The short back was popular because we also wore webbing and the sack sat on top of the rear pouches. The webbing belt then acting as a hip belt if of course you bought the extra hip pad liner. Still have my Crusader after 40 years !
@@vincemoran587 The hip pad was for the webbing belt to stop all the metal clips digging in to your hip due to the heavy loads we carried. The Crusader sack is just a good work horse full of memories. I cannot throw an old friend away and repaired it a few times. Even though I hated it sometimes way back then.
for anyone who's interested your mug is the Stainless steel mk 1 there is a mk 2 which is made of hard anodised aluminium it has straighter sides and is about one third the weight it also has its own burner unit will work with solid or gel fuel and twigs
I'd let the army by time these mugs came out....my mate gave me his, to make a lid for, I was surprised how heavy they are ! I had an ali one, private purchase, much lighter !
I have a crusader kit, but ditched the water bottle and used the cavity for a gas stove and canister plus a small backup gas stove and couple of gel tablets for the cook stand at bottom of kit, never without hot water, bomb proof!
A couple of years ago. I was in a charity shop (thrift shop). Sat on the floor was a short back Bergan in OG,in very good, used condition. I asked how much and they said 10 quid as it was taking up so much space and they wanted it gone. I gladly paid that, got home and inside were also the Rocket Pouches and the Yoke for them. Charity shops can be surprising sometimes, well worth a rummage for ex-military kit, especially the non-high street chains. I prefer the smaller independent charity shops, such as local Animal shelter, etc where they are a mess, with stuff everywhere and you can have a proper rummage.
Berghaus Crusader totally bomb proof, had mine since the early nineties and it was surplus then, been all over the place, dropped it from helicopter once, carried more weight than I could lift, two mate's had to pick it up and put it on my back, I spent the rest of the exercise looking at my feet. you can't bust them. Good advice as usual, Happy New year 👍.
Another good review video, Neil. I jumped onto eBay straight away and managed to bag (pun intended) a 100L olive PLCE Bergen. Needs a couple of patches, but as it's over 20 years old, I wouldn't expect it to be perfect.
Some great budget tips there . Military surplus definitely the way to go when starting out , it does the job , lasts and you don't have to take out a mortgage to pay for it. Happy New year 👍🏕
My alltime favorite, is the Tasmanian Gear Mission Pack MKII. It is a phenomenal backpack, for either trips, weekends, as a Bugoutbag, you name it. Strong, super comfortable, makes weight feel less. Great organization. I can speak for hours for that bag, I love it.
Always good to see the bombproof Crusader stainless steel MK1 mug in use Neil. I love mine. I recently sold my British Army Virtus GU 90 litre bergen. Regretting it now. The infantry PLCE bergen is a great workhorse. Thanks as always Neil for bringing great, affordable and reliable kit to peoples attention. Paul 👍😊
Good Morning Neil .. 👍👍👍 Another great one .. thanks for sharing. Yep, your Budget Gear postings are most welcome .. if not only to point people on limited budgets in the right direction regarding getting started in bushcraft .. but to further encourage old fogeys like me to continue with the journey. Just seeing that tarp setup and the mug on the wood stove .. wow! Once again, thanks .. take care ..
I've used all of the equipment you have shown for years and all is excellent but a tad on the heavy side in comparison to modern back packing gear. That said, it will outlast most commercially available kit simply due to it tough build quality and solid practicality. The bergen is cavernous and holds 120 litres with the rocket pouches attached, but can be a little daunting for beginners as they will tend to over pack and carry far too much weight (as I have done many times!) Great items to check out though......cheers.
Apart from the AFV top that video was like a review of my kit, used for years and no plans to change any of it. 😄 My Bergan is the DPM version date stamped 2002 and after a very muddy recent trip has scrubbed up like new..👍
And if the British BCB mug is a bit too expensive for those on a tight budget also look out for non-Brit NATO versions of the kidney mug. These can be a few pounds cheaper
shopped for a shirt and stickers, love your videos, bought the drinking straw also, thanks for the great content and down to earth approach! Polar Bear Hugs From Canada.
