Does anyone know of a large backpack that can be apart to a smaller size?

Kyle

I'm in the military and I'm looking for a backpack that can pack 3 days worth of stuff, but can still be taken apart into a smaller size for like patrol and school use. I would prefer ACU, Black, Tan, or OD Green

Answer
For military use - forget it. You can only used what is issued.

For civilian use, I have seen such backpacks at Bass Pro Shop and Big 5 here in California. You should be able to find them online as well at Cabellas and other outfitting/outdoors companies. I do recommend that whatever you get you touch and feel it first to make sure it is what you really want. Often times the frames are weak aluminum and bend quite easily making the pack useless where you have to abondon the items or treat the pack as a hand-carry sack.

Interesting that you mention "3 days". A basic WWII, Korea, Vietnam (up to about 1986) combat pack provides plenty of room for someone who knows what they are doing for a 3 day hike/camping trip. I packed on for over 20 years and speak from experience. My pack had a mess kit, extra socks (2 pair), C rats and later MREs, poncho, extra skivvies and trousers, blanket, shelter half with pegs and tent pole, entrenching tool, 1st aid kit (in addition to the one on my cartridge belt), plus a few other items like bug juice. You just need to know who to properly pack your pack so that every cubic inch is used. The blanket and shelter half are carried on top of the pack and strapped on.

Water and another 1st aid pouch is on a cartridge belt that has pack suspenders to balance the load. If you want to add more, pick up a cargo pack that is strapped to the bottom of the marching pack. I have carried a can of 7.62 ammo in it plus extra gear. That was no fun because the ammo is mostly lead! : )

By the way, the color is OD Green. You can stil get these packs at most Army/Navy surplus stores around the country. I still have mine that I have used for over 40 years. Works great, been through hell, and still excellent condition. There are sprays for water repellenancy - have to use them on current nylon packs also but more often.

Lieutenant Colonel, U S Marine Corps-Retired (27 years active and had both my canvas and ALICE pack. preferred the canvas since it never broke).

A little help with a camping swag please...?

David

So I friend and I are going to go bushwalking for a bit out on a nature reserve behind his house. I recently bought a swag so that it would be easier than lugging around a tent and easier to pitch, but I came to problem, how do I carry it while walking? Is there some kind of bag I can buy for it or something? Please help.
I live in Australia by the way. Western Australia to be exact. If that helps.

Answer
In Oz, a "swag" is what we here States-side would call a "bedroll" or "bivy sack".

http://www.australianswags.co.uk/

A "swag man" is a wanderer who travels with such a bedroll.

Clearly you need a backpack to haul it in. You could just buy a bare frame pack with shoulder straps and hip belt (we can buy them in military surplus stores here) and then strap it on with webbing buckles or bungee cords. But it would probably be better to get a large single compartment internal frame backpack, maybe 40 or 50 liters. Won't you be needing to carry something for hauling water bags, food and other kit anyway? If your swag is small enough you could roll it up and lash it to the bottom of a smaller pack -- most have buckles or tabs on the bottom to attach a packed sleeping bag or tent to,

I did a Google search for "military surplus camping Australia" and saw page after page of dealers so I am sure there are some handy to you.

As far as "lugging" a tent, a good quality nylon backpacking tent would be under 2 kilos and pack down the size of a large bread loaf, so I doubt the swag saved you much weight, especially if it is canvas. In fact the single swags on that link I posted weigh a whopping 4.9 kilos!! My entire backpacking kit including 2-man bugproof tent, sleeping bag, pad and stove doesn't weigh that much altogether. But I suppose carrying all that weight builds character, eh mate?

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How do you keep the inside of a tent clean when it's snowing?

Jim

When it comes time to set up camp and you've been hiking through the snow all day you're going to be covered in snow. How do you keep the inside of your tent (1-2 person tent) from becoming a sloppy mess when you crawl inside and change into your sleeping clothes?

Answer
I have camped in subzero conditions many times over the decades in the lower 48 and here in Alaska.
First you need pac-boots with a removable insert, many are made with wool felt and the more modern ones use high tech fabrics. This is very important because with the insert you can walk into the vestibule, take off the boots, remove insert and place it in the bottom of your sleeping bag to dry and warm, leaving the boot at the entrance. I keep an extra pair of pac-boot inserts, in case one doesnât dry by the next day.
A pair of military âMickey bootsâ can be worn in the tent while you get things set for the night.
To further lower snow in tent I place a tarp on the ground larger than the tent foot print, extending past the vestibule by 6 feet. I set my tent up and place another tarp over it extending out over everything, leaving the ends open for air flow. This creates an extra vestibule for a âmud/snowâ room where you can brush off your boots and clothing with a hand broom and sweep it outside. This area will stay cold and so the snow wonât melt into a mess. In the tents vestibule I have a heat source to cook or warm up with but not to keep the tent warm all night. If set up right the cold air will flow into the vestibules into the tent and out the back of a tent window. This reduces condensation on the inner walls of moisture and provides fresh air to breathe while providing a place to cook or dry out clothing. I use a propane cook stove for this and so you have to have a flow of air or you can die from lack of oxygen.

