs .A similar thing id the "D" rings found on some military style packs,they were originally intended for securing the large pack to the webbing.No longer neccessary but still fitted to many.

 

[JonathanD]

roll mats, wet jackets, cam nets, don't know what else. waste of time most of the time.

I find they snag on every branch I walk under so I've removed them from all of my smaller packs. Useful on the big uns though.

 

[chris_irwin]

Does anyone know the intended purpose for that criss-cross of elastic you often get on the back of a rucksack?
I've often wondered.
I've still never found a use for it, and wondered if it had a specific purpose.
No need to reply if all you can think of is 'use it for what you want' - out of morbid curiosity I'd be interested to know what purpose the designers actually had in mind (unless, of course, they did intend it for whatever the user wanted).
Cheers.

Someone told me that they were designed to carry crampons. No idea whether or not that is true though...

 

[JonathanD]

Someone told me that they were designed to carry crampons. No idea whether or not that is true though...

Could well be, depends on the design of the rucksack. A dedicated climbers pack would no doubt have these.

 

[Shewie]

One of my favourite short overnight packs has them, the Delta 35 from Karrimor

The blurb on their site calls them "shock cord carry system"
http://pri.uk.com/index.php/load-carriage/delta-35.html

I'm still none the wiser but I suppose you use it to stuff things under rather than opening the main pack.

 

[Teepee]

These bungee cord straps are proper useful things

My pack says 'bungee compression system'.

 

[JonathanD]

These bungee cord straps are proper useful things

My pack says 'bungee compression system'.

Sounds like a completely different thing to the small zig zag mounted elastic durulz is asking about. The elastic on these isn't strong enough for compression and in the wrong place. It more a retention system than the one you have on your pack.

On the backer here:

And top here:

I removed it from the top of mine as it snagged on a branch while I was biking and pulled me clean off.

 

[Matt.S]

The shock-cord on top of my Highlander Forces 20-something I use to secure whatever doesn't fit inside the pack.

1) loosen shock-cord
2) jam [whatever] underneath said cord
3) tighten cord-lock and get on with life

 

[Teepee]

Sounds like a completely different thing to the small zig zag mounted elastic durulz is asking about. The elastic on these isn't strong enough for compression and in the wrong place. It more a retention system than the one you have on your pack.

On the backer here:

And top here:

I removed it from the top of mine as it snagged on a branch while I was biking and pulled me clean off.

That looks completely different, definitely not for compression.

 

[akabu]

Crampons and What ever you wish. Leave them Loose and rue the Day in the forest Grabbers, Use Full.

 

[durulz]

Yes, it seems no one really knows exactly what it's for.
I've still to find a good use for it. I think a mesh panel on the back, similar to the Snugpak Slekka Forces 35 has, would be more use - being secure around the edges means things won't fall out, but still enable it to be used to stick wet things in to dry.
Ho hum.
Cheers anyway.

 

[drewdunnrespect]

on desgnier bags that you see skateboarders wearing its for carry you board when you finally get to town and a in the shop or on the bus cos its pissing down with rain and you cant skate home

 

[JonathanD]

Looking at the booklet that came with one of my sacks, they are described as 'bungee stuff straps'. So there ya go.

 

[mrmel]

I have seen them used for plates but I'm not sure if that was a carry on film or not!!!