Romanian retro pack, blue, surplus

The Romanian army rucksack was already retro when it came out in the 70s. In addition to the green true vintage model, we now got this Transylvanian summer night blue version where the old meets the new with delightful East European creativity.

• One large main compartment, bottle pouch, straps for a blanket/tarp roll etc. on both sides, and a strange strap contraption at the top for a roundish thingy - it's meant for a helmet
• Volume about 40 liters
• Inner dimensions c. 30 x 40 x 26 cm (12” x 16” x 10”)
• Weight c. 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs)
• Used military surplus

These are made of good ol’ materials from the old times when materials were still good. Thick canvas and even thicker leather, all stitched together with strong thread and steel rivets. With a volume of about 40 liters, this pack should serve you well during longer journeys as well. Unlike the green one, this also comes with some more modern straps.

Features

A piece of beautiful neoclassical art on its own right, this Romanian pack is well made with East European love and seems bombproof. Weighs c. 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs).

Inside

On the inside, this is a very simple thing. It has one large main compartment closed with a piece of string. Dimensions from seam to seam are c. 30 x 40 x 26 cm (12” x 16” x 10”). The pack is wider at the bottom than at the top.

The main compartment is covered by a large lid closed with a traditional one-prong buckle system. You can punch more holes in the strap if needed. The leather is really thick.

External features

On the outside, there are additional attachment points with which you can increase the carrying capacity quite nicely. Both sides have two strap attachment points for a blanket/tarp roll, but you can also attach sleeping pads, fishing rods, and what have you on them. These seem to have modern straps as well, but we cannot guarantee that every single pack will have them. The strange strap contraption on the top of the pack is probably meant for a helmet or a mess kit, but you can also use it for something else roundish.

And the interesting looking piece of leather on the flap is for a spade (our best guess). On one side of the pack, there's a handy little pouch for a bottle of booze or a similarly sized water bottle.

All the corners are reinforced with leather. Certainly, this is a thing born out of love.

Carrying system

Anyone familiar with the German WW2 gear will instantly recognize the carrying system, and those who aren't might have to stop for a while and think. We'll make it easy: the slim straps with the loops are supposed to be attached to the hooks at the bottom of the pack. The wide straps with the hooks are meant to be anchored on the combat belt kit.

Yes, the straps will easily slide out of the hooks. This feature is good for military use when you have to discard the pack fast, but not so convenient in civilian life. The simplest hack is to slam the hooks "shut" so the loops won't slide out. Another trick is to cut off the slim straps at their base and just attach the hooked straps together any way you wish. This looks neater, but we will leave the historical integrity aspects to the reader.

Echoes from the past

This ol' thing certainly has very strong vibes from the era of the Tornister type packs which were small and difficult to use. Although this is not one of them, it looks kinda similar. The appearance would place the design to the 50s but these have been made later. Well done, Romania!

Anyway, if you're after a proper usable vintage pack, this is your ticket!

Condition

These Romanian military surplus packs are mostly very little used, but old. The color of the fabric varies from deep blue to slightly purplish. Both are pretty as a pretty picture. The shade of the leather bits also varies from light to a bit darker. The leather is mostly in quite a nice condition for the age but some have a bit more worn surface. It won’t weaken the carrying capacity though. Of course, there may be some stains and such since these are old and used after all.

We strongly recommend wiping the pack clean with a moist rag and treating the leather with generous amounts of grease. The combat skills-enhancing warehouse smell will eventually vanish with use.