Other Arms Bergan

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Tengu

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
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Wiltshire
I found one at the car boot; its one of those holdalls with a panel you pull up, underneaths rucksack straps.

what were these designed for originally? the term `other arms` is so vague
 
I used to have one of those. Still do - it's in the shed gathering dust.
It's called 'other arms' because it was for use for non-SAS 'arms' of the armed services. That is, just about every other bugger.
They were designed to be a standard pack. And they're good enough. Since there are no compartments, they are positively capacious inside. Mine has the two side pouches as well, that can be joined to make a daysack. With those as well, I reckon I could move house with one.
Good, solid, robust, workmanlike bags. No frills, no disappointments.
Only reason I don't use it is because I try to avoid the military look and because it's so big. That's two reasons.
 
Its biggish, yes, about 50 litres (not including the side pouches.)

So its in between, bigger than a daypack, and smaller than the standard bergan.

And it is depressingly DPM...

But Im going to try it for a while, its a versatile design, see how I get on with it.
 
Most of my ACF cadets have them as they are cheaper than a PLCE bergan. They are ok but I wouldnt use one for a long tab but they are ok if your doing a Silver DofE 2 night out trip.
Still like the Dragon supplies airbourne bergan myself heavy but bomb proof. (not to be used by suicide bobmers)
 
I still use mine in a "stuff-everything-in-it-without-thinking" kind of way. They were issued to non-infantry (as opposed to non-SAS) hence Other arms or All arms. They didn't like them. Probably something to do with the culture of not being a front line troop.

They were called combat handbags (because when carried with the top carrying handle they looked like an oversized hand bag) or turtle packs (because the shape gave the wearer the appearence of a turtle). The fold down material with velcro on covers the straps so that they can be loaded onto aircraft without the straps catching on things.

The half zips are very handy and you can top and semi front load and the pack is comfortable, but in my opinion you couldn't hike with it. I reckon the capacity is more like 70 litres without the side pouches. They're great for bushcraft use if you're not going too far. And for a tenner (usual price in surplus shops) you can't go wrong.

Cheers, Pablo.
 
Keep an eye out for the surplus market to be flooded with DPM kit in the next year or two, British military camouflage/design is changing colour soon, contracts for clothing and backpacks/daypacks have gone out to civilian tender (don't quote me on that, I'm going off the duty buzz among service pals!)

Kit freaks will be able to buy their fave backpack in the new Army DPM and cheapskates (me :)) will be able to get hold of All-arms bergans and daypacks for pennies! (hopefully?!)
 
I think that the All Arms bergans were, as posted before, initially issued to non-combat units but proved so unpopular that everyone went with the normal bergan. That's why there's so many of them at the moment, but it may not be the case in the next couple of years.

PECOC is supposed to be coming in 2010/11, with everyone (including ACF, apparently) issued the new kit and yes, it will mean that DPM will be relegated to the bargain bin. Or maybe the new stuff will be extremely unpopular and everyone'll be grabbing as much surplus DPM as they can!

Claudiasboris
 
I have seen an olive green version of the bag though I only saw one!:D

shame if i see another I'll get it!:(
 
I think it will be a long time before we are inundated with soldier 2000 and 95 kit. I've got a pal in the army who still can't even get issued a bergan that you and I would buy, any issue ones they have been issued with have been second and third hand with holes worn through the base. You should even see the other stuff they get issued, ubelievable, it is what we would call grade 2 or 3 and that is for frontline troops going to Iraq. Maybe it's his unit I don't know but I was really shocked.

The pecoc temperate dpm is as far as I know the same as DPM however the Desert DPM has more colours, mainly browns and flashes of green, new dyes have been used in all.
 

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