The Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection
1400.2017.1
Homemade rucksack
13/07/2017
Hermione Cooper
13/07/2017
Rectangular canvas rucksack with red tape shoulder straps, large metal eyelets threaded with nylon rope.
canvs, nylon, brass
69(L) x 41(W) cms
1
blue, red
Fred Nicholson
Fred Nicholson was a driller in the Barrow in Furness shipyards and like a lot of Cumbrian lads back in the 1960's he liked to get away to the Fells at weekends for a bit of adventure. Fred bought a Mountain Sac from George Fischers in Keswick in 1965, loaded his camping gear into it and headed off to Scafell. The Sac weighed 95lbs (43kgs) and pretty soon fell to pieces.
George Fischer wasn't very interested when Fred complained so Fred decided to make his own rucksack which we now have here in the collection some 60 years later. Fred had a maxim for his design which he called S.E.R.V.E.
Simple - in design
Efficient - in use
Reliable - won't let you down
Versatile - adaptable
Economical - in construction, materials etc.
He got some canvas from Karrimor, some climbing tape for the shoulder straps and the nylon waist-line which he used for climbing. The local sailmaker stitched it together and he had his prototype rucksack - magic!
Donated by Fred Nicholson
13/07/2017
13/07/2017
Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007
13/07/2017