This page is about how I am going to make some changes to an item that I bought loose recently, which is a German gebirgsjager splinter camouflaged backpack. It was made by a company called Figures Home, and a picture of the boxed figure is on the right from which the backpack came from. I have found out very little information about the company itself, also in the picture it has a company name but so far I cannot find any website for it. But because the backpack is different with the camouflage, I had to end up getting one loose. Since the only other 1/6th version of this type of backpack that I know of, was made by Cyber Hobby with the Konstantin Korda figure which are very rare loose now.
The pictures below show the backpack as I got it, and what surprised me as a modeller with it is the different standard of the work that has gone into making it. As the straps are sewn on uneven in length in places, plus the mounting points for the straps at the top seem to me to be very basically put together, also when I compared the workmanship to a Toys City or a DiD backpack. I found that I would possibly have a lot of work to do.
Figures Home Backpack
Toys City Backpack
With the Toys City backpack as shown above, I began to wonder if I could with the help of a spare set of ‘Y’ straps that I have, make something with them and a rucksack that might have been made as a ‘Field modification’.
In the pictures on the right which were very kindly sent by Patrick to help me, I can see the metal frame that the real rucksack has, which is missing from the Figures Home backpack. So this is an item that I will have to build onto the back of the pack, and out of the two rucksacks as shown on the right. It looks like the one with the Brown straps is the closest to the model pack I have.
Top Straps
When I looked at the various reference source pictures I have gathered of Gebirgsjager backpacks, In picture one above decided to cut the top straps off of the Toys City backpack, as it was easier for me to do this rather than try to scratchbuild another new set of straps. This is when I got confused with my reference material, and I sewed the leather straps across the middle wrong, and it was not until I had sewn the top straps in place. Did I realise that they should have been crossed over and not laying straight down as they are. But seeing as I have now got them in place, I decided to leave them as they are. In picture two, the centre straps were sewn in place at the bottom corners of the pack, along with a pair of leather straps that I am going to use to connect to the main shoulder straps. I also sewed a pair of buckles onto the straps for the adjustment.
Note: As made the different straps up I firstly painted them with some Burnt Umber acrylic paint, as I wanted all of them to be the same colour.
With the Toys City main straps they were missing the extra ‘D’ rings like the normal German ‘Y’ straps, so In picture three above I cut some thin pieces of pleather material and sewed the rings onto them. I then made two small rivets out of some stretched sprue. I then put two holes in the main straps and then put the rivets through the main and the side straps, to hold it all in place and I used my cigarette lighter to melt the end of the rivet on the back of the strap to hold them all in place.
In the picture on the right, I have assembled the metal wire I am using for the frame in place on the back of the pack, and then I sewed the main shoulder straps into place trapping the wire in place. The wire was then bent into shape by hand so that the bottom corners as shown below left could be sewn into place. I then made a centre pad for the bottom of the backpack out of some thin leather material, I also made three rivets for each end of the pad which I fitted the same way that I did for the extra ‘D’ rings on the shoulder straps.
The pad was then sewn in place, making sure that none of the threads are seen from the front of the pad. The purpose of this that from the front it looks like it is riveted in place. The last three pictures above right, are of the front, side and the back of the finished backpack which I test fitted to a figure.
Dragon Backpack Alterations
Like all of the other parts I have used on my figures, I want to make some slight changes to the Dragon Wilhelm Engels backpack. I have found out from Patrick (Heeresbergführer), like most of the 1:6th scale german backpacks they are missing the lower straps.
So I have had to make some changes, that are similar to the backpack picture on the right. This first method here is that I have put some rings on the bottom of the backpack, so that the new auxiliary straps can hook onto them. The first thing I had to do was find a pair of DiD ‘Y’ straps in my spares box, as I needed a pair of rings from it.
As well as the four Black hooks, as I want all of the hooks to look the same on the backpack. I also used some thin leather material, to make the connectors as shown in Picture 1. below. Which I then sewed onto the bottom rear corners of the backpack, making sure that the centre belt strap can still go through the loops at the bottom as in Picture 2.
I then had to make the connectors and the auxiliary straps, that are connected to the main shoulder straps. So I cut the auxiliary straps off the DiD ‘Y’ strap. To replicate the rivet holding both straps together, I have used two of the tiny brads that I used for the shoulder boards on my figures. In Picture 3. I have made a tiny hole in the material, so that I could push the brad through.
Picture 4. shows the back of the straps, with some of the length of the brad cut off before it has been folded over to keep the auxiliary strap in place. To allow a little bit of movement with the strap, I put my model knife blade under the strap before I bent the brad pins over. I also trimmed the strap so that end is hidden behind the main strap.
In Picture 5. the auxiliary strap end is test fitted onto the lower backpack connection, Picture 6. shows the backpack fitted to a test figure, to see what all of the straps look like. Picture 7. is of one of the auxiliary straps, hooked onto the bottom of the backpack. I still have to adjust these straps to a tighter fit, and the loose end as shown in Picture 4. trimmed off slightly. The picture on the right shows the front of the backpack on the figure, I still have to adjust the front straps so that the brads are level.
I have found that by using the main hooks on the front of the belt, combined with the lower backpack hooks. I can get a nice tight fit for the backpack.
The final thing that I have to do with the straps now that I know everything fits, is to take it off the figure and repaint all of the straps and leather parts with some Black artists paint. That way all of the straps match, because as shown in Picture 7. the original straps are Brown.
The second method I have used to make the changes to a another Dragon Wilhelm Engels backpack, is that on the bottom of the backpack instead of the rings, I have fitted a pair of buckles. So that I can make some straps that are similar to the set on the right.
The picture on the left above shows front of the main backpack straps, I have removed the little discs that it came with, so that I could replace them with a pair of new brad pins. To fit the new rings I have initially made two strips of pleather, folded over each of the rings as shown in the middle picture
These were first sewn into place to hold them, I then pushed a brad pin in place the same asthe picture right above to represent the rivets.
Finished Backpacks
For the secondary straps, I first sewed a piece of folded pleather material with a buckle in place into the bottom corners of the backpack. Then I have cut two of the long thin straps from the pair of DiD ‘Y’ straps I used earlier. I then put one strap end through a metal spring clip, then folded over one end and secured it with another one of the brad pins. The picture above right, shows the straps fastened together. The final thing I have to do is the same as my other backpack, in that I have to re-paint all of the straps the straps and leather parts with some Black artists paint. That way all of the straps are one colour
Many thanks to Patrick Kiser for the pictures and the detailed help with my rucksack changes.