Snapsack

[sooter76]

So I ran across a reference to one of these recently and it made me wonder about them. You see haversacks talked about and used quite often, but rarely these. Is there a specific reason why?

Does anyone use these over haversacks? Thoughts on the practicality of each over the other?

 

[Stophel]

throughout the 18th century, snapsacks were literally common as dirt. Everybody and their brother traveled with a snapsack, carried goods to and from market in a snapsack, hauled things around in a snapsack. Period images of snapsacks are legion. Haversacks (or haversack-type shoulder bags) are nearly non-existent for non-military people. On the RARE occasion that I do see a shoulder bag, it is not really of the plain linen military haversack variety. Usually rather nondescript in the pictures, unfortunately, but the impression I get is that they may be leather bags. In fact, I can only think of two 18th century images. One is in my avatar. :wink:

 

[Stophel]

My two snapsacks:

My second one, slightly larger, and made with an old Wilde strap. What the heck.

They hang on my back pretty well and comfortably, reasonably securely, though not as secure as a two-strap knapsack might be. Of course, it is also MUCH easier to get on and off than a knapsack. A blanket is easily carried above the snapsack on its own sling/tumpline.

I have SO much stuff going on, so unfortunately, I have yet to be able to get out anywhere and actually use either of them, but to me the snapsack seems to be a good, reasonably comfortable means of carrying clothing and equipment.

Personally, I DETEST shoulder bags of all kinds, and can't stand trying to carry around a haversack. Swinging around loose, flopping, in the way, no thank you. The only thing I use one for is as a shopping bag at a trade fair, or for picking up hickory nuts. :wink:

 

[tenngun]

You see these in paintings then written down a lot. I think knapsack is just the evolution of the word. The revolutionary new designed knapsack is a one strap bag. Kutz shows man with a rifle in a snowcover worn like a snap sack. Single stap bags show up in photos of the alaskan gold rush. Sailors dufflebags and WTBS blanket tube worn over the left shoulder. We like to think of snapsack as an early 19th century thing, but I'm not convinced it ever went out of style.

 

[tenngun]

Of corse after I made one I found it real handy. I may not have ben such a fan if it wasnt so convient for me.

 

[KingofDerby]

It's true that you don't see enough people with them...personally, I always use them except when doing a military impression that mandates something else (my mid century French require a very large havresack, excellently made by Victor James Tents).

Even use a snapsac in modern day...I have one as my gym kit bag!

 

[Alden]

I restrict using mine to early impressions, meaning, pre F&I.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Haversacks (or haversack-type shoulder bags) are nearly non-existent for non-military people.

:applause:

Way too many "civilians" are carrying haversacks, or haversack-ish packs, when they should have snapsacks. (imho) I think this is the after effect of the "possibles bag" left over from the peak of the rendezvous era...

The reason the snapsack is "better" than a haversack, is that it allows the bearer to control the weight up close to the body, and against the back. The haversack is a ration bag...so was meant to hold less weight, and even when properly worn (most folks sling them too low) they tend to bounce against the body. The snapsack often holds more property than a haversack that is being tasked as a pack, and a haversack is intended to be laundered, so was not water resistant, while the snapsack may be made so.

David Morier's pre- F&I portraits of soldiers, shows the 46th, 47th, and 48th regiment grenadiers with cowhide snapsacks with the hair still on, PLUS haversacks. This allowed the soldiers to remove their havesacks, and one private from each "mess" could then collect a ration for each man in his mess, then return the havesacks to his messmates. When the haversack became stained with juice from meat, etc, it could be washed.

Knapsack and rucksack (German) were not a word evolution, but were applied to two strap packs, with a flap, while often the old snapsack opened at one or both ends. The French merely called theirs a two-strap "haversack".


The "New Invented Knapsack" used by PA, MD, and VA troops at the beginning of the AWI was an attempt to combine the haversack and snapsack. So it had a flap over the cargo area, like a two-strapped pack, and had an extra compartment on the back side, for the rations. Thus, two design flaws. First, if one private was to draw rations for all of his messmates... he had to take everybody's belongings along for the chore. Second, if the "haversack" portion needed washing...the soldier had to empty his entire pack to do so.

