I went to college on a shoestring, I like to say, and I still prowl the surplus stores for interesting and useful things, although the novelty of some things has proved to be of greater interest.
I have found some very good gear in surplus stores in perfect condition. A recent find was a Swedish rucksack with frame. The webbing and fabric is of OG nylon and it has a leather (of all things) waistbelt. The pack itself is just a single large bag of about 18" wide, 12" deep and 8" thick. There is an elasticated pocket in the back but I miss having side pockets. You have to attach your sleeping bag underneath the pack and in that respect it is a little old fashioned. It cost about $40 U.S. I still haven't given it a real workout.
I actually don't care for packs carried high up like that one does and in that respect I am a little old fashioned. Of all the packs I've used the one I like best is a US Army mountain rucksack manufactured in 1942. It isn't as easy to load as some others but for having thin webbing shoulder straps and no waistbelt it is amazingly comfortable, at least for me. All the same, you don't want to carry more than 35 or 40 pounds with it. I don't remember where I bought it or what it cost.
I also have and use a contemporary British Bergen that holds a lot, is easy to pack, and is fairly comfortable with a heavy load. I modified it slighly with a curved piece of metal in the lower back so it wouldn't press on my spine but it weighs a lot even without that metal. The thing I don't like most is the way you are all trussed up with the straps and belt. In comparison, the 1942 rucksack (they used to call them Norse packs) just hangs on your shoulder with about half the weight on the back of your waist. I believe I have used the Bergen the most.
Good surplus stores are hard to find.
