British PLCE rucksack, DPM, surplus, with frame

British design at its best. The PLCE ruck is a giant leap forward from the old Pattern 58 Large pack and the GS rucksack. Total capacity up to 110 liters / 6700 cu in, this is among the best mass-produced army rucksacks ever.

After the Falklands War, the British army was convinced they needed a large rucksack, which - unlike anything issued at that time - would be ergonomic to carry over long distances. The civilian manufacturer Berghaus had provided rucksacks for special forces in the Falklands and these were the starting point to develop a "Regular Squaddie" version, which would become the PLCE rucksack.

The rucksack has the volume to spare, but it's also well designed for use and carries. It has received compliments even from the end-users, who commonly complain about everything you can imagine and even if you can't.

• One large 90-liter / 5500 in³ main compartment.
• The main pack can be compressed using straps on the sides, a nice feature when you don't need to stuff it completely full.
• Wide, well padded, adjustable waist and shoulder straps.
• A detachable aluminum support frame.
• A pouch at the top of the flap.
• A small outer pocket on the lower back.
• Two detachable 10-liter / 612 in³ side pouches, can be combined to form a day pack. These will almost always be something else than original British army stuff, and might not work with a PLCE yoke.

Size info

Separate models are made for those with longer or shorter backs, and because we're nice and careful people we have sorted them in the warehouse. Here's a short size guide:

• 160-173 cm / 5' 3" - 5' 8": Short
• 174 cm / 5' 9" or more: Long
• However, it's really not that finicky; for example a 180 cm / 5' 11" tall man can easily use Short too. Of course if you are very tall, it's best to forget that and go for Long. If you are planning on using webbing kit with the rucksack, take Short.

Used British army surplus

Used but in serviceable condition. The camo pattern is faded and these are not washed. Take a mild detergent, brush, and elbow grease to it if you want to. The rucksacks are likely to have small fixes, names or initials marked with a sharpie, and so on.

Important historical facts

British 20th century kit development in a nutshell:

• In the first decade, Mills Woven Cartridge Belt Company of London created the Pattern 1908 Large Pack, and Field Marshal Douglas Haig saw that it was "Adequately satisfactory."
• In the fourth decade, Mills created the Pattern 1937 Large Pack, and Sir Winston Churchill saw that it was a "Proper hard-wearing kit!"
• In the fifth decade, Mills created the Pattern 1944 webbing, and all saw that it was "Inferior to the Patt. ’37 in durability."
• In the sixth decade, the Army Ordnance Research Group in collaboration with the Devil himself summoned the Pattern 58 Large Pack from the underworld, and all who saw it said: "The Army seems to have taken leave of their senses."
• In the ninth decade, Margaret Thatcher said "Bollocks!" and issued her boys bound for the Falklands with shiny new Berghaus bergens, and the mustached gentlemen saw that these were "Fackin' nails!"