How do I camp with no tent?

Colter B

How can I camp using only what I can carry on my back. I have a big wool blanket, a military-grade casualty blanket, a sleeping pad and a ground cloth. Are there any light weight, one man tents that are inexpensive I could use? I am very limited on space dedicated to sleeping arrangements, space and weight are a big issue. I just want something simple, not too big or fancy, that will keep me dry at night. Any ideas? Oh ya, a sleeping bag is too large, this wool blanket I have is warm, big and still light weight and small. I don't have to worry about freezing to death in my area, it doesn't get cold.... we might hit 30F twice in a year. If i get into trouble with the cold, I can just use the casualty blanket. My basic goal is a very small compact tent and directions on hoe to use a pad, ground cloth and blanket in a functional manner.

Answer
An 8x10 tarp and some para-cord will work even in foul weather. I use one alot. Keeps the early morning dew off at the least. Can just go lean-to using a third of it as a ground cloth, or hang it as an awning and get dirty, or make a tube of it when things get real nasty.
You'll want some kind of ground cloth to protect your pad and protect you from ground moisture so you're carrying it anyway.
Go cheap and disposable with visqueen/plastic sheeting, or go top end with light weight silicone impregnated nylon. Keeps your gear dry also if you pack it right. I haven't carried a tent pole in over 5 years.

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Does anyone know of a large backpack that can be apart to a smaller size?

Kyle

I'm in the military and I'm looking for a backpack that can pack 3 days worth of stuff, but can still be taken apart into a smaller size for like patrol and school use. I would prefer ACU, Black, Tan, or OD Green

Answer
For military use - forget it. You can only used what is issued.

For civilian use, I have seen such backpacks at Bass Pro Shop and Big 5 here in California. You should be able to find them online as well at Cabellas and other outfitting/outdoors companies. I do recommend that whatever you get you touch and feel it first to make sure it is what you really want. Often times the frames are weak aluminum and bend quite easily making the pack useless where you have to abondon the items or treat the pack as a hand-carry sack.

Interesting that you mention "3 days". A basic WWII, Korea, Vietnam (up to about 1986) combat pack provides plenty of room for someone who knows what they are doing for a 3 day hike/camping trip. I packed on for over 20 years and speak from experience. My pack had a mess kit, extra socks (2 pair), C rats and later MREs, poncho, extra skivvies and trousers, blanket, shelter half with pegs and tent pole, entrenching tool, 1st aid kit (in addition to the one on my cartridge belt), plus a few other items like bug juice. You just need to know who to properly pack your pack so that every cubic inch is used. The blanket and shelter half are carried on top of the pack and strapped on.

Water and another 1st aid pouch is on a cartridge belt that has pack suspenders to balance the load. If you want to add more, pick up a cargo pack that is strapped to the bottom of the marching pack. I have carried a can of 7.62 ammo in it plus extra gear. That was no fun because the ammo is mostly lead! : )

By the way, the color is OD Green. You can stil get these packs at most Army/Navy surplus stores around the country. I still have mine that I have used for over 40 years. Works great, been through hell, and still excellent condition. There are sprays for water repellenancy - have to use them on current nylon packs also but more often.

Lieutenant Colonel, U S Marine Corps-Retired (27 years active and had both my canvas and ALICE pack. preferred the canvas since it never broke).

A little help with a camping swag please...?

David

So I friend and I are going to go bushwalking for a bit out on a nature reserve behind his house. I recently bought a swag so that it would be easier than lugging around a tent and easier to pitch, but I came to problem, how do I carry it while walking? Is there some kind of bag I can buy for it or something? Please help.
I live in Australia by the way. Western Australia to be exact. If that helps.

Answer
In Oz, a "swag" is what we here States-side would call a "bedroll" or "bivy sack".

http://www.australianswags.co.uk/

A "swag man" is a wanderer who travels with such a bedroll.