LD

 

[Stophel]

Terminology of the 18th century can be loose, much to the modern researchers' dismay. I wouldn't doubt that the term "knapsack" was applied to a snapsack. At other times they were recognized as two distinct items. There were also single strap knapsacks (large rectangular envelopes) more popular during the first half of the century, serving concurrently with snapsacks in various militaries (both made of hair-on animal hides). The single strap knapsack was designed to lay on the back, not under the arm, as the straps were angled for this. I have seen one or two period German images of civilian hunters with this type of pack, but that's all i have seen outside of the military. Around the 1750s, more or less, armies began adopting 2 strap knapsacks (again of hair-on hides), though civilians can be seen with 2 strap packs much earlier.

 

[Stophel]

Take a look through this album. These are the Salzburger Exulanten. Protestant Christians forced out of their homes by the Catholic authorities in Salzburg in 1732-33. They made a long trek, mostly on foot, to sanctuary in Prussia (some eventually came to Georgia in the 1740's, I believe). Here you will see two strap knapsacks (generally quite large), blankets/sheets rolled up to carry belongings, all kinds of bundles, and snapsacks galore. And, not one, single, solitary shoulder bag of any kind. :wink:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Fatdutchman/library/18JH/SalzburgerExulanten?sort=3&page=1

 

[coloradoclyde]

I'm seeing quite a few two strap snapsacs and other two strap packs along with the single strap snapsack. :hmm:

 

[tenngun]

Snap,knap, and ruck, all sound close to me. So I could see a relationship to the words. Thats not to prove a relationship exist. The Mandan called bull boats close to the same thing westren celts called leather boats, but the rest of the langauge dosnt match up. Irish in america pre columbian?Maybe, after all westren celtic dna is found in modren Mandan peoples. I can think of other ways it could get there without St Brendon or prince Modoc. I find people in the past seem to have been sloppy with termonolgy.There could well be no evoluition of the words. In 1500 there was only a small area near London where English was spoken. Much of France didnt speak French, and a walk through the low countries exposed you to as many toungs as towns. How many people grabed a bag or a sack with one or two straps and wore it on thier backs or at thier sides and never called it snap,knap or ruck?

 

[tenngun]

The 9th drawing on your link Shows one man with fat bag on his right side like a stuffed haver sack, I cant see detail of any other bag on him

 

[Stophel]

1760's, German. One snapsack, one very loosely worn knapsack (I can't understand how people can carry stuff on their backs loose like that), with very narrow straps (ropes?) and a hair-on flap, with what appears to be a loop and button closure.

This is Leipzig, I forget the year, mid 18th century. Hard to see here, but there is one man with a snapsack on his back (kind of carried across his chest/shoulders), and another man with a pack basket.

A German hunter with a hair-on military-type single-strap knapsack type pack on his back. Now, this could be a large shoulder bag he just has pushed back, but I choose to believe that it is not. :haha:

Mountain hunters. The top left man has a snapsack. By the way, the man on top to the right is bearded.

Flemish haberdashers selling their wares in Florence, Italy, with their goods neatly bundled up and strapped to their backs.

 

[tenngun]

All and all I thought a snap sack loaded for a walk in the woods would be heavy and a pain. Instead I found it to be a lot more comfotable then a knap sack, and easier to get on and off when loaded then a knap sack. Maybe they did too.

 

[George]

Do you have any specifically American examples?

Spence

 

[Stophel]

In images? No. But finding American images of any kind from the 18th century is not so easy. I have read American military documents from the Revolution referring to snapsacks and knapsacks, and various other references to them, one or two even using the term "pack", but I do not have any handy quotes.

 

[BillinOregon]

Great thread. Reminds me that I have long wanted to make a snapsack. Is yours of hemp, Stophel?

 

[Stophel]

The first one is linen canvas with a hemp strap. It has been beeswaxed to make it water repellent...probably was never really done 240 years ago, but...

The second one is a very heavy, but loosely woven hemp canvas with a Wilde strap. I'm not real crazy about the fabric, but it is sufficient for this. I would prefer the tighter linen canvas if I were to do another one.

 

[Stophel]

The 9th drawing on your link Shows one man with fat bag on his right side like a stuffed haver sack, I cant see detail of any other bag on him

You mean the guy at the far right?

This is a big, rounded bag that curves and runs up his back, and I don't believe this would represent a haversack type bag, though it is possible it is a rounded shape shoulder bag of other design, I suppose.