Like many Western armies, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) did not issue a dedicated patrol pack to its soldiers for many years. Troops who needed one were often left to source or purchase their own—resulting in a mix of commercial and improvised options being used in the field.
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In the early 1990s, the New Zealand Defence Force began producing the large ALICE pack in temperate DPM (Disruptive Pattern Material) as a replacement for the earlier green version. Aside from the camouflage fabric, the overall design remained consistent with previous iterations.
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In the mid-1980s, the New Zealand Army began developing the Onward pack to replace the Field Pack, Combat, Canvas (Modified). As ties with NATO powers severed, they turned to commercially made Alice packs from South Korea. Despite setbacks in production, the green Alice pack became the standard-issue field pack, evolving into a Disruptive Pattern Material version by 1990.
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The 42-Pattern Rucksack, commonly known as the Bergen, originated in 1942 with the goal of providing specialist troops the capacity to carry larger and heavier loads, facilitating extended field operations without frequent resupply. Developed in collaboration with the Norwegian outdoor company Bergens, it earned its name “Bergen Rucksack,” later shortened to simply “Bergen,” which persists as the term used by British soldiers for any large rucksack to this day.
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The Field Pack, SAS Wilderness, MK-6 was created for the Australian SAS in the late 1980s as a semi-modular, jumpable field pack. Made of polyester and cotton blended canvas with disruptive camouflage pattern, it has multiple compartments and pouches, adjustable padded shoulder straps, and removable waistband. The pack can be attached to a parachute harness, and the frame can be shaped to the wearer’s back.
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The Rucksack, Canvas, Combat is a heavy-duty backpack originally created for the Danish special forces. Constructed from durable cotton canvas and woven cotton webbing straps, it features a steel external frame with black plastic sleeves for protection against arctic conditions. The backpack has five compartments, including a large main compartment and external pouches that close with webbing straps and brass buckles. The unpadded shoulder straps are sewn directly to the back of the backpack, while a leather envelope holds the frame in place.
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