Introducing The Commando Rucksack

"The Commando", There was never any question about what this pack would be named. 

The classic two-pocket rucksack is as old-school as it gets. A truly iconic design of the 20th century, it was like the denim jacket of backpacks. From the 1930's onward this was a design that countless militaries and civilian manufacturers had their own take on. The Italians, the germans, the Swiss, the French, the Americans all had a version of it. The two-pocket rucksack could be found on the backs of soldiers, outdoorsmen, climbers, and adventurers the world over. Who else remembers Burt Lancaster wearing one as a French Resistance fighter in the WWII Epic "The Train"?

My love for this design came when I found a very good example of one in an army surplus store in Billings Montana. This was years ago when I had never made a backpack before, and it was probably the start of my obsession with surplus gear. That backpack was of unknown manufacture, It had no markings on it at all. As best as I could tell, it was European made, probably from the 40's. The weathered leather straps and faded olive canvas were just calling my name. It was the coolest backpack I'd ever seen and I bought it immediately.

That pack went everywhere. Duck hunts, sailing trips, countless hikes, roadtrips, and overseas travel. It worked perfectly for a day or two's worth of gear and I always found the style so inspiring.

I can't recall how many compliments I got in airports travelling with that bag. In Guatemala an Italian I met on a hike told me "You hike with a lot of style, man, you look like Indiana Jones". I had a good laugh about that one, but I realized it was true. It seemed everyone there was wearing expensive, modern gear, and there I was with my leather boots, and a ripstop safari shirt, and my 80 year old army backpack. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

That pack was just the start of my fascination. I collected many others in the years since then and studied them well as I was learning to sew and build packs. Some of the bigger packs, especially the Swiss made ones, were very well built. They had frames, waist belts, and were really good performers. They could hold a lot of weight and remain comfortable and functional. Most of the smaller bags, the two-pocket designs that I'm so in love with, were actually built quite poorly most of the time, although they looked great. They had no structure, no shape unless they were totally full, and weren't designed with a lot of strength in mind.

My goal was to bridge the gap between the two. A medium sized, old-school two pocket rucksack with a little bit of structure built in, some better engineering, and of course expert finishing and details. The Commando is a sharp looking pack and it'll catch eyes wherever you take it. It holds its shape whether it's full or empty because of the wool-felt back stitched into the bag. And, it can hold as much weight as you'll ever need it to because of the extra heavy drawcord and strap attachment system that work together to make the bag extremely strong.

This is a design that will always be at the center of our lineup. The quintessential rucksack in our eyes. A true vintage design engineered like no one else has done it before. 

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Thanks for Reading,

Cordell Drohomereski