Jarnagin Single Bag Knapsack

D.H. Hill

Private
Joined
Aug 26, 2013
Jarnagin sells a Confederate painted cloth single bag knapsack with a small flap and cross straps- not a Kibler/Mexican War bag- and claims it was quite common. However I have not been able to find an original of this type or any information regarding it.
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I'm curious because it looks nice and seems like an easy thing to make if I could study a few originals.
Thanks, D.H.
 
It is one of a host of different types and patterns that existed during the Mexican War era... The style carried over and used by some early militia and confederate forces... Don't recall it ever had a subjects namesake attached like many others do... In the historical community frequently just referred to as a CS Single Bag Knapsack... I think West Point Museum has one of them in their collection... Here is an image of a surviving original of this pattern...
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Nice image, is this similar to the single bag knapsack shown on page 210of American Military Equipage 1851-1872 by Frederick P. Todd?
 
I owned a Jarnagin single bag and used it extensively for a few years. But I traded it for a hard-frame militia knapsack which stays on my shoulders more comfortably, and the wooden frame holds the blanket roll on top better. I also tended to overstuff the single bag, making it heavy to wear.
 
I had one of these bags at one time. I just hated carrying it, so I eventually stopped using it. It was extremely uncomfortable to use, it never rode high on the shoulders as hard frames did, so I just stopped using it. The hard frame did ride better on my back also, and yes it was so easy to put too much in the single bag. I thought that it was the main problem with it.
 
I know an older thread, but is there any new information on this pack?

I'm mainly curious to know what theaters this thing would have seen in.
 
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