Hi Neil, I bought a long back bergen in olive green exactly like yours back in November off a lad who used it in the first gulf War it's a 1990 and in mint condition I've got a long back and short back bergens in DPM but I'm loving this olive green one
Dear Mr Greencraft , a couple of stories to amuse you and the watchers of your channel. Firstly, when the UK changed from the green to DPM version of the PLCE my friend who was in the army surplus trade was going bananas trying to obtain the now surplus green bergens. He was told by the MOD . . . " unfortunately the 250,000 (a quarter of a million) bergens in the EWS (Emergency War Supply) cannot be located ! . . Secondly , a word of warning for anyone buying side pockets and side-yokes, a large batch of the green side pockets were made made with the zips on the wrong side, not a problem when they were matched with the original bergen that they came with. However , check before you buy that the pocket and bergen zips are compatible with each other ; otherwise you can fit them onto the bergen BUT the opening zips will be at the bottom, upside down, to the bergen. Thirdly, not a lot of people know this, the small pouch at the back of the bergen, which perfectly holds a set of British Army mess tins, was designed to hold one of the rechargeable batteries for the Larkspur range of radios. Hate to be pickey but, you are slightly out with the capacity you quoted for the bergen. The bergen itself is 100 litre capacity, the side pouches give an additional 10 litres capacity each, resulting in a total capacity of bergen with side pockets fitted of 120 litres. I've had mine since our unit trialed them in the mid-1980s, totally bombproof and still going. Great informative video.
Love my shortback Trials Bergen + 2x 15ltr rocket pouches and Yoke. Bought it from Kit Monster with mods already done at Dixies. Often thought of selling it on but I cannot part with it. Like the sound of the AFV Crewman top. Cheers for this vid, Neil. Happy and healthy new year to you, kind sir. p.s. 57? Get away 😉
Thanks for the video. I checked American eBay for the Bergen, just like our military rucks, the prices are all over the place. I am drooling to get a full video on how you made that vest!! Wow!!! I want that!
The start of each video put the kettle on. So great to see you again have a wonderful new year. The British army bottle new is about ten Euro here i bought one for my daughter she uses the cup more than the bottle as her new bicycle has a bidon on it. But every vacation it gets used to death and its still going strong.
You are full of to[ tips, I never knew that the British Army Bergman was based on a Berghaus Cyclops…. I have the Cyclops 2 Aztec and love it even today….. Thanks again for the video.
I was made to slash up a load of those bergens with a stanley knife by my QM - just cos they were starting to issue the dpm ones - gutted i never grabbed a few
A less massive, but still really good option is the so-called 'Norther Ireland' patrol pack. It holds about 40 litres, available either issued or new (between 20 and 40 GBP) and consistently gets excellent reviews. On the Osprey bottle, it's worth paying the little bit extra for the genuine NATO bottle. There are imitations out there - not as good.
Very hard to beat the Crusader and Osprey combo for value for money and also ruggedness, I got both in a BCB pouch along with a Wildo Fold-a-cup and a Hexi Stove for £20 off eBay. The only issue I've ever had is that some packs don't have big enough bottle pockets for them, but that's only been an issue when I used to use a standard sports rucksack as a day pack.
Happy New Year Neil, let’s hope it’s a good one. Thank you for all of the quality content you continually post on your channel, keep up the great work. Atb, Paul
Still got my olive coloured internal frame Cyclops, had it since 86. It's in better nick than I am. 120L and heavy when empty it was a game changer. The downside? Because of it's carrying capacity you immediately got biffed ("volunteered") to carry extra bandoliers for the jimpy.
i paid 18 posted for austrian surplus short fat bergen type thing takes full winter hmk load out with kitchen food water ect all inside no hangin shit off sides ect fabulous min 80l
But not Rab or osprey stuff you've got spend 10 grand on gear to be cool,BOLLOCKS military grade gear is to fight and survive in and from and is bombproof well more or less practical warm hard-wearing kit deffo options I use kinda mix of stuff but got few army bits
I bought a long back plc bergen same colour as yours for £35 +£2 p&p without side pockets seller wanted £40 +£2 p&p I offered him £35 + postage and seller agreed this was 8/1/2023 this year . Dies anyone know what size yhe zip on pickets are? Are they 10.ltrs each?
