Question about official BSA backpack

[AT1988]

I bought an official 50L BSA backpack for my son for Christmas. I think it's a great pack, but there is one feature that perplexes me. On the bottom there are two zippered compartments. One contains the built-in rain cover, the other contains this odd contraption made of straps, buckles, and strechy fabric with a hole in the center.

 

What is the purpose of this thing?

 

I asked the people at two different scout shops, but neither of them knew.

 

Any ideas?

[jhankins]

Bottom mounting a sleeping bag/pad?

[nldscout]

That there thing is put there to stimulate conversation. This way adault leaders can stand around speculating about its use for hours at a time. The benifit is if they are doing that they are not bothing the scouts.

[Basementdweller]

sounds like a place for a water bladder.

 

[AT1988]

It's too low for a water bladder [but I'm going to try it out anyway]. The pack bottom is dedicated to accommodating a sleeping bag, so that function would be superfluous. If it's for a sleeping pad, why the hole?

 

So far nldscout has the most plausible answer.

[Gunny2862]

Having looked the pack over on-line there isn't any description of that feature nor can I find a picture of the inside of the area under discussion.

 

I'm purely supposing here but it may be to try to place some crew gear in an easy access and low position for weight distribution.

 

Also it could be that the sleeping bag goes in one of the two compartments and your tent/tarp in the other.

 

Or, possibly the designers had no clue and were just putting in a "new" and "different" feature that they had no idea what it would be good for, and so, didn't give any instructions what it was for....except extra weight.

 

(This message has been edited by Gunny2862)

[SSScout]

Ipad installation? Coleman microwave? Breadcrumb distributer (retro hiking director)? AP paper dispenser? Peterson Guide holder? Wet clothing holder (bottom drain)? Water bottle holder?

[Eagle1982]

Is that the only thing that can come out of that zippered compartment? Is it strictly on the bottom, or does it fold up the front of the pack? A picture would be helpful.

 

Without seeing a picture, I might speculate it is used as part of attaching skis to the pack.

[Gunny2862]

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=CAMPING&c3=CBAGS&c4=&lv=3&item=24187

Here's the link to what I was looking at: it doesn't seem to be a Ski attachment set-up but you can't really tell from this or any other photos I can find.

 

I'm reading it as that bottom compartment has been subdivided into two sections but none of that is visible because it's on the inside of the larger bottom compartment...

[gcnphkr]

It is either a smoke shifter carrier or a device for attaching a helmet to the backpack.