As much as the "European man bag" is getting mocked these days, it is still very trendy and not a new idea. Haversacks have been around since man first started to travel. Old army surplus gas mask bags are much prized by young adults in Great Britain right now and of course, the bushcrafting crowd all over. Hey, even Harrison Ford's character, "Indiana Jones", carries a British Mark VII gas mask bag as part of his adventure kit.
Surplus Finnish gas mask mask bags are easier to find, less expensive, and just a little larger in carrying capacity. The other thing which makes these bags so popular is that they are so easy to personalize or accessorize.
I decided that it might be a nice project to fix one of these bags up for myself. The haversack would make a nice addition to my canvas and leather Frost River backpack and the rustic style would make the two very complementary. I could also use this bag on its own as a daypack for bushcrafting trips or, yes, even as a man bag.
So I purchased one from a surplus store online because I could not find
one locally, shopped around for some leather and brass parts, and
ordered a shoulder pad for the strap from Maxpedition. I had to have
some straps removed and new loops sewn in their place.
Finally, I attached a leather "Navigator Pouch", made by leather artisan and very talented knife maker, Cody of
Adventure Sworn.
My coworkers are always very curious about my little crafting projects and they really liked this bag. One asked if I could make them one in pink! For now, I think I'll just take mine out and enjoy it regardless of the "man bag" stigma.
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