old south african buttpack

[Vucijak]

hi all

Me again with some identification issues :roll:

I found a photo of older version of south african butt pack.

Can anybody post some more photos and also tell where I can get it from (also outside USA ... I live in Australia!)

From the attached photo I can't see if the belt is adjustable (which I highly assume ... and hope!)

Thanks guys.

VU

[playtym]

hi all

Me again with some identification issues :roll:

I found a photo of older version of south african butt pack.

Can anybody post some more photos and also tell where I can get it from (also outside USA ... I live in Australia!)

From the attached photo I can't see if the belt is adjustable (which I highly assume ... and hope!)

Thanks guys.

VU

Yes, the belt is adjustable. The belt isn't a single piece of webbing, but rather two separate pieces. There are buckles behind the big pouches that you use to adjust the length of the belt.

It's got double mag pouches for R1 (FN-FAL) mags on either side and the tops of the main pouches. You'd normally carry two additional double mag pouches on either side of the belt, and it was used with a yolk that attached to the D-Rings. There's a D-Ring at the rear between the two main pouches for attaching a 1-litre water bottle, which was fastened with the strap you can see in the pic.

That's stuff's probably dirt cheap at any of our surplus stores here, but it's a really horrid piece of kit. Why do you want one, just to add to the collection?

[exT70]

Yes, the belt is adjustable. The belt isn't a single piece of webbing, but rather two separate pieces. There are buckles behind the big pouches that you use to adjust the length of the belt.

It's got double mag pouches for R1 (FN-FAL) mags on either side and the tops of the main pouches. You'd normally carry two additional double mag pouches on either side of the belt, and it was used with a yolk that attached to the D-Rings. There's a D-Ring at the rear between the two main pouches for attaching a 1-litre water bottle, which was fastened with the strap you can see in the pic.

That's stuff's probably dirt cheap at any of our surplus stores here, but it's a really horrid piece of kit. Why do you want one, just to add to the collection?
I still did Basics with that crap. Lovely to "square" every night for inspection. Can still taste wet canvass as I sit here (had to bite edges to "sharpen" then up, then iron sides)
And that while the rest of the army at the time had already been using battlejackets for years and years. The yoke and pouches bits were bad, but the so-called "big-bag" that clipped to the bottom of that was infinately worse. Constantly swung around and hit you in the back of the legs as you walked. A terrible design.

[Vucijak]

look guys, I definitely did not go through the same torture with that buttpack as you guys did, but I still like it. To be honest I prefer older stuff more than the new stuff, like South African M-83 assault vest.

Playtym could you post some links to those surplus shops?

And can you guys tell me why is M-83 better than this buttpack?

One more thing, is there actually a name to this webbing issue? And does it accept Alice pouches?

[Bokwa]

It's the 1970 Pattern webbing. Check out this website for photos.
www.camocorp.co.za

[Vucijak]

cool photos. http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/jsp/item/Item.jsp?Trade_TradeId=3265028

However, can anybody tell me if this M1970 webbing pattern is compatible with Alice pouches?

VU

[baboon6]

look guys, I definitely did not go through the same torture with that buttpack as you guys did, but I still like it. To be honest I prefer older stuff more than the new stuff, like South African M-83 assault vest.

Playtym could you post some links to those surplus shops?

And can you guys tell me why is M-83 better than this buttpack?


Besides what exT70 said?! The Pattern 83 vest can carry more stuff and from all accounts a lot more comfortably. Also, it's pretty difficult to get anything out of the buttpack while you're wearing it.

[Bokwa]

The M1970 is not compattable with the Alice. M1970 pouches slide over the belt.

[exT70]

look guys, I definitely did not go through the same torture with that buttpack as you guys did, but I still like it. To be honest I prefer older stuff more than the new stuff, like South African M-83 assault vest.

Playtym could you post some links to those surplus shops?

And can you guys tell me why is M-83 better than this buttpack?

One more thing, is there actually a name to this webbing issue? And does it accept Alice pouches?

Capacity
Comfort
Convenient
well, I ran out of C's
Easy access, carry larger loads, lighter weight, better weight distribution and accordingly better mobility, ergonically vastly supperior (try doing dash-down-crawl [and especially roll] with the old stuff), chest rig makes it easier to use in and around vehicles and makes huge difference in magazine changes.
On showing my old gear to some of the troops a while ago lead to the following comment "'did n't know you are that old sir".
Only armour who would see the sense in using the abundant "100 year old" type webbing because as will never be using it after basics.

[GETSOME]

I still did Basics with that crap. Lovely to "square" every night for inspection. Can still taste wet canvass as I sit here (had to bite edges to "sharpen" then up, then iron sides)
And that while the rest of the army at the time had already been using battlejackets for years and years. The yoke and pouches bits were bad, but the so-called "big-bag" that clipped to the bottom of that was infinately worse. Constantly swung around and hit you in the back of the legs as you walked. A terrible design.
X2 in 1985, after basics we were issued pattern 83, we still used the big to carry our gas masks in riots.:)

[sierratango]

Buttpack? to me they are kidney pouches an yes I remember basics wearing this crap, used to get bruises where the R4 mag pouches were... got pattern 83 when we went to the border.

[Vucijak]

You definitely convinced me!

[baboon6]

I still did Basics with that crap. Lovely to "square" every night for inspection. Can still taste wet canvass as I sit here (had to bite edges to "sharpen" then up, then iron sides)
And that while the rest of the army at the time had already been using battlejackets for years and years. The yoke and pouches bits were bad, but the so-called "big-bag" that clipped to the bottom of that was infinately worse. Constantly swung around and hit you in the back of the legs as you walked. A terrible design.

This bag thing was attached below the kidney pouches? Genius!

[baboon6]

X2 in 1985, after basics we were issued pattern 83, we still used the big to carry our gas masks in riots.:)

I've often wondered what, if any, NBC training you guys got in the 80s? What respirators were issued?

[GETSOME]

I've often wondered what, if any, NBC training you guys got in the 80s? What respirators were issued?
NBC training,none ,masks were for CS gas in riots,thats it.
I suppose at the time the Angolans,Cubans,etc were not using chemicals,i could be wrong ,but during my two years no mention about it.:roll:

[exT70]

NBC training,none ,masks were for CS gas in riots,thats it.
I suppose at the time the Angolans,Cubans,etc were not using chemicals,i could be wrong ,but during my two years no mention about it.:roll:

There was a big scare during Packer, Hooper and/or Moduler. The Angolans/Cubans were known to have used chemical weapons against Unita in the past, so it was appreciated that a similar chemical attack was highly likely. On an occasion or what it was suspected that a chemical attack had indeed been launched, all which proved false alarms. Apparently urgent training was conducted in theatre, and gasmasks etc hurriedly procured from unnamed sources (arms boicot, so who knows). At the time it was known that SA had the bomb, so use of chemical weapons might not have been a good idea. Chemical use would also perhaps have swayed world opinion on the fighting, so it would have been a stupid idea. Cuban, Angolan and Russia artillery and airforce accuracy were in general so bad (putting it mildly), that NBC use might also have been akin to mass fratracide. Also remember large amount of consentrated Cubans and Fapla. Only at max about 3000 mobile SADF members spread over wide area.

After the war NBC training continued to a certain extent, but did not go beyond introductions to masks, suites etc. Doffing and donning etc with teargas canister being thrown (x amount of seconds to cover up). Resulted in torn suits all over the place. Bit of fun for the day for instructors. Did a couple of totally unrealistic chemical drill on our tanks, but that was more of a ordeal/pain, than anything else. Could however go and do spes course in NBC. Other than that the SADF had very little in the way of NBC protection and training.