The short back was popular because we also wore webbing and the sack sat on top of the rear pouches. The webbing belt then acting as a hip belt if of course you bought the extra hip pad liner. Still have my Crusader after 40 years !
Wiy?
@@vincemoran587 The hip pad was for the webbing belt to stop all the metal clips digging in to your hip due to the heavy loads we carried. The Crusader sack is just a good work horse full of memories. I cannot throw an old friend away and repaired it a few times. Even though I hated it sometimes way back then.
for anyone who's interested your mug is the Stainless steel mk 1 there is a mk 2 which is made of hard anodised aluminium it has straighter sides and is about one third the weight it also has its own burner unit will work with solid or gel fuel and twigs
And the MK 1 also came with its own burner
I'd let the army by time these mugs came out....my mate gave me his, to make a lid for, I was surprised how heavy they are ! I had an ali one, private purchase, much lighter !
Osprey bottle is superb for doing a piss in when using public transport that doesn't have working toilets ( I'm used to it up here ) 😂
My favorite ex military item is my US mug as it doesn't burn your mouth when having a hot wet , second was my US Poncho and poncho liner :)
I have a crusader kit, but ditched the water bottle and used the cavity for a gas stove and canister plus a small backup gas stove and couple of gel tablets for the cook stand at bottom of kit, never without hot water, bomb proof!
I just got one of those packbacks. The camouflage one. Got it from the Sportsman guide around 80 dollars. I'm from Wisconsin USA.
A couple of years ago. I was in a charity shop (thrift shop). Sat on the floor was a short back Bergan in OG,in very good, used condition. I asked how much and they said 10 quid as it was taking up so much space and they wanted it gone. I gladly paid that, got home and inside were also the Rocket Pouches and the Yoke for them.
Charity shops can be surprising sometimes, well worth a rummage for ex-military kit, especially the non-high street chains. I prefer the smaller independent charity shops, such as local Animal shelter, etc where they are a mess, with stuff everywhere and you can have a proper rummage.
Berghaus Crusader totally bomb proof, had mine since the early nineties and it was surplus then, been all over the place, dropped it from helicopter once, carried more weight than I could lift, two mate's had to pick it up and put it on my back, I spent the rest of the exercise looking at my feet. you can't bust them. Good advice as usual, Happy New year 👍.
Hello from Tasmania, I always enjoy your videos, no bullshit outdoors advice 👍
Another good review video, Neil. I jumped onto eBay straight away and managed to bag (pun intended) a 100L olive PLCE Bergen. Needs a couple of patches, but as it's over 20 years old, I wouldn't expect it to be perfect.
Some great budget tips there . Military surplus definitely the way to go when starting out , it does the job , lasts and you don't have to take out a mortgage to pay for it. Happy New year 👍🏕
My alltime favorite, is the Tasmanian Gear Mission Pack MKII. It is a phenomenal backpack, for either trips, weekends, as a Bugoutbag, you name it. Strong, super comfortable, makes weight feel less. Great organization. I can speak for hours for that bag, I love it.
Always good to see the bombproof Crusader stainless steel MK1 mug in use Neil. I love mine. I recently sold my British Army Virtus GU 90 litre bergen. Regretting it now. The infantry PLCE bergen is a great workhorse. Thanks as always Neil for bringing great, affordable and reliable kit to peoples attention. Paul 👍😊
Buying kit ! it's going the same way as carp fishing.
Get British Army Surplus, you only need to buy it once.
All the best.👍🏾🇬🇧
Good Morning Neil ..
