I'm not saying that the 1910/28 haversack was a great design, but I find that most reenactors who complain about it or "despise" it, don't understand why it was developed, or how to actually pack and use it. The pack was developed to carry what a Soldier needed (or at least what the Army felt they needed) and not allow him to overload himself; preventing him from carrying unnecessary articles and becoming exhausted quickly on a march. It was also not meant to be easily accessed while worn to prevent men from digging around in their bag on the march, and to keep their attention on their surroundings. Obviously this design philosophy has evolved from lessons learned, but there was method to the madness of what they were trying out. As to packing the haversack, to begin with, you have some of the prescribed contents, but you're carrying them incorrectly. The flap attached at the middle of the pack with the loops is to go around the contents of the pack, not the bedding roll. If you take a look in the field manuals of the time, they'll show you what a Soldier was expected to carry. This changed slightly between World Wars as some articles of kit changed, but the concept remained similar. The main pack body carried the Soldier's basic needs, generally food, hygiene and rain gear (though the bulky raincoat in WWI was prescribed to be rolled as part of the bed roll at one point). The bed roll consisted of things you'd need in the long run, but could generally go without during the day, and could be easily disconnected from the pack and left behind with the Company's equipment. So what were those contents for WWII? Well they likely got pared down and would vary in the field, but "by the book" you would fold the raincoat to act as a back pad in the upper pack. Then lay your wash roll (tooth brush, tooth powder, comb, soap, razor, blades, shaving brush and shaving soap rolled in a towel) at the top, and place your six C ration cans (or later three K ration boxes) below the wash kit and on top of the rain coat. You would then bring up the bottom flap, pass the straps from the side through the loops and fasten the buckles. Then, in the pouch, you would place your meat can and utensils, along with attaching the bayonet and intrenching tool to their mounting points. The bedroll, again, "by the book", would be made by laying out the shelter half, and then laying one or two wool blankets, folded in half, then in half again the long way, giving a long, narrow strip of blanket, in the center of the shelter half length wise. You would then place two pairs of socks, one handkerchief, one undershirt (tank top) and one pair of drawers on the blanket near one end. Then the blanket would be folded the long way; trapping and keeping the clean underwear clean from the next items. You would then lay out the tent pole, rope and five pins. The exposed edges of the shelter half would be folded in and over the poles and pins, securing them inside, and then the entire package would be rolled up, ending up much like a sleeping bag in appearance. With the haversack packed tightly with its upper contents, and the pack carrier attached (the leather coupling strap should be attached so the center is on the outside, acting as a quick release to dump the roll) the bedroll is laid on the pack and pressed snuggly up into the contents. The pack carrier's straps are then used to secure the roll. Now, as I said, many if not all GIs would modify what they carried to suit their own needs. Many would purchase hold alls for their wash rolls, add small items like nail scissors or a mirror, maybe a small sewing kit. Often times you'll see the rain coat carried under the pack's flap (or tucked into the belt to be retained if the pack is dropped). I'm sure socks were frequently moved to the upper pack too. And you of course see men who appear to have dumped the pack all together, though most often I'd be willing to bet they just dropped them together or left them behind in their fox holes for a patrol or an assault to reduce weight. Many times you'll also see men circumventing the Army's plans on controlling their luggage by supplementing with other bags, like an empty gas mask bag. Anyways, I recommend grabbing a copy of FM 21-100, getting the contents you see there in the personal equipment display, and practicing with packing those neatly into the haversack. Then modify from there. You may find you don't hate it as much. And contrary to popular belief, the haversack CAN be worn as a backpack without the belt. You simply attach the front suspender straps to the ring sewn into the pack holding the rear straps. This way you can quickly dump the pack before entering combat and keep the belt without having to unclip everything.
Hi buddy. That is a good lump of information. Yes I have done more research since I made this video and have a copy of that manual. I still hate the haversack though :D Excellent response though buddy thank you :)
I'm glad someone came with here with the correct way of using this pack, while a weird design based on ergonomic theory of the 1890s, it does work much better when used properly. I, too, find that most everyone with such a negative view of this pack system doesn't actually know how to use it.
If you've never read "the soldier's load" I suggest it. The author perfectly dictates the intense battle of officers to prevent soldiers from carrying all manner of bunk and the immemorial debate between officers on whether to bring kitchen sinks or stay light on the soldiers back.
