Field Pack, Combat, Canvas (Modified) | The Army Surplus Museum

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General Information

Name: Field Pack, Combat, Canvas (Modified).
Country of Origin: New Zealand.
Manufacturer: Yet to be identified.
Date of manufacture: c 1980.
NATO Stock Number (NSN): Yet to be identified.
Camouflage Pattern: Olive Drab (OD).
Equipment Family: Yet to be identified.
Number Of compartments: Three.
Volume Capacity: 65L.
     Main compartment- 20L.
     Side pouches- 5L each.
     Bottom compartment- 35L.
Weight: 2kg.
Waterproof: No.

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History

In the early 1970s, the New Zealand army sought to replace its aging field packs, taking inspiration from Australia’s successful adoption of a standard-size field pack a few years prior. The new design was modeled after the Australian Field Pack, Combat, Canvas, with modifications aimed at improving functionality. These changes included an increased overall carrying capacity and the addition of para-cord loops to the bottom compartment, enhancing waterproofing and providing better support when fully loaded.

Despite the efforts to enhance the field pack, it was issued in the mid-1970s and fell short of meeting the expectations set for it and was eventually removed from service in the late 1990’s.

Description

The field pack is constructed with a green cotton canvas that features an ‘oilskin’ type of waterproofing and is internally lined with an olive green nylon cloth.

The lid is sewn to the top of the back face and features short reliefs at the sides. It includes a transparent vinyl I.D window on the top and closes with two webbing straps. Additionally, there is a horizontal webbing strap at the front to secure the head of an entrenching tool, with the shaft further secured down the pack. The bottom compartment is a large hanging pouch that closes with three webbing straps. Inside the bottom compartment, there are two webbing loops that hold a section of para-cord, which is threaded through metal grommets at the top of the bottom compartment’s front cover. This enables the cover to be drawn in over the contents before it is properly closed.

The pack is divided into a top and bottom compartment. The top compartment further divides into a middle main compartment and two side pouches. The sides of the main compartment feature weather covers that lace over the contents. The side pouches are closed with a webbing pull-tab and can be opened without adjusting the pack’s lid.

The field pack has padded shoulder straps secured in place with aluminum rivets. The pack has adjustable shoulder straps with a quick-release function. At the back of the pack, two closed-cell foam pads provide ventilation when the pack is carried.

The pack incorporates a heavy-duty plastic board as an internal frame, securely attached to the internal side of the pack.