Fox Outdoor Products NATO Style Rucksack

Hauls a lot of gear in a a sturdy cotton canvas pack. Water proofed with oilcloth treatment and it's good to go anywhere you want it. The metal tabs on the end of the straps are merely compression for from factory so the do pop off on their own after a while. So I jumped on it while I was waterproofing the bag, popped them off and refit them with epoxy glue and compression fit, so they wont budge now.You dont need to spend $400 on a bougie bushcraft backpack, this will do more than what most folks need, especially if you can tell which end of the needle is the pointy bits and do some modifications, like sewing an extra loop of canvas on to act as an axe keep for your hatchet or scout axe and maybe also add some molle webbing if you want the added versatility.

A good bag to keep all my odds and ends in. Keeps my Jeep organized. Seems like it should last a long long time.

Item arrived in good shape and fast with free shipping, new by Fox Tactical. I've been looking for one similar to an old USGI surplus, circa 1953, pack my dad bought years ago at a flea-market, this rucksack is brand new (made in India), larger(about 1600+ cubic cm), and holds a lot of gear, stitching is good, no blemishes, rips, tears, what so ever, and it was cheap (about $35). I dropped a rectangular five gallon waste basket in the main pouch for an internal frame support, and with a Nix Wax treatment, and a couple of lashing points attached, looking forward to this being my go to rucksack for all sorts of day adventures, light travel, and one to two night forays.Pros - Old School Cool, larger than original GI issue, padded shoulder strapsCons - Not MOLLE compatible,soft duck material lighter than original canvas material, metal tabs on straps tend to fall off, no attachment points underneath for lashing tarps, etc.

Much larger than expected, which is a good thing! Many pockets. Some of the buckles aren't quite right but easily fixed. Strong smell of fireworks and gunpowder.

I purchased this in early 2009 for when I was going to the Middle East for humanitarian work. It went through every abuse imaginable for nearly 3 years. The only damage that happened was the metal ends on the straps came off. Now there is a little fray on the ends of these straps but hardly an issue. Having returned from the desert, I went back to my old profession as a photojournalist. I use this bag to carry my gear. It continues to get abused daily in rain, mud, and snow. This almost 5 year old bag is covered in stains, decorated by patches from close to 20 countries I've traveled, and carries countless memories of my life abroad. It still remains as durable as when I got it. I look forward to many more years of adventures with it.

Pros: Great price, unique look, large capacity, extremely rugged material (I've seen GI ALICE packs at the surplus store that aren't as sturdy)Cons: Some minor design flaws that could be easily fixed, strap tends to flip when putting the bag onIt's a good backpack over all. I love the unique appearance of it (you can't find it in any store around here!) and I love Military/Surplus equipment in general. The only downsides to it are the straps. They are much too narrow other then the shoulder pads, and slip off easily. To rectify this I simply put the bag on with my heaviest jacket and tied the straps off. Another problem is the buckle at the bottom where the shoulder straps adjust rubs a bit uncomfortably. I just tied 2 OD green bandannas around them, and now it never bothers me anymore, even when the bag is fully loaded.I wish it had a roller-type fastener like on my seabag, that is much more secure, but overall I think it's great and hope to use it for years. FYI this bag is HEAVY DUTY, not just in quality, but mass as well. It feels like it weighs 5lbs empty.

The shoulder straps slip. But I like the size and sturdiness of the bag so much that I may go to the trouble of replacing them with leather straps.

This backpack is supposed to represent a bag that corresponds to the integrity of the description. "NATO style Rucksack" does not represent anything more than the word "style". I really do not like giving poor reviews to products, as I am a proponent of supporting smaller businesses and giving people the chance to make up for "issues" with production or quality of services. I would like to give a two part review for Fox Outdoor with this in mind.I will say to start that Fox Outdoor was FANTASTIC when it came to customer service. I was able to return the bag within 2 days, and received a refund within 6 days of the arrival of the product. I have never sen such quick response to a return in any product I have returned. Maybe this is coincidental, but regardless, I felt completely content with the timely manner Fox was able to conclude my business. I would recommend their customer service any day. HOWEVER, this is not the reason why I am writing this review. I am writing the review on the product I purchased. I had a German Style Rucksack that I had owned for ELEVEN YEARS. I had just about torn that bag to shreds traveling to four countries, over twenty states and through mud, water, and dust. I was ready to try something new and after several hours of searching and comparing products chose this Rucksack. I was severely disappointed after about five minutes from its removal from the packaging when one of the buckles fell off in my hand. I tried to pull the buckle through the clasp, and it hadn't even made it through before falling off. There is no excuse for such poor construction. I will make this as short and concise as possible: Do not buy this product. If you are looking for a quality bag, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a fantastic exercise in returning poor equipment, then please indulge yourself. But that should not be the reason you receive more than one star in a review.