👍👍👍 Another great one .. thanks for sharing.
Yep, your Budget Gear postings are most welcome .. if not only to point people on limited budgets in the right direction regarding getting started in bushcraft .. but to further encourage old fogeys like me to continue with the journey.
Just seeing that tarp setup and the mug on the wood stove .. wow!
Once again, thanks .. take care ..
Another really good video, great info and great advice and suggestions too, loved it, thanks again and God bless
Great video. I wish I had this information before spending lots of money. But now I might spend some more on this surplus kit as it is so cool.
I've used all of the equipment you have shown for years and all is excellent but a tad on the heavy side in comparison to modern back packing gear. That said, it will outlast most commercially available kit simply due to it tough build quality and solid practicality. The bergen is cavernous and holds 120 litres with the rocket pouches attached, but can be a little daunting for beginners as they will tend to over pack and carry far too much weight (as I have done many times!) Great items to check out though......cheers.
Apart from the AFV top that video was like a review of my kit, used for years and no plans to change any of it. 😄 My Bergan is the DPM version date stamped 2002 and after a very muddy recent trip has scrubbed up like new..👍
And if the British BCB mug is a bit too expensive for those on a tight budget also look out for non-Brit NATO versions of the kidney mug. These can be a few pounds cheaper
shopped for a shirt and stickers, love your videos, bought the drinking straw also, thanks for the great content and down to earth approach! Polar Bear Hugs From Canada.
Great video thanks unfortunately in Australia army surplus stores are becoming rare as hen's teeth all the best to you and yours for the new year.
Hi Neil, I bought a long back bergen in olive green exactly like yours back in November off a lad who used it in the first gulf War it's a 1990 and in mint condition I've got a long back and short back bergens in DPM but I'm loving this olive green one
Dear Mr Greencraft , a couple of stories to amuse you and the watchers of your channel.
Firstly, when the UK changed from the green to DPM version of the PLCE my friend who was in the army surplus trade was going bananas trying to obtain the now surplus green bergens. He was told by the MOD . . . " unfortunately the 250,000 (a quarter of a million) bergens in the EWS (Emergency War Supply) cannot be located ! . .
Secondly , a word of warning for anyone buying side pockets and side-yokes, a large batch of the green side pockets were made made with the zips on the wrong side, not a problem when they were matched with the original bergen that they came with. However , check before you buy that the pocket and bergen zips are compatible with each other ; otherwise you can fit them onto the bergen BUT the opening zips will be at the bottom, upside down, to the bergen.
Thirdly, not a lot of people know this, the small pouch at the back of the bergen, which perfectly holds a set of British Army mess tins, was designed to hold one of the rechargeable batteries for the Larkspur range of radios.
Hate to be pickey but, you are slightly out with the capacity you quoted for the bergen. The bergen itself is 100 litre capacity, the side pouches give an additional 10 litres capacity each, resulting in a total capacity of bergen with side pockets fitted of 120 litres. I've had mine since our unit trialed them in the mid-1980s, totally bombproof and still going. Great informative video.
Always have a short back 120l in DPM. Absolutely brilliant 👍 got my rocket pockets on 24/7
Great items, I love military surplus gear, I have lots. Glad you do these videos.
After watching your content, I bought some army surplus used Altberg defenders. Glad I did too. Thanks!
Love my shortback Trials Bergen + 2x 15ltr rocket pouches and Yoke. Bought it from Kit Monster with mods already done at Dixies. Often thought of selling it on but I cannot part with it.
Like the sound of the AFV Crewman top.
Cheers for this vid, Neil. Happy and healthy new year to you, kind sir.
p.s. 57? Get away 😉
Thanks for the video. I checked American eBay for the Bergen, just like our military rucks, the prices are all over the place. I am drooling to get a full video on how you made that vest!! Wow!!! I want that!
The start of each video put the kettle on. So great to see you again have a wonderful new year. The British army bottle new is about ten Euro here i bought one for my daughter she uses the cup more than the bottle as her new bicycle has a bidon on it. But every vacation it gets used to death and its still going strong.