Weird thing. It sits in the realm of “sufficient” which is probably why it wasn’t discarded for something more typical. They probably said “good enough” and moved on. They really would have benefited from not trying to reinvent the wheel, and just used a large back pack (much like how some Atlas packs are designed) that would have had some additional flaps (like the mess kit pouch on the haversack), a couple utility pouches, and bottom attachment straps for sleep kit. All you need is a tarp, rope/cord, and issued sleeping bag to make an improvised shelter in the field. Idk what the hell this thing.
Yeah that is basically exactly what I have always thought. Why did they not just have bag with some straps and the meat can pouch on. I guess this is technically more flexible.
@@Truffle1947 Honestly, "good enough" is likely the reason and it isn't like they had much else to go on (though again, a big backpack would have sufficed). I'm sure you know WW2 has a lot of complexity in many of the R&D in the equipment and vehicles produced at that time, but I think for a ruck sack it's not the case. This was an advanced(?) and sufficient design. I mean if you look at what a lot of other nations did in the war they have very minimal kit they strap to their backs. As cumbersome and finicky as this thing was, it probably was nice to use when you had it. All things considered.
Now the M1928 also came in a flavor of varieties by the soldiers that used them. I have one I got in a estate sale someone modified it into a M1910 configuration. On a 1942 Boyt.
@@Truffle1947 Nope M1910 had a single back strap instead of the twin different buckles and a different meatcan pouch. And I do own a M1910 meatcan pouch so I have both versions M1910 and M1928 to compare differences.
@@michaelbenjmitchell1 Nice :D I knew they were basically the same apart from a few bits but as I never do any WW1 stuff I have limited experience of any of the kit.
To keep the top flap secure on a long pack I would have one or several of the straps go over the entrenching tool, just like you did at the end with the short pack.
I started out in reinatment doing regular infantry . I learned very quickly to despise the 28 haversack only thing I have in it would be half of a shelter and a wool blanket . I live out of my gas mask bag
Sorry to say but this way the M1928 haversack assembly is constructed in this video is simply wrong. With the pack carrier it actually consists of two sections that the haversack bottom flap segregates. The shelter half and blanket and all small items like tent pegs (some personal items) are folded and rolled into one package that the shelter half protects from the elements. This is strapped to the pack carrier (not a tail). This way the pack carrier can be dropped off by pulling the tab attached to the leather strap that joins the haversack and the pack carrier if the situation requires more freedom of movement. The haversack itself is meant to contain rations (up to six C-ration cans), some personal items and extra ammo etc. Construction of the whole set requires practice a lot but it works even if the entire set falls far behind from the USMC M1941 pack system. For reference, all issued wartime FM 21-15 manuals show and explain how to construct and operate issued US Army gear correctly. These can be found in the web with very little effort.
@@Truffle1947 that's good. In the end you still got the essence of the M1910/1928 system. It was an overly complicated carrying system. It was designed to be a solution to a war of movement (on foot), but ended up being used in trenches. Didn't work well. WW1 was won and no another war should be there... as we know there was. Essentially the GIs fought the WW2 with same gear as their predecessors earlier. And this carried on to the Korean War as well.
Truffles thats where your wrong. The packtail is where the bedroll goes which provides a whole different set of problems on it's own. How does a GI march in that getup when the bedroll goes past his arse and interferes with his legs.
Yes the bed roll goes in the pack tail. But not just the pack tail. The Pack tail on it's own does not have the capacity to hold a bedroll and if you do bodge it on there it will either hang insanely low or be so tightly rolled that it is way to wide. The pack tail is simply an extension to help get the roll into the haversack. I mean if I really am wrong please send me some photos of it because I am more than happy to be corrected :D
What a rubbish piece of kit that got designed, submitted, tested and accepted! Someone made a fortune making these and no doubt hundreds of thousands of GIs suffered with them.
I'm not saying that the 1910/28 haversack was a great design, but I find that most reenactors who complain about it or "despise" it, don't understand why it was developed, or how to actually pack and use it. The pack was developed to carry what a Soldier needed (or at least what the Army felt they needed) and not allow him to overload himself; preventing him from carrying unnecessary articles and becoming exhausted quickly on a march. It was also not meant to be easily accessed while worn to prevent men from digging around in their bag on the march, and to keep their attention on their surroundings. Obviously this design philosophy has evolved from lessons learned, but there was method to the madness of what they were trying out.
