Brown Best – makers of this rucksack, were nineteenth century luggage manufacturers who seemed to have capitalised on the ever growing outdoor market in the early twentieth century by branching out into rucksack making – a logical step considering that they already had the necessary skills of working with leather and canvas and the ability to stitch them together.

The Norwegian Bergan rucksack was Brown Best’s main rival and together they seem to have dominated the market for nigh on 50 years in the middle of the twentieth century. It was only when firms like Karrimor and Berghaus started producing good, functional rucksacks without metal frames that Brown Best, Bergans and many other similar brands disappeared – though Bergans did re-invent themselves and are still going strong today (2013).

So this is a high quality metal framed rucksack dating from the 1960s and is one of the many collected by Mick Tighe somewhere along the way – another interesting addition to our collection.