Knapsack sternum straps

[Jack7171]

Can anyone explain to me, or show a closeup photo, of how the sternum straps on a knapsack were fastened? It seems many soldiers discarded them, but I have a knapsack to display, and I can't figure out the logical way to attach the loose ends that have the hooks on them,,, thank you!

No straps

 

[tmorr]

In the absence of a rifleman's buckle where the straps would hook to the waist belt, you simply take your "j" hook and hook it to the shoulder strap on the opposite side of your body. Connect it to the thinner portion of the shoulder strap right below the large brass rivet. Doing this will bring both of the straps across the body as in the first image you posted.

 

[Jack7171]

In the absence of a rifleman's buckle where the straps would hook to the waist belt, you simply take your "j" hook and hook it to the shoulder strap on the opposite side of your body. Connect it to the thinner portion of the shoulder step right below the large brass rivet. Doing this will bring both of the straps across the body as in the first image you posted.

I kinda jury rigged it like that because I couldn't see any other way ,, I had no idea that it was almost right! Thank you!!
And you say they could also hook to the belt? Would they have put holes in the belt for the hooks, or just hook it under the belt itself?

Sidenote: I've agonized over the fastening of these straps for several years, and finally today remembered to post the question lol

 

[tmorr]

I kinda jury rigged it like that because I couldn't see any other way ,, I had no idea that it was almost right! Thank you!!
And you say they could also hook to the belt? Would they have put holes in the belt for the hooks, or just hook it under the belt itself?

Sidenote: I've agonized over the fastening of these straps for several years, and finally today remembered to post the question lol

No need to punch holes in a "rifleman's" belt. the 1855 rifleman's buckle/waist belt had moveable brass "hangers" (my word) to attach the "j" hooks to. Blue arrow shows where they would connect on either side of side of the buckle.

 

[RedRover]

They were designed to hook on the "rifleman's waist belt" of 1855...

U.S. 1855 PATTERN RIFLEMAN’S BELT — Horse Soldier

Few troops received these rifleman's waist belts, using the infantry waist belt instead, which had not mountings or provision to mount the hooks of the knapsack straps. So the soldiers seem to have acted variously...

Hooking them together across the chest seems to have been common...

Or might have hooked them under the waist belt, like these chaps... It was apparently understood that's what they were for, especially perhaps for parade, etc. (I'm told by reenactors this is very uncomfortable...)

The 1866 Army Quartermaster photos has the soldier just looping the hooks under the waist belt...

Many Union soldiers didn't bother with the knapsacks at all, discarding or storing them, and wearing a bedroll.

 

[Jack7171]

No need to punch holes in a "rifleman's" belt. the 1855 rifleman's buckle/waist belt had moveable brass "hangers" (my word) to attach the "j" hooks to. Blue arrow shows where they would connect on either side of side of the buckle.

View attachment 535631

Thank you!

 

[frontrank2]

A couple more images of soldiers wearing the knapsack.

 

[frontrank2]

Ok, two more images for reference.

 

[frontrank2]

And now to play the Devil's Advocate. It seems both ways were accepted.

 

[Jack7171]

Ok, two more images for reference.
View attachment 535731

Interesting to see the different ways they fastened the straps,,,the one pic where he wears his greatcoat, looks almost like he fastened them end to end to make them long enough to go over the thick coat. Other than the last pic, all the rifles in the first 4 pictures show 2 band Enfields. Are they all the same unit?

 

[RedRover]

Interesting to see the different ways they fastened the straps,,,the one pic where he wears his greatcoat, looks almost like he fastened them end to end to make them long enough to go over the thick coat. Other than the last pic, all the rifles in the first 4 pictures show 2 band Enfields. Are they all the same unit?

Evidently. 22nd New York State Militia (in US Service) at Harper's Ferry, 1862. Several excellent photographs of personnel survive from that occasion.

Company A, 22d New York State Militia near Harpers Ferry, Va. (i.e. West Virginia), 1861 [i.e.1862]

1 photographic print on card mount : albumen.

www.loc.gov

22nd NY Volunteers at Harpers Ferry | Period Photos & Examinations

Expired Image Removed

civilwartalk.com

 

[tmorr]

Interesting to see the different ways they fastened the straps,,,the one pic where he wears his greatcoat, looks almost like he fastened them end to end to make them long enough to go over the thick coat. Other than the last pic, all the rifles in the first 4 pictures show 2 band Enfields. Are they all the same unit?

