Swiss Army backpack from 1973 – salt and pepper

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swiss military backpack salt and pepper 1973 full view frontswiss military backpack salt and pepper 1973 back viewswiss military backpack salt and pepper 1973 strapsswiss military backpack salt and pepper 1973 stampswiss military backpack salt and pepper 1973 buckleswiss military backpack salt and pepper 1973 bottomswiss military backpack salt and pepper 1973 front bag strapsSwiss Army backpack from 1973, salt and pepper pattern:

First of all thanks a lot for the hint of Chris from Damn Yak, via his website in Canada I discovered this great vintage backpack from the Swiss Army. The toughness and the design is outstanding – I did not find one faulty attachment point or seam. Everything is done in a Swiss “perfectionistic” way. It was really designed for lasting a lifetime. Regarding that this rucksack sells for less than 40 Euros on Ebay I would say there is no backpack with a better value/style factor. The stamp on the pack says “L MAUERHOFER SELLERE GOLLION 73“. I would rate this backpack with a capacity of around 50 Liters and I´m sure without any problems It can handle easy 20 kg of stuff. Due to the canvas belt which acts as a suspender or a distance holder of the lower back it feels quite comfortable.

If you are searching for a daybag, I would go for the smaller version of this backpack.

25 thoughts on “Swiss Army backpack from 1973 – salt and pepper”

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  5. Alex Post author

    Make a trip to Europe and buy it here and take it back ;-) No honestly I was asked yesterday for the smaller one, but all sellers on Ebay Germany only ship within the EU and even if they would ship to the US you will pay about 30-40 Euros for shipping + Customs. So 100 USD isn´t too much.

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  6. Christopher Chan (@ccclaw)

    Hi Alex, I was understating the cost. it’s about $150+ not including shipping, so it’s much more than $100. Are they pretty common in Europe (not that I can go myself). I wonder if there is anyone who could get some for me and ship them back…

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  8. guiltybystander

    Thanks to your help, I finally got one! It’s wonderful. I’m trying to restore and preserve the leather now. Yours looks to be in mintier condition than mine, so I’m trying to maintain its condition. I’m going to take it on a camping/hiking trip this weekend so I’ll be putting it through its paces.

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    1. Alex Post author

      Old leather I really recommend to use a conditioner like neatfood oil and later some usual wax based product for protection. Have a great time with the pack.

      Reply ↓

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    1. Alex Post author

      Try to find on ebay germany or swiss and see if they are shipping worldwide, thats the only advice I can give.
      Search for: “Schweizer Armee Rucksack” oder “Salz und Pfeffer Rucksack”

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  11. Hans

    Hi,
    I bought mine from a very hidden, local store, located in the central part of Switzerland. I have seen the store still have arround 10-15 similar rucksacks. Even the rubberized one. Let me know if someone is interested.
    Thanks,

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    1. Thomas

      Hi,

      Do you happen to live in Switzerland? I am very eager to come upon one of these rucksacks. I live in America; am wondering if a transaction is possible.

      Cheers,
      Thomas

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      1. Alex Post author

        Hello Thomas,
        im living on the close to the border but even in here they getting more and more less seen for sale. Grab one as soon as you can.
        It seems the bigger stocks are used up. The original swiss army warehouses are also closing down one after another.
        good hunting!
        bye
        Alex

    1. Alex Post author

      Hello Hans,
      sorry for the late replay but i was away.
      I did not use any kind of wax for my backpack since it seems to have some kind of wax already in the canvas. I Oiled (neatfootoil or mink oil) the leather parts so to stop them from breaking. That was it – decades of life into them for sure. If you are into crafts you have to admire the army of saddlers who did those old swiss army stuff.

      If in need for a wax i would use otter wax or the greenland.

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    1. Alex Post author

      they are getting rare and grab one before they are all gone and/or getting too expensive.
      just look for swiss army backpack on ebay germany or .ch

      Reply ↓

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