Big guns come in many types: various machine guns, rocket launchers, mortars etc. I suspect that each type probably also has a fabric or nylon case or cover of some sort to protect them from dings and dirt and to help the soldiers who must tote them about in between fighting events. Probably these carrying cases have straps and such.

I propose that carrying cases for formidable pieces of weaponry be sold for use as backpacks. They would be modified as little as possible, though might come with a mesh inset with pockets and such so help keep school supplies separate. The cases would not be modified except as provided by the manufacturer. The manufacturer might include in the pack the instruction manual that comes with the weapon.

Alternatively, these cases could be used cases for weapons that are obsolete or broken - such cases would get a desultory rinsing but otherwise would have whatever got on them when being used - dust, sand, stickers, tags, writing, etc.
-- bungston, May 20 2009

These? http://www.diamondb...ault-Packs-C27.aspx
they really look interesting [loonquawl, May 25 2009]

You can buy them at Surplus stores - I have a 1980s~ ALICE vest. There are plenty of backpack-like things.

On the other end of the spectrum some school outfitters make crappy military-knockoff stuff. Like a laptop courrier bag made of olive drab cotton with patches sewn on.
-- DIYMatt, May 20 2009


The new gear includes an "Assault pack" which is just a camouflaged back pack. We seem to get another one for every deployment.

My beloved 240B, behind which I have been for 10 years, comes only with a spare barrel bag. It wouldn't make much of a backpack, but maybe an elongated, fire resistant attache case?
-- MikeD, May 21 2009


Last year I spent a month in surplus stores trying to find a cotton-based simple small backpack; no luck: all they had was either webbing-integral or faddy nylon crap.
-- FlyingToaster, May 22 2009


Case qua say what? (+)
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, May 22 2009


Hey [FT], try a Black Hawk Gear catalog. The one I thumbed through a few years back had WWII ruck sacks from Belgium and Germany. I really wanted to get the Belgium ruck. It looked very functional for college text books, and very well designed.
-- MikeD, May 22 2009


... as owner of several military cotton rucksacks i can attest that any simple college ruck surpasses them in the designed-for-college match

I am not sure what the idea is, here: You hope there are cases of some sort with straps on them, and wish they were sold as backapacks? Or would it be sufficient if they were just sold? If thats the case, look no further than the Surplus stores.
-- loonquawl, May 24 2009


[Loonquawl], have you tried the new assault packs, though? It's just like a back-pack except it has been made from army-durable materials, with army-redundant zippers and without, (uncannily), the army lack-of-sense design. The newer ones (digital pattern) sport the M.O.L.L.E. attachment points so you can add a grenade pouch or a magazine pouch to the outside for extra pencils ... or grenades and magazines.
-- MikeD, May 24 2009


i just googled for them - if they are the ones in the [link], the army seems to have taken a page out of the college-backpack book... looks good.
-- loonquawl, May 25 2009



random, halfbakery