The 1972 Pattern Webbing was a webbing intended to replace the 58 pattern webbing, but never got beyond user trials. It was made from PU-coated nylon to counter the Soviet NBC capability. It was designed to be used in wide variety of environments such as Europe, jungles, deserts and was adjustable for use, ranging from short-duration jungle patrols to general infantry use. 72 pattern webbing rarely appears on the collectors market.
Components
The two front pouches are manufactured from two layers of PU-nylon material for rigidity and abrasion resistance, mounted on a double-thickness backing section. A broad nylon strap with two eyelets and a plastic quick-release buckle on a tape tab is stitched to this material. Each pouch could hold three, 20 round 7.62mm L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle magazines.
Held together at the front by an adjustable waist strap with a black-coated quick-release buckle with a general design closer to that of a tactical vest.
The backpack, or haversack, has eyelets and a paracord drawstring with cord lock. The lid of the pack is fastened with two straps and adjustable green buckles. On the underside of the pack lid are two straps with similar green buckles to allow a rolled poncho or waterproofs to be stowed. Two horizontal nylon straps with adjuster buckles around the outer face of the pack are used to compress the contents. On the underside is a long narrow carrier for the lightweight pick head.
The yoke arrangement is similar to ’58 Pattern, though the strap adjustment was much simpler. The haversack had a similar pick handle storage attachment arrangement to ’58 webbing between the shoulder blades. It is attached to the rear of the yoke with the help of two doubled ¾ inch wide nylon straps passing through plastic D-rings on the top rear of the sack and adjustable at the yoke end by the same type of green buckle used elsewhere. The front and back strap arrangements allowed the webbing to be easily drawn in or let out dependent on load. A pair of straps was also fastened to D-rings threaded onto the rear yoke straps, to allow a sleeping bag or poncho to be carried on top.
The ’72 haversack could be repositioned to sit lower on the back allowing a radio or small bergen to be worn above it. This was effected by connecting the knapsack straps to a set of lower buckles beneath the ammunition pouches then adjusting the side straps accordingly.