my new/old bushcraft rucksack

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

Survivalmike

Forager
Jan 25, 2010
214
0
Austria
Hi folks!

At first I wanna explain to you a little bit of my kind age, so ou can understand the whole thing!

When I was a child (in age from 2years up) I lived by my grandparents, because my mum had a fulltime job to do.
My grandfather was a very important man for me - more like a father than a grandpa.
He took me out in the woodlands and showed me skills and bushcraftstuff EVERY DAY after I´ve done my schoolwork.
It was a great time and as the years go by and I grew up he was more and more an important person for me. We went out to collect fungus, make whistles out of wood, make slingshots, create shelter, camped outside, went fishing and so on. He was the man who gaves me my first knife (which makes my grandmother not so happy *lol*)!

Now he is very sick and is in hospital since 8 months! No one knows how many years/days he has left.
I visited my grandparents yesterday and remembered myself on his old rucksack.
I´ve asked if I can have this old bag from him - because there are a lot of thoughts and memories in this old bag.
My grandmother told me, that some kids set the utility shed on fire last week and the bag was in there - she doesn´t know if the bag survived or not.
So I went out to the shed and have a look if there is anything left from the bag. And I was very happy as I found it - WITHOUT any damage on it. It was just a little bit dirty from the charcoal around.

So my new bushcraft rucksack is the old bag from my grandfather! And I´m very proud to carry his old bag (he used this one every time when we were out).
My actually project is to get this bag back in perfect conditions - and this is what I want to share with you!

So here is a step by step manual how I "refresh" my new bushcraft rucksack over the next days. It is a heavy canvas rucksack with leather straps.
On the first pics you can see the bag in his conditions I get it out of the burned tool shad.

Here you can see the bag as I got it from my grandparents:


At the backside there is a metal outer frame and leather straps:


Also there are 2 pockets at the front:


The FIRST STEP I´ve done is to soak it in soap and warm water and give a good wash - so all the dirt and charcoal is washed away as good as possible.
This took me about 30min. today.

After the wash I hang it up for drying as you can see here:


and here:


As you can see at the pics I hang it upside down so the most water can drain off.
When the bag is fully dryed - I have to do some stitching and repairing (small wholes and a defect stitching).
After that I will wax the whole rucksack with greenland wax and do some leather balsam on the straps. Also I will put a small coat of wax on the zipper inside the top flap to make it go easy.

So watch out for the next pics I will do when the bag is dry!
thanks for watching
cheers
Mike
 
Last edited:

basha

Forager
Aug 9, 2006
242
1
64
kent
You will never want to part with that bag...when you have finished cleaning it you will no doubt show it to him; he will be very pleased.

Best of luck.
 

malente

Life member
Jan 14, 2007
894
2
Germany
Fantastic project with lots of good personal memories attached. It doesn't get much better than this!

Thanks for sharing!

ATB

Mike
 

Survivalmike

Forager
Jan 25, 2010
214
0
Austria
thx for your kind words....

What I´ve forgotten to say:
The leather straps are in great conditions, so I don´t have to replace them - but if they will be defect in future time its not a big deal to cut the stitching and replace them by new leather straps.
So this bag will last me for a long long time.

Also found my "little" bag (which looks nearly similar to this one but quarter the size and without the metal frame) I´ve carried when I was a child........Can´t wait to have my own child and gave it to him/her one time!

Project update:
still drying but it should be finished with that in a few hours (I think).

cheers
Mike
 

Survivalmike

Forager
Jan 25, 2010
214
0
Austria
Hi folks!

After the Canvas dryed it was time to do the stitching and some "cosmetical" refurbish with needle and thread.

Here you can see the lose stitch on one outside pocket:


I stitched it double to make sure it is snug:


And this is the end result:


I also stitched a small hole in one corner to make sure the canvas didn´t rip at this place.
Everything has been hand stitched and took me approx 30min.!