You are full of to[ tips, I never knew that the British Army Bergman was based on a Berghaus Cyclops…. I have the Cyclops 2 Aztec and love it even today…..
Thanks again for the video.
I was made to slash up a load of those bergens with a stanley knife by my QM - just cos they were starting to issue the dpm ones - gutted i never grabbed a few
I still have my Osprey bottle and bcb mug , bombproof kit, happy new year mate.
Thank you. Love the old stuff. Nice pack.
A less massive, but still really good option is the so-called 'Norther Ireland' patrol pack. It holds about 40 litres, available either issued or new (between 20 and 40 GBP) and consistently gets excellent reviews. On the Osprey bottle, it's worth paying the little bit extra for the genuine NATO bottle. There are imitations out there - not as good.
Dear Ben , just wish there was a large pocket on the back of the NI Patrol Sack, for maps,folders etc. As you say a great ruck.
Very hard to beat the Crusader and Osprey combo for value for money and also ruggedness, I got both in a BCB pouch along with a Wildo Fold-a-cup and a Hexi Stove for £20 off eBay. The only issue I've ever had is that some packs don't have big enough bottle pockets for them, but that's only been an issue when I used to use a standard sports rucksack as a day pack.
Excellent again Neil keep the money saving blogs coming
The Greencraft team bargain hunting strikes again! no bonus item? ;) thanks for the presentation
I love my crusader mug and osprey bottle. So solid. Metal lid available for £ 10 from eBay or plastic for £ 3
I enjoy these little videos watched them all
Happy New Year Neil, let’s hope it’s a good one.
Thank you for all of the quality content you continually post on your channel, keep up the great work.
Atb, Paul
Happy New Year my friend from Syracuse NY USA
Good video and tips for the people who don't know and are just starting out also good in depth good effort mate well done 👍
Still got my olive coloured internal frame Cyclops, had it since 86. It's in better nick than I am. 120L and heavy when empty it was a game changer. The downside? Because of it's carrying capacity you immediately got biffed ("volunteered") to carry extra bandoliers for the jimpy.
Happy New Year, Neil.
All the best.👍🏾🇬🇧🏕
Enjoy your reviews from across the pond! Happy New Year Mate!
Another great video Neil
Thank you for being so inspirational
I wish the Mk1 canteen cups were more available in the states.
Happy New Year’s, Neil!
Great video as always
Thanks Neal Happy New year's to you mate
A Happy New Year to you 👍🏻
i paid 18 posted for austrian surplus short fat bergen type thing takes full winter hmk load out with kitchen food water ect all inside no hangin shit off sides ect fabulous min 80l
Happy new year Neil!
Hello mate, Happy New Year to you buddy. I'll be using your excellent music again very soon my friend.
Makes me happy to hear! I also like your work here!
Brilliant
But not Rab or osprey stuff you've got spend 10 grand on gear to be cool,BOLLOCKS military grade gear is to fight and survive in and from and is bombproof well more or less practical warm hard-wearing kit deffo options I use kinda mix of stuff but got few army bits
Greetings. I got that bottle, too, but it kinda tastes like plastic. I guess it is not BPA-free.
I bought a long back plc bergen same colour as yours for £35 +£2 p&p without side pockets seller wanted £40 +£2 p&p I offered him £35 + postage and seller agreed this was 8/1/2023 this year . Dies anyone know what size yhe zip on pickets are? Are they 10.ltrs each?
I'm watching
I thought the British Bergen was 100l
And the rocket pouches were 12.5l each ?
Is your waistcoat home made?
See my video "A Wool Bushcraft Smock"
Wiy iz yu duin Diss pleez? Jan yuu pleez tell me Moor? Thank.
Your camera keeps going badly out of focus...
?army fighting vehicles?
AFV = Armoured Fighting Vehicle- 👍🏼
Happy New Year, Neil!