Trail pack

antiquated · February 1, 2021, 10:32am

Morning fellas
Well I havent posted here in a while, Does not mean I’ve not been busy, but busy with things like converting my Landrover into a one person camper and doing the ben 10 mountain passes challange, while stealth camping, and… Oh a whole lot of camping stuff not directly related to hiking…

Just so by the way, I’ve laid my hands on all the gear I had back in the 1970 and have managed to replace it, Including a backpacker kestrel tent & extention with the Y adaptor, a backpacker benadorm sleeping bag, A gynourmous thing) and both the backpacker boulder & now an Elephant backpack. - perhaps more about that later, as I have re-deployed it to my wheelie pack that I can cart & tote.

I’ve alos managed to get 2 Trangia cooksets, 1 optimus R8 and am sitting on 6 Globetrotters, with 2 unpunctured 90g canisters and 2 that have been assembleded into the globies…

But that’s not why I’m back here, I’ve just managed to lay my hands on a ex SA Army M 83 pattern battlepack for R250 and I think it will make an exceptional “Day - hike / trail pack”… (gonna keep it resourced down to 1 day)

So keeping that in mind ( I already have a resourcing list), and would like to see how you guys would resource a “Day - hike / trail pack”…

If anyone want a pic of the pack I’m basing thing on I’ll happily post!

Regards
Warren

Spectaitor · February 1, 2021, 11:47am

I’m new here and have been lurking for a while because I haven’t actively jumped into the hobby/sport.
I can say that without a doubt something like this would be invaluable to me, someone who has no knowledge or biases.

antiquated · February 2, 2021, 4:08am

pattern 83 battle pack

Here is a picture of the M 83 battlepack that I will use as a day-walk pack.

Here is a little information about this piece of gear, as yo can see it’s a fantastic pack, and best of all, Like the backpacker gear (back in the day… 1970’s) world-class gear made in South Africa

A Little of History (from Google)

The M83 South African webbing system was a comfortable, lightweight solution to the needs of the South African military, replacing the 70 Pattern webbing. Outsourced to the private camping and outdoor industry for design, as a result the M83 webbing was immensely popular due to its advanced design. It is not uncommon to find 83 Pattern equipment still in use in South Africa today, despite being officially discontinued in 2015. Many foreign forces also made unofficial use of the M83 webbing, including the SAS in the Gulf Wars and Australian forces in Afghanistan.

The Pattern 83 webbing system was produced to fill a very specific need in the South African military. In the later years of the Border war, the SADF was hurting for a comfortable, lightweight, and simple to use load bearing system. As with much of the equipment of the time, private sector commercial outfitters helped the military design and produce an effective solution. The resulting “battle jacket” (heavily influenced by Rhodesian fire-force webbing ) is still in use today by the SANDF and has been featured as the go-to load bearing gear of various movie baddies (see Blood Diamond, District 9, and most recently Mad Max.)The iconic “Nutria Brown” pouches on the vest are made of a waterproofed cordura nylon: inside each you’ll find a heavy wear resistant coating.

Just for good measure, In my post above I posted about my Landrover that I converted into a roadside stealth camper… Here are a couple of pics…

DRY-CAMPING

BOONDOCKING IN THE MOUNTAINS Don’t ever get better than this.

GRAND FUN

BRUNCH IN A SECRETE WONDERLAND… (Brunch = half a chicken & veggies cooked on my engine & rice cooked in my thermos flask…

calypso · February 3, 2021, 5:55am

I’ve still got one of those battle packs from paintball day’s would actually work really well for a dayhike. Seeing as though it is SANDF kit is it legal to use? I know they can be a bit uptight about people wearing their camo.

antiquated · February 3, 2021, 7:42am

Morning Calypso,
Thanks for the post

I seroiusly doubt it, Army & navy surplus in Proest St Pretoria sell tons of equipment, I don’t believe having it is a problem, EG my kit < bar my rifle> was perminently issued to me…
What I do know about the cammo is that the pattern is patented and the SANDF are the patent holders. That may be the reason for them being iffy about wearing of their cammo stuff.

Go search the good doctor Herr Google about the pack… It’s held in very high regard all over the world…

RGDS
Warren

Dave · February 4, 2021, 12:09pm

You could post a photo of your Trangia cook sets. My gear dates back to the 70s including my backpacker Kestrel 3

antiquated · February 5, 2021, 4:10am

Hi Dave…

Aaaaaaa – A true Mench!

