Field Pack, SAS Wilderness, MK-6

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General Information

Name: Field Pack, SAS (Special Air Service) Wilderness MK-6.
Country of Origin: Australia.
Manufacturer: Wilderness Equipment.
NATO Stock Number (NSN): Undermined, Commercial/ Private Purchase
Camouflage Pattern: Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Uniform (DPCU), Auscam.
Waterproof: Yes, but this depends on the condition.
Frame: Internal Frame

For more specific details such as date of production, size, and weight, see individual examples.

Similar Objects

History

The Field Pack, SAS Wilderness, MK-6 was designed in the late 1980s, by Web Force Australia for the Australian Special Air Service (SAS) as a large, semi-modular, jumpable field pack. It is made of polyester and cotton blended canvas with disruptive camouflage pattern printed on the exterior.

Description

The pack is comprised of two main compartments, a removable lid pouch, two front pouches, and two removable side pouches. The lid is attached at the back and closes at the front with two webbing straps and side-release buckles. The internal side of the top compartment has a series of webbing straps that hold a field radio. The bottom compartment can be accessed through an opening on the right side, closed with side covers, and held down with a webbing strap and side-release buckle.

The back face of the pack has a fabric envelope at the top for an ALICE Pack Frame, and below that is a large open-top mesh pouch. The shoulder straps are adjustable, padded with closed cell foam, and internally stiffened with plastic spacer board. The waistband is also padded with closed cell foam and can be removed by undoing two metal bolts that attach it to the back face. The frame consists of two internal aluminum strays that can be removed and shaped to the wearer’s back. The sides of the pack have a grab handle, compression straps, and a parachute quick-release buckle for fitting it directly to a parachute harness. The side pouches have a draw-cord closure and the lids close with a webbing strap and side-release buckle.

The removable top pouch is a large flat pouch with a zip closure at the front and the same attachment method as the removable side pouches. The front pouches are permanently attached to the pack and are the same shape and style as the side pouches.

Examples

Example One

Additional Information
Date of Production: Circa 1992.
Number Of compartments: 8.
Volume Capacity: 93L.
Weight: 3.5kg.

Volume Capacity: 93L.
     Top compartment: 40L.
     Bottom compartment: 25L.
     Top Pouch: 8L.
     Front and side Pouches: 5L each.
Object Number: 3124-360-38105.

Example Two (Modified)

This modified SAS MK-6 Wilderness Field Pack was used by a member of the New Zealand army during operations in East Timor. The pack has several features, including a webbing carrying handle with super-lock buckles, ladder-lock buckles on the top corners that enable the pack to worn without a frame. The pack still has the fabric envelope for an ALICE pack frame.

The back face has a Commercial DPM waistband with a high top and padded with soft foam rubber. The waistband closes around the waist with an adjustable 50mm plastic side-release buckle. The external side is DPM textured nylon, and the internal face is olive drab canvas.

The lid still has all the rungs of PALS attachment loops, but it now has a flat pocket with entry via a heavy-duty olive green plastic zip and closes at the front with side-release buckles. The internal side of the lid has a flat map pocket made from olive green nylon with a polyurethane lamination.

The Field Pack has ten pouches in total, including the two flat map pockets, two small magazine-type pouches, a large front utility pouch, and two extra pouches from an FLP-94 Field Pack have been sewn to the sides. The mouth of both pouches are able to be drawn in around the contents with nylon draw-cords.

The bottom three pouches from the MK-6 Wilderness Field Pack before it was modified. The mouth of these pouches are also able to be drawn in around the contents with nylon draw-cords.

The bottom of the field pack now has a large horizontal opening added to it that closes with a heavy-duty metal zip. This allows access to the main compartment from the bottom, in-order to remove a sleeping bag.