army backpack - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

Corporal Canuck · 12-30-2004, 04:09 PM

G'day travel punks! Just joined and I like what i see.
I'm in the Canadian Army, so when I travel I always take my absolute best friend in the whole wide world

... my army backpack. Now, I've heard that it's a bad idea to bring military-looking stuff in many countries. Does anybody have a feel for eastern european countries in this regard?
The distinct canadian cam pattern and flag usually make my allegiances clear (the Queen?, oh yeah, she's awesome!) but i don't want to take any unnecessary risks. I don't want to rub the locals the wrong way when i'm a guest in their country... even it means leaving my 50L "soul-mate"

back home!
Cheers,
cpl canuck

**kingcrazylegs** · 12-30-2004, 04:56 PM

First of all...welcome to TravelPunk!!!

I don't think you'll have to much trouble in Eastern Europe with Canadian military gear...though many Europeans are quite ant-war and anti-US in that sense.

Corporal Canuck · 12-30-2004, 07:24 PM

Yeah I agree. What do you think about Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, etc? No immediate plans to go to these places but who knows where i might end up (or wake up)?

ps: my jpg avatar isn't showing up. no biggie but correct me if you think you know what i'm doing wrong

**JiveTurkey** · 12-30-2004, 07:36 PM

You should be ok... I met loads of people from Canada with their flags on their pack.. no probs... Have a good trip!

**kingcrazylegs** · 12-30-2004, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Corporal Canuck@Dec 30 2004, 10:24 PM
my jpg avatar isn't showing up. no biggie but correct me if you think you know what i'm doing wrong

you have to upload the JPG file to the web somewhere else an then post the link on tpunk for your avatar.

Corporal Canuck · 12-30-2004, 09:57 PM

Success! Thanks.

**omisan** · 12-31-2004, 02:59 AM

My buddy brought his US Army alice pack with him to Europe and encountered no problems whatsoever... so I don't see why a Canadian bag would be an issue.

**Canadian Dude** · 12-31-2004, 03:30 AM

I do not forsee a problem, I could not imagine someone treating you any different because of the color of your pack. Hey Peenkfloeed just got back from Iraq and he did some traveling...he might know for sure...

Hey Peenkfloeed what color was your pack???

Oh ya, Welcome to the family!!!!!

**worldwidemike** · 01-02-2005, 02:26 AM

Yeah, Corporal, you'll be fine. A pack is just a pack, and I doubt you'll have any problems with it anywhere...

worldwidemike

**peenkfloeed** · 01-02-2005, 08:07 AM

Hi there Corporal, I don't think you'd have any probs. I had a normal Kelty pack when I travelled in Euro, but I did have a small "Fag Bag" that I would take sometimes when I had tons of crap to haul around, and it was a green military paratrooper bag, nobody said anything bout it or gave me probs.

**TheWills** · 01-03-2005, 02:06 PM

Hey man, no worries you should be fine, most people will probably just think that you got a rockin deal from the local MEC or Coast Mountain shop lol. I acually had a problem with my bag, some dude came up too me and was reekin off booze and said holy fuck man why do you have such a huge bag (osprey cresent 90) what you need too bring your wardrobe you pussy, and I was like naw man, just plan on trekkin in Nepal in a couple of months, and that shut him up. But no worries on the army bag, I reckon that would be sweet as.
will

Corporal Canuck · 01-03-2005, 02:47 PM

thanks tpunks. any little doubts i had are totally gone now. and Will, dude i think i know that guy! he seems to follow me every where i go, amazing, what with the shopping cart and lack of shoes.

ThunderCuba · 01-03-2005, 03:08 PM

CPL Canuk: I took a trip to the UK (London, Bath, some other places that are now a drunken blur) in the fall of '02 and carried my rucksack. Noone caused a fuss.

The one piece of advice I can give you is to let your hair grow out. It automatically earmarks you as a soldier. I'm in the Marines, and it only took about three minutes for my buddy and I to get sized up. Never caused us any problems, but I could definately tell that there was some hesitance to broach the Iraq thing (this was during the runup to the war).

Being in the military actually became a cool ice-breaker. Hopefully I was able to dispel the misconception that we're all right-wing fascists.

All in all, most people we met didn't give a damn one way or the other. Especially after a few drinks.

Corporal Canuck · 01-03-2005, 03:45 PM

looks like it's time to bust out the fro and mutton chops!!!

**butterj** · 01-04-2005, 05:39 AM

i recon it may actualy help stop people trying to nick it on night trains and that sort of place, i took a 60L old french army sack and no one went near it even when they were trying to nick other bags. but it did look a bit like a bag alot of tramps carry hahah, £10 from local army store
good luck and have fun travaling