ARVN Rucksack
Encyclopedia
The ARVN rucksack (also known as the Ranger Pack for the South Vietnamese Rangers who used it) was a canvas
, external-framed pack produced in the United States for use by the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam throughout the 1960s and early '70s. The pack saw use with ARVN forces, and became desirable amongst US troops in the early years of the Vietnam War
, before the US military fielded similar items in the form of the Tropical Rucksack and Lightweight Rucksack
, which were both influenced by the ARVN design.
) could be found on either side of this attachment point on the main body of the pack. Webbing points and a pair of metal eyelets on either side of the pack and above each pocket allowed the attachment of items using wire hangars or slide keepers, which featured on items of American M1956 Load Bearing Equipment and M1967 Modernized Load-Carrying Equipment
. A pair of adjustable web straps on each side and on the bottom of the ruck allowed for the attachment of items such as bed rolls, shelters, and other cylindrical items like spare machine-gun barrel bags and M72 Light Anti-tank Weapons
. Simple padded, adjustable shoulder straps and a waist pad allowed for comfortable carriage. The pack sat high on the back, not interfering with items placed at the rear of a combatant's equipment belt, unlike the low-riding American Lightweight Rucksack of 1965 and Tropical Rucksack of 1967.
the M1956 Field Pack (butt pack) proved too small to carry combat loads, but the Lightweight Rucksack and the M1951 Mountain Rucksack in the inventory at the time were in high demand and short supply, so many units and individuals acquired ARVN rucksacks for use in the field. Many were replaced in United States military use during the later years of the Vietnam War by the Tropical and Lightweight rucksack as more became available. Examples that left Vietnam with US troops did so as souvenirs and did not see use outside of Southeast Asia.
's Vietnam War
film Platoon
. An early scene involves Charlie Sheen
's character passing out from a combination of the tropical heat and exhaustion from an overloaded rucksack.
Canvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
, external-framed pack produced in the United States for use by the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam throughout the 1960s and early '70s. The pack saw use with ARVN forces, and became desirable amongst US troops in the early years of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, before the US military fielded similar items in the form of the Tropical Rucksack and Lightweight Rucksack
Lightweight Rucksack
The Lightweight Rucksack was the primary rucksack utilized by United States troops during the Vietnam War.Its assembly consisted of a nylon pack with cinch cord, top flap and three exterior pockets and a tubular aluminum frame with padded shoulder straps and waist belt...
, which were both influenced by the ARVN design.
Description
The ARVN rucksack was a small to medium sized pack with an external but close-fitting steel frame with "X" cross bars through the center. The pack had an open top with drawstring over which a flap closed, secured by web straps that ran down the length of the pack. A tab on the flap with eyelets allowed the attachment of any American M1910-style equipment with wire hangars, but most often the M1943 entrenching tool and cover. Two rectangular, flapped pockets large enough for a Meal, Combat, Individual (C-RationC-ration
The C-Ration, or Type C ration, was an individual canned, pre-cooked, or prepared wet ration intended to be issued to U.S. military land forces when fresh food or packaged unprepared food prepared in mess halls or field kitchens was impractical or not available, and when a survival ration was...
) could be found on either side of this attachment point on the main body of the pack. Webbing points and a pair of metal eyelets on either side of the pack and above each pocket allowed the attachment of items using wire hangars or slide keepers, which featured on items of American M1956 Load Bearing Equipment and M1967 Modernized Load-Carrying Equipment
Modernized Load-Carrying Equipment
Modernized Load-Carrying Equipment, also known as M-1967 Modernized Load-Carrying Equipment or MLCE, was introduced into United States Army service in 1968 during the Vietnam War...
. A pair of adjustable web straps on each side and on the bottom of the ruck allowed for the attachment of items such as bed rolls, shelters, and other cylindrical items like spare machine-gun barrel bags and M72 Light Anti-tank Weapons
M72 LAW
The M72 LAW is a portable one-shot 66 mm unguided anti-tank weapon, designed in the United States by Paul V. Choate, Charles B. Weeks, and Frank A. Spinale et al...
. Simple padded, adjustable shoulder straps and a waist pad allowed for comfortable carriage. The pack sat high on the back, not interfering with items placed at the rear of a combatant's equipment belt, unlike the low-riding American Lightweight Rucksack of 1965 and Tropical Rucksack of 1967.
American use
ARVN rucksacks were never an official item of United States military equipment. Those that saw service were either acquired individually or by units through trade or purchase with members of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. In the first few years of United States involvement in the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
the M1956 Field Pack (butt pack) proved too small to carry combat loads, but the Lightweight Rucksack and the M1951 Mountain Rucksack in the inventory at the time were in high demand and short supply, so many units and individuals acquired ARVN rucksacks for use in the field. Many were replaced in United States military use during the later years of the Vietnam War by the Tropical and Lightweight rucksack as more became available. Examples that left Vietnam with US troops did so as souvenirs and did not see use outside of Southeast Asia.
ARVN rucksack in popular culture
ARVN rucksacks can be seen in use with the fictional platoon of the US Army's 25th Infantry Division in Oliver StoneOliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
's Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
film Platoon
Platoon (film)
Platoon is a 1986 American war film written and directed by Oliver Stone and stars Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe and Charlie Sheen. It is the first of Stone's Vietnam War trilogy, followed by 1989's Born on the Fourth of July and 1993's Heaven & Earth....
. An early scene involves Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
's character passing out from a combination of the tropical heat and exhaustion from an overloaded rucksack.