About desert Mk VII bags

Swindiana · Post by **Swindiana** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 8:09 am

Band Director Jones sent me some interesting pictures of a couple of his bags in September.
I've been told they were issued to Indian troops and also for use in desert landscape. More sources have said they were for desert purposes but I guess they could have been both. The thing is I got to see soldiers wearing the exact kind of bag in WWII footage from Africa! When looking at the bags it gets clearer they were designed for use under sandy conditions.

Only one D-ring, no metal disk. The lanyard was probably looped around it and then back again to get tied on itself.

Different flap fastening mechanisms, no snaps with springs that could malfunction due to sand getting trapped in them. (My guess, but probably just cheaper to produce.)

Eight air ventilation holes. These probably worked as drain holes in order to allow sand to get out if captured inside the bag. If using a single or a double vent the sand would stay easier, these eight holes or more spread across the bottom of the bag.

Proof that they are actually Mk VII bags and not Mk VI ones like one would think at first glance from looking at the front D-ring.

I think that this rules out that no Mk VII have D-rings on front. The biggest difference between the bags would then be the pocket placement, external on a Mk VI and internal on a Mk VII.

Thanks for the pics BDJ!

Feel free to contribute with anything guys and tell me what you think of my theories!

Regards,
Swindy

auntsugar · Post by **auntsugar** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 8:46 am

Different, but still a nice looking bag.

Robert Duke · Post by **Robert Duke** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 10:40 am

I agree that it's a nice looking bag. That's about as close as you can get to authentic. What are the economics of it? There's a fine line between authenticy and economics. We're seeing that in regards to MBA and the shirt & pants by NH

Band Director Jones · Wed Dec 10, 2003 10:15 pm

Thanks for the info Swindy! I used both of these bags quite a bit over the past few months. They are really nice and useful; I just don't use them as "Indy" bags. I'm still looking for one or two more Indy MKVII bags. If you have any leads I'd certainly be interested. Then again, who wouldn't be?

Swindy, you have this bag thing down. Thanks for all of your hard work.

BDJ

Mulceber · Post by **Mulceber** » Wed Dec 10, 2003 10:54 pm

Say, that's identical to the one I got from Your source in Las Vegas, Swindy! Now I know why it looks that way.

:junior: -IJ

Marcus Petrius · Post by **Marcus Petrius** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 5:19 pm

It looks more like my Mk VI (same colour), but if the stamps say it's a VII, it's pretty obvious.
Nice find.

Swindiana · Post by **Swindiana** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 5:35 pm

Just to clarify; these are BDJ's bags. Apart from the top picture I got from eBay. I wouldn't mind getting one though as I think it is eqaully cool to the Canadian one with a metal wire instead of the disk. A nice and pretty rare find I presume, I'd hold on to it if I find one.

Regards,
Swindiana

SurfinGorilla · Post by **SurfinGorilla** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 2:52 pm

Has anyone ever thougt of asking a company like Filson to make some sort of modern day reproduction of the Mk VII? I mean they look like handy bags to have for everyday purposes, I have a bag approximently the same size and I use it everyday. Anyone got any connections with Filson?

Just something to think about.

Later,
Reggie the Snake.

Swindiana · Post by **Swindiana** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 8:24 pm

What Price Glory does make a reproduction Mk VII bag and modern versions of gas mask type bags (shoulder bags, haversacks) can be found in stores almost everywhere, at least here in Sweden. Even though they are not actual gas mask bags they would still fall under the category of a modern day military bag I think.
Do you have any particular ideas in mind of what this bag would look like?

Regards,
Swindy