As to packing the haversack, to begin with, you have some of the prescribed contents, but you're carrying them incorrectly. The flap attached at the middle of the pack with the loops is to go around the contents of the pack, not the bedding roll. If you take a look in the field manuals of the time, they'll show you what a Soldier was expected to carry. This changed slightly between World Wars as some articles of kit changed, but the concept remained similar. The main pack body carried the Soldier's basic needs, generally food, hygiene and rain gear (though the bulky raincoat in WWI was prescribed to be rolled as part of the bed roll at one point). The bed roll consisted of things you'd need in the long run, but could generally go without during the day, and could be easily disconnected from the pack and left behind with the Company's equipment.
So what were those contents for WWII? Well they likely got pared down and would vary in the field, but "by the book" you would fold the raincoat to act as a back pad in the upper pack. Then lay your wash roll (tooth brush, tooth powder, comb, soap, razor, blades, shaving brush and shaving soap rolled in a towel) at the top, and place your six C ration cans (or later three K ration boxes) below the wash kit and on top of the rain coat. You would then bring up the bottom flap, pass the straps from the side through the loops and fasten the buckles. Then, in the pouch, you would place your meat can and utensils, along with attaching the bayonet and intrenching tool to their mounting points.
The bedroll, again, "by the book", would be made by laying out the shelter half, and then laying one or two wool blankets, folded in half, then in half again the long way, giving a long, narrow strip of blanket, in the center of the shelter half length wise. You would then place two pairs of socks, one handkerchief, one undershirt (tank top) and one pair of drawers on the blanket near one end. Then the blanket would be folded the long way; trapping and keeping the clean underwear clean from the next items. You would then lay out the tent pole, rope and five pins. The exposed edges of the shelter half would be folded in and over the poles and pins, securing them inside, and then the entire package would be rolled up, ending up much like a sleeping bag in appearance.
With the haversack packed tightly with its upper contents, and the pack carrier attached (the leather coupling strap should be attached so the center is on the outside, acting as a quick release to dump the roll) the bedroll is laid on the pack and pressed snuggly up into the contents. The pack carrier's straps are then used to secure the roll.
Now, as I said, many if not all GIs would modify what they carried to suit their own needs. Many would purchase hold alls for their wash rolls, add small items like nail scissors or a mirror, maybe a small sewing kit. Often times you'll see the rain coat carried under the pack's flap (or tucked into the belt to be retained if the pack is dropped). I'm sure socks were frequently moved to the upper pack too.
And you of course see men who appear to have dumped the pack all together, though most often I'd be willing to bet they just dropped them together or left them behind in their fox holes for a patrol or an assault to reduce weight. Many times you'll also see men circumventing the Army's plans on controlling their luggage by supplementing with other bags, like an empty gas mask bag.
Anyways, I recommend grabbing a copy of FM 21-100, getting the contents you see there in the personal equipment display, and practicing with packing those neatly into the haversack. Then modify from there. You may find you don't hate it as much. And contrary to popular belief, the haversack CAN be worn as a backpack without the belt. You simply attach the front suspender straps to the ring sewn into the pack holding the rear straps. This way you can quickly dump the pack before entering combat and keep the belt without having to unclip everything.
Hi buddy. That is a good lump of information. Yes I have done more research since I made this video and have a copy of that manual. I still hate the haversack though :D Excellent response though buddy thank you :)
I'm glad someone came with here with the correct way of using this pack, while a weird design based on ergonomic theory of the 1890s, it does work much better when used properly.
I, too, find that most everyone with such a negative view of this pack system doesn't actually know how to use it.
If you've never read "the soldier's load" I suggest it. The author perfectly dictates the intense battle of officers to prevent soldiers from carrying all manner of bunk and the immemorial debate between officers on whether to bring kitchen sinks or stay light on the soldiers back.
The first 20 seconds of this video is the most reliable thing I’ve ever heard
Weird thing. It sits in the realm of “sufficient” which is probably why it wasn’t discarded for something more typical. They probably said “good enough” and moved on.
They really would have benefited from not trying to reinvent the wheel, and just used a large back pack (much like how some Atlas packs are designed) that would have had some additional flaps (like the mess kit pouch on the haversack), a couple utility pouches, and bottom attachment straps for sleep kit. All you need is a tarp, rope/cord, and issued sleeping bag to make an improvised shelter in the field.
Idk what the hell this thing.
Yeah that is basically exactly what I have always thought. Why did they not just have bag with some straps and the meat can pouch on.
I guess this is technically more flexible.
