How to use the italian military rucksacks

[icentropy]

Hi all. I now have two italian rucksacks. They're awesome, love them but have a few questions about them. Mostly just trying to find out what all the extra straps on them are for.

On the bottom there's two loops that seem way too short for a bed roll.
There's a short center snap strap on the bottom as well.
The shoulder straps have a loop on each side.
There's a heavy heavy canvas strap sewn on the front with the center left unsewn like something should tuck in there. Don't think it's for an axe or hatchet as the handle would get in the way every time you sat down...

Any info on the uses for these pieces would be appreciated. Also if they're used to attach other bags or items to the rucksack I'd love to know which.

Thanks,

[wolfy]

Got any pictures?

[icentropy]

They're the same ones that wilderbeast was selling a while back. I bought one of his last ones then picked up another one a month or so ago. I really like these packs as summer packs. It's basically my fair weather camping pack (I pack light). Here's a bunch of pics on wilderbeast's thread http://bladesandbushlore.com/index.php?topic=3293.0

Just looking for more info on these packs, what the extra straps and loops were designed for....

[wolfy]

Oh, yeah.....I remember those.  My Italian ruck is MUCH older than that one.....has actual pockets on the outside and none of those straps.  Sorry, I can't help you.

[icentropy]

bummer. 

Well no real big deal. The packs are awesome as they are was just hoping to learn a little more about them and their intended use. I may end up getting my nicest one modified to work a bit better. Make the lower straps long enough to actually fit a sleep roll, sew on a hatchet sleeve higher up so the handle doesn't stick out the bottom as much. I only wish it had at least one smaller outside pocket for the little stuff i like to have handy (flashlight, leatherman, some paracord, my ferro rod, etc) I was hoping something on this pack was designed to strap a smaller pouch of some kind to it.

[upthecreek]

I got 2 of them from beast some time ago. My son is getting ready to graduate from collage and has been lugging books around in one of them for a while now. He loves it. That's all I got. I use the same day pack set up I've used for years and alice goes out with me for overnighters. The attachments look to be for a sleeping mat or shelter of some type. I just don't know for sure and haven't ventured out enough with them to be a help. Great little packs though.

Creek

[PetrifiedWood]

A google image search brings up a few different ways to rig them.

[Unknown]

When I was trying to find a particular Swiss pack I ran across a small forum that had some informative posts...
  So maybe you could find some help with military reenactors, military historian groups, forums. Some of the things I found were good pics of soldiers, pages from field manuals and stuff like that.

Might be a dead end but it would be easy to email some of the surplus sellers and see if they can get a manual that would detail intended use. I'd also ask for a used pack to use the material for your mods, add-ons

[PetrifiedWood]

In my experience with the Italian packs, they can benefit from some improvements to the straps. I had a few project ideas in mind for mine, like replacing the straps with leather and adding some brass hardware. It's really a good platform to build upon.

[wolfy]

Since it's Italian, you could do like they did and lash a bottle of wine on each side and use those straps on the bottom to secure one of those excellent Genoa stick salamis.....

http://www.amazon.com/Carando-Genoa-Salami-Sausage-Pound/dp/B01CN94EHA/ref=sr_1_34_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1462222864&sr=1-34&keywords=genoa+salami

[upthecreek]

wolfy, I'm not so sure that the side pockets weren't made for wine bottles. That's about what size they are. Regardless of there intended design, I'd dare say you'd be packing light if this were the  base of the system in use.

Creek

[wolfy]

You know, now that you mention it, I have seen Italian military surplus aluminum bottles for repackaging bottled wine.    I'll bet that's the idea that these packs were designed around........maybe .

[PetrifiedWood]

I can think of worse things to pack around than a little wine.

[NewEnglandBushcraft]

If I remember right, the bottom straps were to pack the poncho shelter, so it would be ready for a quick deployment in the event of a sudden rain shower. I may be wrong, but I have an Italian friend who might know...I'll ask him for 'ya

[icentropy]

If I remember right, the bottom straps were to pack the poncho shelter, so it would be ready for a quick deployment in the event of a sudden rain shower. I may be wrong, but I have an Italian friend who might know...I'll ask him for 'ya

That makes sense to me, thanks. Yeah this packs are still available in unused condition at a few places online but price is climbing slowly like usual. I have two already. A decent used one and one that is in new condition that I use all the time. Playing around with different ideas on how to pack them. They're just the right size for my 5'9" frame. I like small packs that ride up high on my back way off my waist. I pack really light (especially after the snow melts) so putting all the weight on my shoulders and not having a hip belt don't matter to me at all.