45 litre Czech Army Rucksack, Great Military Chic , college/work or outdoor rucksack

These Czech M60 bags really are superb value for money. They were £10 including delivery. Mine arrived just a couple of days after ordering and are in fairly good nick ... no holes or tears.They do have an old canvassy smell, but for me it's just how canvas has always smelt and I love it. It adds character and I'm not washing it away! The two digit numbers on the bags indicate the year that the bags were made. Mine are (19)51 and (19)52 and the 2 crossed swords indicate that these are for Czech military purposes. The bags are good and strong and I can see them lasting a long time. I'm just waiting for the bee's wax to arrive, before I waterproof them (10:1 paraffin (candle) wax : bee's wax mix - see Youtube).Now to the Y straps. If you Google the pictures of these M60 bags, you will easily see how to fasten the straps onto the bag ... a couple of the bigger (not the smaller bent flat metal) hooks into the D rings on the top of the bag and a couple of the hooks into the D rings on the bottom of the bags. To stop these coming off you could use cable ties, rubber bands, string/paracord or bend the hooks closed using pliers or whatever else works for you. As for the rest of the Y strap fittings, you could wrap or tie them out of the way or just let them dangle free. The dangling hooks may catch on things though, so beware. Some people have also made a DIY paracord grab handle handle that goes between the top two D rings. You may find this a useful modification to make.The question I had was WHY was a bag made with basically a pair of braces as straps. The answer of course is that it wasn't - well not as such. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I found that the purpose of the Y straps was to help support the weight of the soldiers fully loaded belt (bayonet, water canteen, fist aid pouch, entrenching tool, spare ammo etc) on the shoulders and take it from off their hips. Hence the extra belt hooks (the bent flat metal ones) which are on the Y straps. There are also the hook attachments on the Y straps to attach the M60 bag! I hope this helps anyone else who has the "Why?!?!" question.

The main pack looks brand new with very little use to it, the y straps have had a tough life but still perfectly serviceable. y straps are easy to put on with a bit of common sense (failing that youtube has a ton of vids), and stay in place by eather bending the metal clips in or attaching cable ties.These are a great army surplus pack, surplus being a key word here to all of you that expected a brand new, non smelling, old pack with a bit of character ;-). Not quite the 45 liters as stated, more 30 to 35 liters, with a divider at the back of the main compartment that will fit a laptop and note books, but still plenty of room to be your day pack or go to work or school bag (have one for the woods when i take my children out and one for work). the front pockets are large enough to fit a Belgium canteen and cup (still in its canvas carrier), or a lightweight poncho with plenty of room to spare. colors will vary as it is surplus (have 2 different shads of olive green in my collection), but its a great little pack and comfortable to wear.Have one dated 1975 and one 1978, may buy another and see if i can get a 1974 to match the year i was born :-)

I purchased this pack for bushcraft and survival camping trips in summer when I can afford to travel light. I'm yet to field test it but upon inspection it seems to be a good hard wearing pack that would last you a lifetime. The straps do take a little head scratching to figure out tho. On the end of each shoulder strap are two metal hooks. Both of these hooks click together through the metal loop on the bottom. The leather strap on the top of the pack also has a metal hook on the end. This simply hooks through the canvas loop on the back of the pack and fastens through the centre metal ring on the top with the studs.

Hmmm... I like it but it arrived in bits and I had to stitch new D-rings on (I am not a seamstress and have you ever tried to get a needle through thick canvas?) so that I could hook the straps on and actually make it into a functioning bag. I do like the fact it appears to have been well-used and could probably tell a story or two. It’s now a useful thing and quite cool although my wife doesn’t like the smell of it.

Almost a month late in delivery from an otherwise outstanding company from previous purchases. Minging canvas that no amount of washing will remove the smell of, stained and in poor condition. 45 litres it certainly isn't, more close to 25. The saving grace is that it is incredibly tough and will only be used for carrying supplies when out walking.The straps are a bit of a fiddle to attach but no major dramas. The saying, 'You get what you pay for' certainly applies to this. Average at best.

The pictures of this bag look a lot better than reality. In reality these are highly worn but I guess it is really pot luck which one you will get.It is fiddly to put together and once fitted will not wear properly on any big man (6"3 XXL). I am keeping this for novelty value and may find some use for it one day but far too scruffy to wear into work.

These bags are second hand so you can't really determine how worn they are but you would expect to get some life out of it as it is. Mine has two holes in it due to wear and one of the straps is holding on by a thread so needs to be stitched before I can use it. All in all I am disappointed as I won't get much used from it.

This is a used item, so it's a lottery what turns up. I had to stitch a hole up, and the pocket straps have no leather ends, so they're frayed. Putting the shoulder straps on is challenging, but it is adequate overall. Really, I give it 2.5 stars: cheap and you get what you pay for.