@@Truffle1947 Honestly, "good enough" is likely the reason and it isn't like they had much else to go on (though again, a big backpack would have sufficed). I'm sure you know WW2 has a lot of complexity in many of the R&D in the equipment and vehicles produced at that time, but I think for a ruck sack it's not the case. This was an advanced(?) and sufficient design. I mean if you look at what a lot of other nations did in the war they have very minimal kit they strap to their backs. As cumbersome and finicky as this thing was, it probably was nice to use when you had it. All things considered.
Yeah you could be correct about that.
Now the M1928 also came in a flavor of varieties by the soldiers that used them. I have one I got in a estate sale someone modified it into a M1910 configuration. On a 1942 Boyt.
I thought the 1910 was basically identical apart from a couple of fasteners?
@@Truffle1947 Nope M1910 had a single back strap instead of the twin different buckles and a different meatcan pouch. And I do own a M1910 meatcan pouch so I have both versions M1910 and M1928 to compare differences.
@@michaelbenjmitchell1 Nice :D
I knew they were basically the same apart from a few bits but as I never do any WW1 stuff I have limited experience of any of the kit.
To keep the top flap secure on a long pack I would have one or several of the straps go over the entrenching tool, just like you did at the end with the short pack.
Yeah that is a good idea 😁
I love the look of the 1928 Haversack but man, it is a dismally designed piece of hardware.
I started out in reinatment doing regular infantry . I learned very quickly to despise the 28 haversack only thing I have in it would be half of a shelter and a wool blanket . I live out of my gas mask bag
Yeah it is just horrible to have to use.
@@Truffle1947 thats why I tried to only use it when required like d day Ohio
Sorry to say but this way the M1928 haversack assembly is constructed in this video is simply wrong. With the pack carrier it actually consists of two sections that the haversack bottom flap segregates. The shelter half and blanket and all small items like tent pegs (some personal items) are folded and rolled into one package that the shelter half protects from the elements. This is strapped to the pack carrier (not a tail). This way the pack carrier can be dropped off by pulling the tab attached to the leather strap that joins the haversack and the pack carrier if the situation requires more freedom of movement. The haversack itself is meant to contain rations (up to six C-ration cans), some personal items and extra ammo etc. Construction of the whole set requires practice a lot but it works even if the entire set falls far behind from the USMC M1941 pack system. For reference, all issued wartime FM 21-15 manuals show and explain how to construct and operate issued US Army gear correctly. These can be found in the web with very little effort.
It is an out of date video that needs to be remade.
It is on my to do list.
@@Truffle1947 that's good. In the end you still got the essence of the M1910/1928 system. It was an overly complicated carrying system. It was designed to be a solution to a war of movement (on foot), but ended up being used in trenches. Didn't work well. WW1 was won and no another war should be there... as we know there was. Essentially the GIs fought the WW2 with same gear as their predecessors earlier. And this carried on to the Korean War as well.
Good video
Glad you enjoyed it 😁
Vielen Dank ! Sehr interessant ! Die gibt es günstig zu kaufen.
No problem :)
Couldn't you tuck the flap under one or both top horizontal straps?
I suppose that might work. But with the meat can pouch and e tool it would be less that ideal. I shall give it a try when I repack it for an event!
I have my original 1942 dated in my meatcan pouch wish I had some USGI silverware for mine.
Good Video.
Thanks. I need to redo it though as it is msotly me ranting!
a very poor design, but it was used in 2 wars and the interwar period, so someone liked it.
Yes it is awful! I will never understand how it lasted so long before someone managed to design a bag lol
Truffles thats where your wrong. The packtail is where the bedroll goes which provides a whole different set of problems on it's own. How does a GI march in that getup when the bedroll goes past his arse and interferes with his legs.
Yes the bed roll goes in the pack tail. But not just the pack tail. The Pack tail on it's own does not have the capacity to hold a bedroll and if you do bodge it on there it will either hang insanely low or be so tightly rolled that it is way to wide. The pack tail is simply an extension to help get the roll into the haversack.
I mean if I really am wrong please send me some photos of it because I am more than happy to be corrected :D
@@Truffle1947 Truffles there are TH-cam vids showing the US Army SOP of packing the haversack.
@@michaelbenjmitchell1 could you ping me a link to one on discord please? I am very interested :D
@@michaelbenjmitchell1 If you have a link to that video send it my way… thanks!!
@@NikonRules303 I'll have to locate it on here first. LOL
But is it a bag?
Jk Good vid
Haha. Straps and flaps!
What a rubbish piece of kit that got designed, submitted, tested and accepted! Someone made a fortune making these and no doubt hundreds of thousands of GIs suffered with them.
Bože to je vůl. :p