EX-54-1 Buttpack
Description
If you collect experimental gear, this is the centerpiece: The EX 54 Prototype Buttpack.
-
Lineage: Created during the post-Korea reorganization, the EX-54 line bridged the gap between WWII designs and the modern Load Carrying Equipment (LCE). This pack established the design used by US troops for the next 30 years.
-
Design Features: Look for the specific experimental "slide keepers" (if present), unique buckle types, and canvas shade that differ from the standardized M1956 production run.
-
Scarcity: Buttpacks saw the hardest use in the field. Finding a surviving prototype from the 1954 trials is exceptionally rare.
-
Markings: Identifiable as part of the EX-54 project.
