Made of a very compact and transformable design, this knapsack was designed to protect and carry the soldier's personal items. Although several configurations and construction techniques of the painted cloth body have been found, the leather portions are almost identical. The strapping was designed to be disassembled and used in as an "assault pack", in keeping with the French Light Infantry tactics of the day. We have gotten glowing feedback from customers who have used this knapsack, testifying to its comfort and durability. This knapsack saw wide used through the entire war. While it is common knowledge that infantry would wear this knapsack it was surprising to find that this was worn and used by many artillery units. To illustrate this point, the Horse Soldier recently sold an original identified to a Maine artilleryman.