The Lightweight Rucksack was the primary

rucksack A backpack—also called knapsack, schoolbag, rucksack, rucksac, pack, sackpack, booksack, bookbag or backsack—is, in its simplest frameless form, a fabric sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders ...

utilized by

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

troops during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

and also used in arctic and alpine areas. It replaced the M1952 rucksack (FSN 8465-261-6831) and was in turn replaced by the ALICE in 1973. The 1967 Training Circular TC 10-8. Lightweight Rucksack: Nylon OG106 served as a "how to use" manual.Training Circular TC 10-8, United States Army: ''The Lightweight Rucksack: Nylon OG106 (With Riveted Frame)'', September 1967 Its ensemble consisted of a

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from pe ...

pack with a cinch cord, top flap and three exterior pockets and a tubular aluminum frame with padded shoulder straps and waist belt. The Lightweight Rucksack, Nylon, OG106 (FSN 8465-782-3248) was developed in 1962 as a part of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

's efforts to develop suitable equipment for use by Special Forces, long-range reconnaissance patrols, and mountain and arctic troops. Testing was conducted by the

5th Special Forces Group The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (5th SFG (A)) is one of the most decorated active duty United States Army Special Forces groups in the U.S. armed forces. The 5th SFG (A) saw extensive action in the Vietnam War and played a pivotal role ...

(Airborne) in Alaska and Panama Canal Zone. Four patterns of the lightweight rucksack exist, with the latter two models featuring attachment points which allow the pack itself to be mounted in two and three locations on the frame, respectively. A prototype rucksack was produced in 1962, featuring a welded frame. The 1964 model was virtually the same, but with the contract information stamped in the pack rather than sewn in on a label. The next improvement came along in 1965, when the frame was changed to a riveted version rather than a welded one. The last modification was made in 1968, with the addition of a middle horizontal back strap. In South Vietnam the lightweight rucksack replaced and augmented the M1956 and M1961 versions of combat packs and was later partially replaced by the tropical rucksack of the M1967 MLCE (Designed specifically for jungle warfare). The rucksack was typically mounted low on the frame allowing bulky equipment to be strapped above. Stocks of lightweight rucksacks were replaced in United States military service beginning in 1974 with the adoption of the ALICE equipment. Lightweight rucksacks are currently quite desirable among collectors and period reenactors alike, and often retail for anywhere between $250 and $500 USD at dedicated militaria dealers and online auctions.

References

{{Bags United States Army equipment Military equipment introduced in the 1960s