New Rucksack

[dangerboy]

There are only so many training plates in the system so you usually only gets them when you are do pre-deployment training.

 

[NL_engineer]

Amen. Except in a few specilized situations e.g., long term OPs, SF operations etc, there should be no need to fill up a rucksack that large. Options? Either 'need less' or have a more efficient echelon system.

As 2 Cdo said, it is the higher ups making the lists, not the people doing the work.

I haven`t marched with plates in yet (is there a shortage of training plates?- we haven`t seen them yet)

Feel lucky if you get them, I have completed my entire work up without them, so I get to adjust to wearing them in the sandbox  :

 

[Quag]

Amen. Except in a few specilized situations e.g., long term OPs, SF operations etc, there should be no need to fill up a rucksack that large. Options? Either 'need less' or have a more efficient echelon system.

I understand the ideology behind the Small Pack is that you use that for smaller operations and only use the big ruck on these longer term operations like OP's etc...

 

[dangerboy]

I understand the ideology behind the Small Pack is that you use that for smaller operations and only use the big ruck on these longer term operations like OP's etc...

That is clothe the soldiers idea for the ruck system.  For short durations (IE 24 hrs) you use the small pack for long duration operations away from vehicles you use the new Ruck. Their theory is that you just slip the small pack into the main pouch of the new Ruck and pack around it. I am not sure about that theory but I will admit I have not tried it personally.

Buy the way does anybody know is there a proper name for the Rucksack it gets a bit silly calling "New Rucksack"

 

[George Wallace]

I understand the ideology behind the Small Pack is that you use that for smaller operations and only use the big ruck on these longer term operations like OP's etc...

With the amount of equipment and crap I had to lug up to OPs, the last thing I would want to bring up is a humongous ruck.

 

[Jammer]

Speaking for myself only I had to live out of the "new rucksack" for the past seven months. This was something that would have been made miserable if I had the old one.
Post deployment lve starts today on a sad note
RIP Tpr Blais.

 

[Quag]

With the amount of equipment and crap I had to lug up to OPs, the last thing I would want to bring up is a humongous ruck.

Did you consider putting some of that equipment in the ruck George? That's what our guys do.  I think people are blowing this ruck thing out of proportion.  While it may only be the 80% solution, it does do a half decent job.  It is no bigger than the 82 pattern complete.

 

[George Wallace]

Did you consider putting some of that equipment in the ruck George? That's what our guys do.  I think people are blowing this ruck thing out of proportion.  While it may only be the 80% solution, it does do a half decent job.  It is no bigger than the 82 pattern complete.

One sleeping bag in valise, C-6 & tripod, laser RF, Field phone, radio(es), cable/wire and reel, OP Kit ( bag with pens/pencils, range cards, binos, compass, protractors, etc.), shovel, pickaxe, Scoff Kits........... No need for the change of clothes and spare boots, etc.  A ruck would just slow down the process.

 

[Jammer]

Luxury!
We were living in a cardboard box in a rubbish bin!

 

[Kat Stevens]

You had a box?  Lucky sod.  We used to get by in an old empty pilchards tin!  Tell kids that today and they won't believe you.

 

[Soldier1stTradesman2nd]

I guess that is if you are using the CF Sleeping Bags.  A decent off-the-shelf, military bag (such as those carried by the PPCLI Kitshop) come with compression sacks making them the size of a nalgene.  As well, I got an airmatress from MEC that is green and rolls down to roughly the same size.  I can carry my sleeping kit in a C9 pouch.

Modern lightweight, compressible gear can allow you to take a 60L MMR/ZXR along way.  With add on pockets and a piggyback system, you can expand to 80-100 liters and still have the stability and bring a daypack along for the ride too.  The new bag really doesn't have this adaptabilty.

Tried searching - couldn't find it. How does the issued CF sleeping gear fit with the CTS Ruck and new compression sack? I'm talling inner, outer, liner and hood.

 

[Jammer]

The issued compression sack works quite nicely. Just sqeeze the snot out of it.

 

[armyvern]

You had a box?  Lucky sod.  We used to get by in an old empty pilchards tin!  Tell kids that today and they won't believe you.

That sounds just about as nice as my family's shoebox; beats the hell outta pools with sharks with frickin' laserbeams.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

You had a box?  Lucky sod.  We used to get by in an old empty pilchards tin!  Tell kids that today and they won't believe you.

People saw us kicking a can down the street and asked what we were doing…we said “Moving”.

 

[NL_engineer]

Tried searching - couldn't find it. How does the issued CF sleeping gear fit with the CTS Ruck and new compression sack? I'm talling inner, outer, liner and hood.

With a lot of work, I found separating all the pieces, rolling them up individually; then stuffing  : works, but you then get the fun of putting it all back together in the field  :.

When done like that, it will leave enough room for your rolled up bivi bag and ground sheet to fit on the sides.

 

[Soldier1stTradesman2nd]

Again, not having seen the ruck in real life, I can only go by what I have seen in pictures. From what you described above, the sleeping bag cavity in the ruck must be ginormous. The CF sleeping bags are notoriously bulky and hard to compress.

Getting a good idea on how large the CTS ruck really is. Any pictures to get a sense of scale of internal compartments?

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Again, not having seen the ruck in real life, I can only go by what I have seen in pictures. From what you described above, the sleeping bag cavity in the ruck must be ginormous. The CF sleeping bags are notoriously bulky and hard to compress.

Getting a good idea on how large the CTS ruck really is. Any pictures to get a sense of scale of internal compartments?

The only thing "supposed" to go in the compression sack is items that will compress (i.e. sleeping bag). Bivy bag ergo would go in the main compartment of the ruck.

 

[The_Falcon]

The only thing "supposed" to go in the compression sack is items that will compress (i.e. sleeping bag). Bivy bag ergo would go in the main compartment of the ruck.

Yeah cause that makes SOO much sense

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Yeah cause that makes SOO much sense

Well that's the info I got from one of the "train the trainers" and the CTS Staff.

 

[Quag]

Yeah cause that makes SOO much sense

How does that not make sense?  This is a "compression sack" unlike your old "sleeping bag CARRIER".  There is plenty of room in the compression sack compartment on the ruckfor your bivy bag and ground sheet.

For what its worth, I fit my bivy bag just fine in the compression sack, just make sure you have the opening at the top so the air can escape (but that was common knowledge already, right?).

I think for a lot of people, the saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" applies...

Before you constantly knock this new ruck:

1. First get it.
2. Second try it on an extended op or ex.
3. Then evaluate it.

You might be shocked at what you find.

Cheers