A couple of years ago we looked at the updated 94/98 Daysack from the Australian Army’s webbing set here. Since then I have added the earlier, unmodified, version of the daysack to the collection and today we are going to look at that version and compare it to the updated example. The Australian Army procured 30,000 sets of ‘Field Pack Large’ and their associated daysacks that were designed to be worn clipped to the outside of the pack. The daysack was a small pack, much like a children’s rucksack, with a curved top and a zip around this section to gain entry to the interior which was a single compartment:

The original design of daysack did not allow it to be worn on its own, having no shoulder straps, instead there were a pair of metal clips on the rear to attach it to the field pack, a small handle to grab it with when dismounted and a pair of straps to secure the bottom to the field pack and prevent it flopping around.:

There are a set of loops on the shoulder yoke of the 1988 pattern set that might allow you to attach the day sack directly to it, although I have not tried this and it would seem very awkward. A small pocket with a flap secured with Velcro is fitted to one side of the pack:

The pack is stamped inside with the date of manufacture, in this case 1995:

The design was quickly updated with shoulder straps to allow it to be carried on its own, and these made it a more practical design. It is interesting to compare the two iterations side by side:

It is nice to have both versions of the daysack and it shows how these things never stay still for long, with military equipment subject to constant evolution as practical experience highlights areas for improvement.