YES the bag has some blurry on it, but this makes it unique and it is a very old bag and it is ok, that it looks used!
After the whole refurbish I won´t come up with a "new looked" bag, but with a bag that is fully ready for action out in the bush and have a personal touch and a lot of memories for me in it ;)

Now I will let dry out the leather straps until tomorrow and gave him a greenland wax cure :)
I also will put some leatherbalsam on all leather parts and oil the metall parts a bit. The last thing will be to put a small coat of wax on the zipper.
So stay tune for the next pictures upcoming tomorrow!

thx for watching and all your comments!
cheers
Mike
 

Dougster

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 13, 2005
5,254
238
The banks of the Deveron.
This is one of the best threads for me in a long time, I remember how important my grandfather was to me. I have his old pocket knife in a box next to the bed. All the best to you in this project, my thoughts are with your grandfather.
 

Biker

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
This is one of the best threads for me in a long time, I remember how important my grandfather was to me. I have his old pocket knife in a box next to the bed. All the best to you in this project, my thoughts are with your grandfather.

Ditto to what Dougster said. I have a little pocket knife my grandfather gave to me when I was 13 I'm 47 now and it's still in my wallet, it's a really flat penknife. I treasure this as one of my little tactile memories linking me to him

Survivalmike. What a great story, really pleased you were able to have such a happy ending to this physical memory of your childhood. Long way it serve the next generation just as well. Pass on my best wishes to your grandfather.

So, um ... what are your plans for the old rucksack you had? ... ;):D
 

Survivalmike

Forager
Jan 25, 2010
214
0
Austria
thx for your words - really appreciate it!

@biker: which old rucksack do you mean - the little one (I´ve carried in my childhood) or the one I actually carry until the one from my grandfather is finished?

If you mean the small one from my early start I hope I can pass it to my child (if I have one once).

In the other case I´ll carry my actual one as spare rucksack when I´m in the mountains - because it has a better carry system (Aircondition system, better straps and waist strap etc.)
The one from my grandfather will become my bushcraft rucksack for the future time. (which I also hope to pass one time to my child).
 

Biker

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mike, I was just being funny with you now that you appear to have an excess of rucksacks. ;)

I checked out that german Army issue rucjsack on ebay and read your write up on it. I was tempted but trusted your opinion, thanks for that. I know I'd overload my pack and end up feeling cheated for having bought it.

Good to read you plan of passing on your small rucksack to your child one day. Hope that didn't need too much of a repair. I gave my eldset daughter a knife when she joined army cadets, she lost it within 2 weeks of having it, I'd only had it for about 20 years before I gave it to her. :eek:

C'est la vie.
 

Survivalmike

Forager
Jan 25, 2010
214
0
Austria
Mike, I was just being funny with you now that you appear to have an excess of rucksacks. ;)

Thought you´d like to talk me into sending it to you :D

The german bag is really nice, but as I said not for heavy load - therefor I´d recommend the Fjällräven Vintage 30l this one has a much better carrysystem and looks also "retro"!
Not as cheap as the german one, but better!

send me a PM what you´d like to have and what for!!!
Maybe I can help you..... ;)

cheers
Mike
 

Biker

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Thought you´d like to talk me into sending it to you :D

The german bag is really nice, but as I said not for heavy load - therefor I´d recommend the Fjällräven Vintage 30l this one has a much better carrysystem and looks also "retro"!
Not as cheap as the german one, but better!

send me a PM what you´d like to have and what for!!!
Maybe I can help you..... ;)

cheers
Mike

I'm tempted too, but if I buy another rucksack SWMBO might make me use it and insist I take all my other possessions with me! :rolleyes:

I have about 4 in my basement, so I'll make do with what I have, but thanks for the kind offer.

Don't forget to pass on our best wishes to grampaw.
 

Survivalmike

Forager
Jan 25, 2010
214
0
Austria
Hi buddys!

The work goes on.......
I gave my rucksack an intense waxing with greenland wax!

Here you can see - how it looks before the waxing (starting the waxing):


the waxing still going on:


I waxed the whole outside of the pack:


The bottom of the pack before waxing:


And after it:


As I said before I waxed the whole outside of the rucksack and gave it an extra waxing (doubled) on the bottom part, the top flap (inside and outside) and also on the side / outer pouches (Flaps inside and outside) to make sure it is waterrepellent as good as possible.
For waxing I used the Fjällräven Greenland wax. I need for the whole pack approx. 0.5" of the wax block and it took me about 45min.!

Now I put the whole pack in the dryer, so that the wax can get into the fibers.
After that I´ll be back with you and give the leather parts a balsam cour with beewax for leather and oil the metall parts a bit.

thx for watching
cheers
Mike
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE