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The loop inside of the musette bag


robinb
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I think bheskett has nailed it spot on. It makes perfect sense - a place to put the strap when it wasn't needed. It wouldn't surprise me if they left the factory like that packed in boxes.

 

Steve

That, makes the most sense thus far.

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It does make sense, and could be the answer; however, finding one strap in one musette bag is not conclusive. I have found all my musette bag straps stored in the side pocket

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I agree one example does not solve the mystery, just another fly in th ointment. I think the only way we are going to find out for sure is to find a manual or QM drawing that has it labelled as "strap for such and such"

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I agree one example does not solve the mystery, just another fly in th ointment. I think the only way we are going to find out for sure is to find a manual or QM drawing that has it labelled as "strap for such and such"

That's what I started thinking fairly soon after this thread began...

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i was going to say the same--- side pocket was best suited for the strap and it was mentioned once before.

 

 

 

Yes, the side pocket is suited for the strap, and a plethora of other equipment. That's just like saying the bag itself will take the strap, so, therefore, discount other thoughts. The "loop": though is different, as it, apart from some suggestions here, like tent poles, doesn't seem to have any real value except for the strap. Sure, you can shove a beer can or whatever in there, but there is no logic to that. The strap, an integral part of the bag, fits perfectly

 

Not to ignore the suggestions of some other members who have said a QM book will settle this. I agree. So, in the meantime, absent that (and good luck, since this has not surfaced in the last 70 years), we need to think logically.

 

Steve

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  • 2 years later...
JadedHesher

Hi everyone !

 

I always thought the small loop inside was to hold a couple fountain pens. Back then they were really popular still, even though ball point pens were available. Ballpoint pens would leak. Both styles had clip models. A couple fountain pens are the right thickness and length to fit into the little horizontal loop. I use a musette bag daily and the little loop holds my ball point pens perfectly. 

 

A pen can get lost in a bag pretty easy I just wanna add. It's nice to have a couple pens handy right there as soon as I open it.

 

 I also use my musette bag when I go shooting. I clip it to my LBE "Y" suspenders and it becomes apart of my web gear. When I need to grab something from it, I pull the bag over my head so it's hanging in front of me, and that way I can pull ammo out and transfer it to my butt pack or my dump pouch while I'm walking.

When the bag is in front of me, I can easily access my pen and pull out my notebook and write down stuff while walking.

 

that's what I use it for, and I just always assumed that's what it was for. I randomly stumbled onto this thread and it was really cool to read the replies here. I could also see that loop maybe being for something along the lines of hygiene. A razer perhaps ? Does anyone know any WWII vets ? I say we ask them !

 

 

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Has anyone suggested fastening purposes? 

 

Imagine this hanging off the back of a truck, a tank or a jeep, you'd want this kind of loop to pull a rope through or something. 

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phantomfixer
On 5/10/2021 at 4:43 AM, ken88 said:

Has anyone suggested fastening purposes? 

 

Imagine this hanging off the back of a truck, a tank or a jeep, you'd want this kind of loop to pull a rope through or something. 

Way back I suggested it was for a bunk/rack / barrack bag...slip a pole/rope through attach to bunk or locker etc...for in the field, flap is open easy to grab gear etc flap can be closed if raining etc...one of the great mysteries...or is it?  LOL

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  • 10 months later...

The mystery loop pre-dates the musette bag by quite a few years.  It was in the M1921 musette bag. It was in the British officer's musette bag that was used by US officers in WWI.  Before that it was in the British soldier's haversack of the Boer War period.  I don't know if it was in previous versions, but obviously it was copied from one to the other long after the original purpose was lost.

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  • 2 weeks later...
General Apathy
On 12/27/2016 at 3:06 AM, robinb said:

So I was discussing the loop once again with a collector today and maybe came up with an answer to what that mysterious loop is for. I used my 1918 dated British Made US marked bag to start the test. I have two different WW1 era flashlights. Both have a leather strap on the back that just happens to be the same width and length as the inside dimensions of the mystery loop. As you can see they fit very well. What other purpose could that leather strap have than to fit around that loop? And what piece of gear would an officer need out of his bag in an instant?

 

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Hi Robin,

 

Yes over the years we have all had many conversations ( and many threads on the forum ) regarding this loop and we have all tried to find something to fit inside it. !!!!!! with many suggestions.

 

Now I am NOT OFFERING any evidence to support my photo I include here,  and have never found any musette with anything left in the loop. So I am just pondering that these two tubes one tin plate and one O.D. painted fit exactly in the loop and require a slight push to extract from the loop which makes sense as whatever should be in the loop shouldn't easily fall out I would think.  

 

( the next question I have is what should be inside these containers even if they are not connected to the M-36 bag

 

So the quest goes on and we all desire to learn the reason for it, and if there is NO specific reason for it why continue adding it . . . . . 

 

I think the reason for this loop compares to the ' meaning of life question ' 😹😹

 

During the Tony Blair years of Government they closed down the centuries old British Army pattern rooms and sold off all the patterns of equipment that were held for manufacturers to examine and copy.   I was lucky enough to buy several WWII patterns of equipment and one of them being this British made M36 bag still with the printed governmental label attached to it . . . . . . . . 

 

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"I think the reason for this loop compares to the ' meaning of life question."

 

At this moment, we are only six years into it... 🤪

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General Apathy
2 hours ago, Bluehawk said:

"I think the reason for this loop compares to the ' meaning of life question."

 

At this moment, we are only six years into it... 🤪

.

Hi Bluehawk

 

Yes this particular thread is only six years,  but Craig Pickrall, myself and several others were debating this back in another thread in 2008 / 09 ( thirteen Years ) , and serving soldiers were questioning the loop eighty years ago . . . . . . .

 

here's a photo I posted in 2009 showing soldiers in chino, using the musette bag, 1917 / 17A1 helmets, blue denim barracks bags etc. note the position of the folding poles, maybe the middle section passed through the loop and the top and bottom poles folding outside the loop preventing the poles sliding out either way . . . . . . whether this was the correct usage or not still has to be answered . . . . 

 

.fullsizeoutput_11b68.jpeg.efbf574e42341b5d79ab4d5046b651ea.jpeg

 

regards lewis.

 

...

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Lewis.

 

Well, I can tell you that it has been on MY mind all these years too...  I've done my share of searching, and it pops into my mind about 5 times a month 😊

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  • 1 year later...
WarrenShayCollection
On 12/27/2016 at 7:49 AM, jprostak said:

On the drawing for the "Bag, Canvas, Field, Olive Drab, M1936" or better know as the M36 Mussette Bag, the part in question is unhelpfully called "Loop".

Do you have the drawing for the Canvas Field Bag? If so, can you send me a copy of it?

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  • 4 weeks later...
eaglerunner88
On 3/22/2022 at 2:52 PM, WPG said:

The mystery loop pre-dates the musette bag by quite a few years.  It was in the M1921 musette bag. It was in the British officer's musette bag that was used by US officers in WWI.  Before that it was in the British soldier's haversack of the Boer War period.  I don't know if it was in previous versions, but obviously it was copied from one to the other long after the original purpose was lost.

 

No one really seems to be acknowledging this post. The loop was a hold over at least from the 1880s so discussing gear/equipment not in use by British soldiers at that time is somewhat irrelevant. The fact that the US Army only designates this as "loop" tells me it wasn't meant to hold anything specific. I agree that the loop was originally intended to pass a pole/rope through for hanging the bag, allowing easy access in a variety of situations.

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eaglerunner88

Ok, I did some digging into the Boer War equipment. The Slade-Wallace haversack from the 1888 pattern equipment apparently had THREE loops intended for the fork, knife and spoon. This makes sense as the bag was officially used to carry the day’s rations, the emergency ration, knife, fork, spoon, pipe, tobacco and a sewing kit. Maybe at some point, the loops were combined into one for all the utensils? One thing that didn't change through all these years was needing quick access to your knife, fork, and spoon!

 

Haversack8.jpg.0ded56f3f31efa7ce89498e9ebcff0c2.jpgHaversack10.jpg.730a6f30b874c5b26d093e871734b7fd.jpgHaversack9.jpg.8b8de9278f6894ebb4e2ce5d5141beb6.jpg

 

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Maybe when the utensils are in their leather cases they fit perfectly snug in the loop? 

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