Clearly you need a backpack to haul it in. You could just buy a bare frame pack with shoulder straps and hip belt (we can buy them in military surplus stores here) and then strap it on with webbing buckles or bungee cords. But it would probably be better to get a large single compartment internal frame backpack, maybe 40 or 50 liters. Won't you be needing to carry something for hauling water bags, food and other kit anyway? If your swag is small enough you could roll it up and lash it to the bottom of a smaller pack -- most have buckles or tabs on the bottom to attach a packed sleeping bag or tent to,

I did a Google search for "military surplus camping Australia" and saw page after page of dealers so I am sure there are some handy to you.

As far as "lugging" a tent, a good quality nylon backpacking tent would be under 2 kilos and pack down the size of a large bread loaf, so I doubt the swag saved you much weight, especially if it is canvas. In fact the single swags on that link I posted weigh a whopping 4.9 kilos!! My entire backpacking kit including 2-man bugproof tent, sleeping bag, pad and stove doesn't weigh that much altogether. But I suppose carrying all that weight builds character, eh mate?

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Does anyone know of a large backpack that can be apart to a smaller size?

Kyle

I'm in the military and I'm looking for a backpack that can pack 3 days worth of stuff, but can still be taken apart into a smaller size for like patrol and school use. I would prefer ACU, Black, Tan, or OD Green

Answer
For military use - forget it. You can only used what is issued.

For civilian use, I have seen such backpacks at Bass Pro Shop and Big 5 here in California. You should be able to find them online as well at Cabellas and other outfitting/outdoors companies. I do recommend that whatever you get you touch and feel it first to make sure it is what you really want. Often times the frames are weak aluminum and bend quite easily making the pack useless where you have to abondon the items or treat the pack as a hand-carry sack.

Interesting that you mention "3 days". A basic WWII, Korea, Vietnam (up to about 1986) combat pack provides plenty of room for someone who knows what they are doing for a 3 day hike/camping trip. I packed on for over 20 years and speak from experience. My pack had a mess kit, extra socks (2 pair), C rats and later MREs, poncho, extra skivvies and trousers, blanket, shelter half with pegs and tent pole, entrenching tool, 1st aid kit (in addition to the one on my cartridge belt), plus a few other items like bug juice. You just need to know who to properly pack your pack so that every cubic inch is used. The blanket and shelter half are carried on top of the pack and strapped on.

Water and another 1st aid pouch is on a cartridge belt that has pack suspenders to balance the load. If you want to add more, pick up a cargo pack that is strapped to the bottom of the marching pack. I have carried a can of 7.62 ammo in it plus extra gear. That was no fun because the ammo is mostly lead! : )

By the way, the color is OD Green. You can stil get these packs at most Army/Navy surplus stores around the country. I still have mine that I have used for over 40 years. Works great, been through hell, and still excellent condition. There are sprays for water repellenancy - have to use them on current nylon packs also but more often.

Lieutenant Colonel, U S Marine Corps-Retired (27 years active and had both my canvas and ALICE pack. preferred the canvas since it never broke).

A little help with a camping swag please...?

David

So I friend and I are going to go bushwalking for a bit out on a nature reserve behind his house. I recently bought a swag so that it would be easier than lugging around a tent and easier to pitch, but I came to problem, how do I carry it while walking? Is there some kind of bag I can buy for it or something? Please help.
I live in Australia by the way. Western Australia to be exact. If that helps.

Answer
In Oz, a "swag" is what we here States-side would call a "bedroll" or "bivy sack".

http://www.australianswags.co.uk/

A "swag man" is a wanderer who travels with such a bedroll.

Clearly you need a backpack to haul it in. You could just buy a bare frame pack with shoulder straps and hip belt (we can buy them in military surplus stores here) and then strap it on with webbing buckles or bungee cords. But it would probably be better to get a large single compartment internal frame backpack, maybe 40 or 50 liters. Won't you be needing to carry something for hauling water bags, food and other kit anyway? If your swag is small enough you could roll it up and lash it to the bottom of a smaller pack -- most have buckles or tabs on the bottom to attach a packed sleeping bag or tent to,

I did a Google search for "military surplus camping Australia" and saw page after page of dealers so I am sure there are some handy to you.

As far as "lugging" a tent, a good quality nylon backpacking tent would be under 2 kilos and pack down the size of a large bread loaf, so I doubt the swag saved you much weight, especially if it is canvas. In fact the single swags on that link I posted weigh a whopping 4.9 kilos!! My entire backpacking kit including 2-man bugproof tent, sleeping bag, pad and stove doesn't weigh that much altogether. But I suppose carrying all that weight builds character, eh mate?

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