Rucksack as opposed to backpack?

“OK, someone please explain to me ... what is the difference between a rucksack and a backpack? Anything? Is "rucksack" just an older term?

I got a great Jack Wolfskin backpack from bpbaby earlier this summer. It's a heck of a lot like a Lowe backpack I had -- basically identical features. However, upon further research, I see it's called a rucksack. What goes??

I guess I always envisioned a rucksack as being a pack perhaps without quite the ulta technological framing and support. But the Jack Wolfskin pack sure seems to have that.

Confused here!!! >8-O”

“sorta. rucksacks are smaller, usually with a flap.

picture an old, canvas military rucksack....”

“The old rucksacks are moderate sized canvas things with an inverted T frame that hang close to the back.”

“I bought my sister a lafuma extreme 42 off of ebay for 50 bucks total. It weighs about a pound. I don't know if it would be called a ruck sack, but now her set up, minus filter, food and water, but with winter clothing, is down to 17 lbs. That's a great pack for her. I got a line on one from a guy on ebay for 30 bucks total if anyone might be interested....”

“That's according to the American Heritage Dictionary. Probably more popular term for European brand packs, such as LaFuma or Jack Wolfskin. Mostly seems to apply to top-loading day packs, often with a couple outside pockets.”

“Ohhhhhhh, I didn't realize Jack Wolfskin was European.... Um, are you sure on that? I thought it was made in Washington or something?

Anyhoo, so perhaps they just use it as an alternative marketing term, huh? (or to confuse poor, poor shoppers?? lol)”

“lizs, I'm pretty sure that's what was said in a Backpacker review. I've got a copy of a British hiking magazine and the brand is spoken of as a much more familiar and available brand than it is here. Vaude is also European, German to be exact.”

“i think that JW is in denmark”

“or the netherlands....

hmmm....

it doesn't really matter, to me!”

“I always thought JW was a German company.”

“Will you guys please stop Jackin' yer Wolfskin?

Isn't radagast from the netherworld?

Or is it middle earth?

Mittenwald?”

“Why it appears you are correct, lil' kleetymeister. I never knew!! (You could go to their website, but it loads horrendously slow)

Thanks for the info. (And what was **I** thinking of -- Jack AND THE BEANSTALK??? LOL)”

“bite my beanstalk!”

“I could be wrong but I think a rucksack is a small backback or large bookbag mainly carried by hippies on hostel hopping trips around Europe.”

“Hostel Hopping Hippies!!!
Oh No!!!”

“Holy Hostel Hopping Hippies, Batman!

is that the 4H club?”

“Alright, dingleberryheads. Pay attention.
A "rucksack" is a backpack that is top loading and does not have a waistbelt. It must meet those two requirement to be a rucksack. Add any more support, belts, bells or whistles and it's a backpack of another sort. It can be made of any type of material (historically leather or canvas).”

“yeah!

take THAT!”

“Sorry (heheh) but to screw up all your misconceptions my Jack Wolfskin RUCKSACK is top loading BUT

IT DOES HAVE A ZIPPER FOR THE SLEEPING BAG COMPARTMENT AND, EVEN WORSE...

IT HAS A (GASP!) WAISTBELT...

yup, must be marketing then *wink*”

“The next thing ya know you'll have a weird European boyfriend that smells funny!!!”

“If you go to the Jack Wolfskin site ....they sell Rucksacks and Daypacks....and their Rucksacks have waistbelts.
Here is one of their "Rucksacks"



:)”

“If you are going to carry a rucksack....you have to braid your armpit hair and put a little bow on it ! ;)”

“Biz, don't you know...all bf's smell funny after you know them for awhile.”

“rucksacks = backpacks in Britian.”

“The Army refers to their tourture pack as a "ruck".

Well you can call it what you want
I call it messin' with the kid”

“I can't imagine a big company like that being wrong, but they are. Sounds like a marketing ploy to me. They just like the name "rucksack" so they slap it on whatever to make it sell.
BTW, that looks just like my $49 Kelty Gail that weighs only 2 lb.s 10 oz. (Its a backpack.)”

“Or is that Kelty Gale?”

“I was gonna tell you that a Rucksack had no frame. When I got my first backpack (a now ancient North Face external) they told me that I could use it as a "rucksack" by detaching it from the frame. However, that Jack Wolfskin looks like its got a frame. Even worse, I found an on-line quiz where the "right" definition of Rucksack is "Backpack." (http://www.eduplace.com/fakeout/terms/rucksack.html). Maybe its one of those words that has different meanings in different regions.”

“I think a rucksack is a medium pack for use in mountaineering or climbing or even trekking but definitely not a huge pack with a tubular or plywood frame.”

“Say what?!?!”

“I thot Jack Wolfskin was an off shoot of Eureka.”

“I think a rucksack has to have a leather bottom.”

“If ya jack that wolfskin enough, it might just shoot off......eureka!!!”

“johnson outdoors owns:

eureka
camp trails
silva
jack wolfskin

and others.”

“Go ruck yourselves.”

“"I think a rucksack has to have a leather bottom."

le Subtil, someone forgot to tell this to the Department of Defense, mine was canvas.”

“Backpacker Magazine (http://www.backpacker.com/jargon/0,2672,444,00.html) agrees (I am so embarassed):

Frameless Rucksack

Definition:
Take the frame out of an internal frame pack and you have a rucksack. (Note that the reverse process?putting a frame into a rucksack?was how the internal frame pack was invented.) Rucksacks are basically packbags with straps. They are best suited for dayhiking, ski touring, or climbing when you have little weight in the pack.”

“Yes, but "frameless" is part of what they are defining!! hehee

I had seen my Jack Wolfskin bag called a rucksack. So it must either be that they like the "feel" of that traditional term... or it's pure marketing (guess it could be both!) It has a frame and a waistbelt!!!!!! Which is why I was confused in the first place (although that's nothing new)

Hey Ped... how ya been?? :-) Things are well here.”

“Isn't "rucksack" an ancient term?



















What if our balls were called "rucks"?”

“But Lizs... the first sentence seems pretty clear (still you have a point, which is why I didn't feel right just quoting the first sentence out of context).

(I've been enjoying your posts. This week is finals week where I teach, I've got about 100 blue books spread across my dining room table).”