Old scout book bags?

[ponce3]

This is more for the older scouts. What ever happened to the old canvas Boy Scout tan book bags we had back in the 70's and 80's? They were great and lasted forever. Do they still make these?

[desertrat77]

Ponce3,

 

Welcome to the forums!

 

Are you referring to the BSA Yucca Packs and Haversacks? The Yucca was a bigger pack than the Haversack. Either way, the BSA stopped making them in the mid-70s, maybe earlier.

 

Darn shame, because that canvas wore like iron, and they were affordable and a good entry-level pack for a scout. Seems to me that many packs today are over-engineered and thus over-priced.

 

My Yucca from the '70s is long gone, but I've picked up a few used ones off ebay for reasonable prices. Look closely at the photos, as the leather straps for the outer pocket may be dry rotted, even if the rest of the pack looks good. I still use one as a gym bag, overnight stays, day hikes, and such. Can't beat them.

[ponce3]

Yeah, I'm referring to the Haversacks. I see the vintage ones on ebay, just didn't know if they still made them. You're right, today's overpriced packs have too many bells and whistles. Every kid on the block used these Haversacks as school bags, including kids that weren't even in scouts. That one bag lasted all through elementary and high school. By the way, these were still being made in the early 80's.

[noname]

We had someone that could sew make us up a bunch out of denim. Look great and work well. A scout could make their own, use dental floss and those stiches wont go anywhere!