Someone who still appreciates the old stuff…

Not this new-fangled hi-tech stuff with unpronounceable names… That cost as much as Will Smiths mansion, just good, old – fashioned, affordable gear that was the best of the best…

Common, there’s something just so satisfying doing it in old gear isn’t there?.. EVERYONE notices and looks … And all the memories…

Yes I will post pics of my Trannies, but more than that, seeing as you still appreciate the Kestrel… … I’ll post pics of that as well, AND my DIY “Y” adaptors which, as you know, spreads the poles to the sides, and eliminates the pole in the middle… And you can get in & out sooooo much easier… Happy to pay that forward if you want…

I never knew about the adaptor back then, I only found out about it a couple of months ago! Someone kindly sent me a sketch with some dimensions… The rest is history!

Nowadays, I’ve amassed 3 Kestrel 3’s and one Kestrel 2 – with the extension! < And for good measure a Y adaptor> - eat your heart out –

I do have some spares for the Kestrel floating about… Just saying…

Oh, I’ve also got 3 Marechal tents from the 50’s – 60’s …

Now why is that so interesting? Well when you look at the design of the Marechal, and compare it to the Kestrel it’s not hard to see where Backpacker derived their design… Difference is the Vestibule in the Marechal is “inside” the main tent whereas the vestibule on the Kestrel is outside under the fly – Got the Cyclometer 101 & 300 as well as the peda – something (One person) the 101 is a 2 person and the 300 is a 3 person…

I’m new here… So I don’t want to make a nuisance and post pics that may not be of interest to anyone, but if you want… only with pleasure!

So, onto the Tranny… Back then, (Mid – late 70’s) I chose the Globetrotter over both the Tranny and the Optimus R8…<camp & Climb in Braamfontein

I’ve regretted that ever since… I love my Trannie and use it often. Even with power outages, I use it.

Now… I’m sitting on 6 Globies, and 2 un-punctured 90g canisters and 2 canisters that have been attached to 2 of my Globies… One of the 6, I did a DIY mod and bent canister clips from 5mm Galvanised fencing wire to suit the 190g canister - The billies don’t close, so I’ve made a “plastic” windscreen that rolls up inside the billies & is long enough for the extra height…

Don’t know if you saw my post, But, due to the cost of the Tranny gas burner, I did a DIY conversion to run the Tranny on gas, I modded a Fire Maple remote canister burner to fit the Tranny - - - It’s a simple mod. If not, I’ll post it here…

Always fiddling…

So I got 2 Trannies (complete) 1 incomplete Tranny, <pots, base, pan but no burner> 2 Chinese knock-off’s and … Shhhhhhh I’ve been alerted to a possible third one that’s up for grabs… Gonna look at it on Sunday…

DESTINATION TOP SECRETE!

TRANNY ALL THE BITS

TRANNY WITH GRID… This you can buy from Trangia, costaplenty!, made it myself

MY GAS MOD

FOR CAR-CAMPING, MY COFFEE PERCULATOR on the grid

TRANNY MY MOD FOR GAS APPLICATION. 3 fuel options Spirits / solid fuel tabs & gas

KESTREL 3 Number 1, green

KESTREL 3 Number 2 (Brown inner)

BROWN KESTREL 3 WITH RAIN FLY

KESTREL II WITH EXTNTION BACKSIDE

KESTREL 3 GREEN “Tryout” with the Kestrel 2 extention

KESTREL Y adaptor - Happy to give you the dimensions and the lengths of the poles

"Y" ADAPTOR IN PLACE: - no verticle pole in the middle

MARECHAL 101 300 Forerunner to the Kestrel

MARECHAL where they had the vestibule, backpacker put it under the fly & saved a ton of weight, but it is more convienient inside…

MODIFIED GLOBIE

COLLECTION OF GLOBIES Most of them.

Paul12345 · February 7, 2021, 4:22pm

M83 brings back memories;think it will be perfect day/overnight pack (bivvy or hammock).TRANNY THE BEST (no maintenance only a clean up) got Trangia 27;Trangia mini and Trangia triangle.Trangia 27 ;26 years old and still working as new ;just needs a clean once in a long while. You know you can ad 5 ml or 10 ml water to your spirits in burner;you won’t have a black soot build up on your pots;pans and kettle.

antiquated · February 8, 2021, 3:44am

Morning Paul

I do know about the water trick… Surprized you use a tarp shelter…

With al our luverley things that will happily take up residence in your particular choice of sleeping place…I have the he-bee’s and not get much sleeping done at all…

Perhaps it’s just me, but i can only truely relax if my sleep-zone is shut tighter than a Swiss bank…

I choose a half bivy half tent as a pitch…

How’s this one, one from my collection of 36 tents, A Sea-king (from the ± early 70’s)