The experts can chime in on this but I don't believe the pack in the overcoat image is the "double bag" type in the original post.

 

[The Ninth Ohio]

They were designed to hook on the "rifleman's waist belt" of 1855...

U.S. 1855 PATTERN RIFLEMAN’S BELT — Horse Soldier

Few troops received these rifleman's waist belts, using the infantry waist belt instead, which had not mountings or provision to mount the hooks of the knapsack straps. So the soldiers seem to have acted variously...

Hooking them together across the chest seems to have been common...

View attachment 535637

View attachment 535638


Or might have hooked them under the waist belt, like these chaps... It was apparently understood that's what they were for, especially perhaps for parade, etc. (I'm told by reenactors this is very uncomfortable...)

View attachment 535635

View attachment 535629

The 1866 Army Quartermaster photos has the soldier just looping the hooks under the waist belt...

View attachment 535628


Many Union soldiers didn't bother with the knapsacks at all, discarding or storing them, and wearing a bedroll.

While some claim attaching them to the belt is uncomfortable, my belief is that comes from the fact that most reenactors don't wear their waist belts at their natural waist. I've found if my gear is all properly fitted and not hanging off my frame and bouncing around, hooking the j hooks into my belt is much more comfortable that the pinching under my arms doing it the other way.

 

[Jack7171]

The Corporal on the right side is one of the very few rare smiling soldiers I've ever seen. Aside from altered photos made for fun, I think I might have only seen 4 or 5 other images containing smiles, out of what seems like hundreds of pics over the years.

 

[frontrank2]

Interesting to see the different ways they fastened the straps,,,the one pic where he wears his greatcoat, looks almost like he fastened them end to end to make them long enough to go over the thick coat. Other than the last pic, all the rifles in the first 4 pictures show 2 band Enfields. Are they all the same unit?

Yes, they are 22nd New York Militia except the top one and the last one.

 

[7thWisconsin]

While some claim attaching them to the belt is uncomfortable, my belief is that comes from the fact that most reenactors don't wear their waist belts at their natural waist. I've found if my gear is all properly fitted and not hanging off my frame and bouncing around, hooking the j hooks into my belt is much more comfortable that the pinching under my arms doing it the other way.

Maybe it depends on your body shape. I´ve always found that hooking them to my waistbelt makes the waistbelt ride up and the whole rig is very uncomfortable for me.

 

[RedRover]

View attachment 535750
The Corporal on the right side is one of the very few rare smiling soldiers I've ever seen. Aside from altered photos made for fun, I think I might have only seen 4 or 5 other images containing smiles, out of what seems like hundreds of pics over the years.

Indeed. Happy soldiers are hard to find in the "age of bully." Here's a couple more smiling chaps in the ranks (center right) of the 7th New York State Militia Regiment during the Draft Riots of 1863...

And perhaps same with the 24th N.Y.S.M. with the Army of the Susquehanna in the Gettysburg campaign, a couple chaps almost smiling perhaps.

 

[Dan Kohli]

When doing artillery, I found the weight distribution of a saber and pistol on the saber belt tends to not ride as badly as the foot man's wast belt.

 

[BBurkett]

Imagine you're using a backpack blower and the straps keep moving around. Now, tie the left and right sides together and they don't move as much, if any. I think it was a soldiers inginuity that caused them to criss cross the straps side to side as well as not having the belt available

 

[Jack7171]

Imagine you're using a backpack blower and the straps keep moving around. Now, tie the left and right sides together and they don't move as much, if any. I think it was a soldiers inginuity that caused them to criss cross the straps side to side as well as not having the belt available

Yep, we have sternum straps on our current packs, but they have a male/female buckle assembly. The cw packs sternum straps have 2 hooks, and I tried experimenting with the hooks, as to where exactly they hooked, ie: a triangle clasp like the bottom of the shoulder strap, or a hole the shoulder strap that the hook would go in to, the answer was Occams razor,,,,they just hooked onto the strap,,,no hole, no buckle, no brass triangle,,