French F1 Combat Rucksack, Surplus

How about a large and beautiful vintage French army rucksack. Whole lotta more ergonomic than veshmeshok or a potato sack with iron wire straps. Extremely durable and made of proper materials. A very limited batch.

• Padded shoulder straps and an unpadded waist belt
• No frame of any kind but the rubber back paddings make the pack a bit more rigid
• One main compartment that closes with a double drawstring
• Large open pocket inside the main compartment
• Exterior hook and loop-sealed rear pocket
• Carry handles on both sides
• Detachable rubber-lined top flap that has a zippered pocket
• D-Ring loop at top
• Total carrying capacity c. 65-80 liters depending on how much you overpack this
• Weight c. 2 kg (4.4 lbs); varies to some extent

Features

The French army F1 rucksack was the predecessor of the F2. It was in use until somewhere in the ‘90s. It is possible that French folks got the idea for this pack from the WWII US army jungle pack used in the Pacific, which is fairly similar in style. This isn’t your modern hyper-ergonomic ultralight pack. It is a bit heavy for a pack without a frame and somewhat uncomfortable, which is a big part of its rustic charm. In other words, this is a lot cooler than pansy-ass modern things.

F1 has an expandable collar and two closing cords. This allows you to use the backpack in the normal mode or fully expanded when the bag has a pretty impressive storage volume. However, if you shove it full of heavy stuff, we guarantee that you won’t enjoy the hike very much. The ergonomics aren’t that impressive anymore.

The bottom part of the pack is rubberized This isn’t to fulfill some exciting fantasy but to prevent the contents from getting soaked when you place the pack in wet shrubbery or a puddle. Hidden under the rubber is a small hook and loop pocket. The detachable top lid is reversible and has a rubber lining to protect your stuff from rain. It contains a zippered pocket that is handy storage place for the extra-long closure straps. It is attached to the pack with snap fasteners and straps.

There are two grip handles at different heights on the sides. The shoulder straps are padded and the left one has a quick detachment system that allows you to get rid of your pack before the attacking bear eats you. Your relatives will inherit an intact pack. There is also minimalistic waist belt, which to be honest isn’t very good. Against your back, there are three rubber inserts that provide padding and some back support. If you find them uncomfortable, you can take the seams apart and remove them.

Condition

Used French military surplus. Some of these have seen a lot more use, some very little. Don’t expect a brand new pack though. We sell those as well but in a different category. There can be some stains, small holes, names of former owners, warehouse dust, etc. on these. The seams can also be a bit frayed, buckles rusty, and colors a bit faded. On some, the drawstrings can be missing but they are easy to replace. These are normal features of used military surplus, and they gey give the packs some character. There isn’t too much character to render these unusable though. They are still perfectly serviceable.

Note! This batch has rucksacks of several generations, so the style and features can vary to some extent. Some have metal buckles, some plastic ones. And the colors and fabrics can vary a bit.