French F1 Rucksack

It does not have all those little pockets like the modern ILBE packs the USMC uses but I purchased some MOLLE material and sewed it on myself using fishing line. This bag was as described.. It was large, in decent shape and showed some wear. There were no holes, rips or tears. I have had this bag loaded with 130+ lbs of gear and the shoulder straps and all stitching held. Great bag get yours!

Big pack when fully extended, but upper portion reverses into bag for smaller loads. Straps and padding are comfortable. I like the side handles for picking up and moving around. Even with pack extended, the closure straps are long enough to store a tarp, blanket, etc on top of pack. I plan on buying a couple more.

The bag looks like it would be great if you got one in decent condition. Good size, lots of useful features. Other reviews have already covered this.

The condition of my bag was poor. It may have been issued multiple times. (There were three names on the bag, two of them crossed out.)

One shoulder strap was torn half way through, and the water-resistant material has worn through on both the bottom and the top cover. I was expecting I might need to repair or replace the straps, but there's nothing I can do about the waterproofing.

Other than these issues the hardware is all there and functional. There is some corrosion, but not enough to impair functionality. It should be easy enough to clean up and prevent from spreading.

YMMV. Its poor condition limits the potential applications for my bag. The water-resistance was a big selling point.

This bag is big and can be put to many uses. About the size of your standard issue duffel bag. You can't tell by the photo but it is an olive drab color. It has a water-resistant cover that snaps over the top and it can be adjusted down to handle smaller loads.

The top cover has a small zippered compartment that you could store a sweatshirt or poncho in.

The bag smells like it has been sitting in a damp warehouse for about 50 years, but that's no big deal. As a Get Home Bag for the car, it should really fit the bill.

There are padded strips on the back, providing some back relief but this thing is not built for comfort. Just remember that it's not suitable for backpacking heavy loads. I plan to just load some supplies into it and throw this in the back of the car. Hopefully, I'll never need to carry it too far. The top straps are long enough to strap on a sleeping bag or other gear.

One of the metal ends for the straps was missing but I think I could rig up something. Overall, this knapsack is a good deal. I may sound like I am complaining but this is a really rugged bag that could be used for a lot of things. A range bag maybe? Gear bag for your boat? Or do like I am going to do and throw it in the back of the car as a Get Home Bag. I like it a lot.

This is a classic. It's got no useless pockets or wasted space. It acts like a medium duffel, but one that you can backpack. Or it's a tough backpack that's collapsible into a bag or can be rough handled anywhere. Mine came with plenty of signs of wear, but nothing detrimental to the usefulness. I got lucky, mine has all the hardware in tact. It's got character for sure.

I stuffed everything I needed for a four day trip, got it wet in a canoe, and still had no complaints. It's just a good, tough flexible item that you wont worry about if it gets a bit dirty, or takes a tumble, it will handle it.

Get one.. or two use em as transport bags, or pack-em out.

By the end of my trip my companions with packs that cost 10 times as much wanted mine. nuff said!

My bag arrived with the classic funky surplus odor, and the strap ends brass tips were gone, I had to burn the frayed tips with a lighter, no big deal. Its seen service. The bag is a medium large ruck. It has good comfortable straps and even has straps fro thumb loops, to use to shift the load. Who would think of that? I wish it had some exterior fastening straps, but its otherwise an excellent ruck.

Not huge like the ILBE Rucksack , but, it's pretty darn big. Now I must admit I am disappointed in the color. Web site pics appear to have a brown or tan hue, but, it's green. Not Kermit green, but, green nonetheless. I will get past the color because did I mention it's huge? All the straps and buckles were in place on mine and while it appeared slightly used it was in great shape overall. Too big for a use daily pack but just the thing for a weekend in the woods or if you feel the need to pack absolutely everything in a BOB. I expected some scuffs in the leather especially on the bottom, but, once again mine was in very good condition. This is plenty big for my use so I will not be buying a second one although I would not hesitate if I needed another really big ruck.

My pack arrived in good,used condition. After a good wipedown with lysol wipes, I wiped it dry and hung in garage. No smell at all the next day. Over the weekend I got a chance to get out in the woods. Loaded my F1 ruck with the following-
Solo stove and nesting pot, Kelty tarp, wool blanket(from keepshooting,of course) 550 cord, 3 different knives I wanted to test out, a small Condor hatchet, Sven saw, another new tarp I wanted to try out, Life Straw, Nalgene bottle, a 2 litre bottle filled with water, toiletries, and 2 days of food. Carried the pack as loaded for approx 5 hours off and on one day and 2 the next. Pack carried well, no hotspots, but I redid my loading a couple of times.
One item I forgot that I always carry is a large gardening kneeling foam pad. I was wishing for it after an hour, between the load and my back.

To sum it up, this pack holds a good load, carries well and I wont be wearing it out in my lifetime. But Im pretty old, lol.

I found this pack to be a good buy, arrived in good condition, and you can pack A LOT of stuff in it

This cost over twice what the Polish ruck costs, but it made 5 time better. The shoulder straps are where it really shine for a surplus bag. The large waterproof and wear resistant bottom is tougher than I expected.