Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

—PACKS FOR PEDESTRIANS 123and consequently drag on the weakest part of theshoulders, next to the arms. The strain shouldcome nearer the neck,where the vertebralcolumn will help tosupport it.Old types of knapsackshad the strapscrossed over the breast— about the worstarrangement thatcould be devised, sinceit compresses the bearer'schest and interfereswnth his breathing.A horizontalstrap across the chestto keep shoulder straps Fig. 24.—Old U.S.A. Knapfromspreading is likesack(back). A. B. points ofwise oppressive, and suspensionbothersome because it must be unbuckled before theknapsack can be castoff.*RUCKSACKS.From time immemorialthe chamoishunters of theAlps have used asimple but ingeniouspack sack forcarrying light kitsand game. This Iscalled a rucksack.It isto-day the favoritepacking deviceof EuropeanFig^Ipjnists25.-Rucksackandwith Flappedestriantourists, ISmuch used as a game bag, and, of late years, has^Rucksack is a German word meaning "back-sacK." In Englishthe umlaut sign (two dots over u) is dropped and the pronunciationchanged so thcit ruck rhymes with stuck.