Berta is my Savotta 323 reppu, of the classic line. A rucksack, but Finnish and made of treated canvas, leather and steel.
She's pretty, she's tough, she's dependable. I have taken her to Scotland, up there, north of Ft. Williams, under the rain, with no raincover. And the Scottish rain drops will slide off her as kids playing in the park.
There's not a zip on her: one narrow pocket at each side, a wide one at the front, and a main compartment. It's not rated in liters, I guess it's 45's, but you can attach a 20 litters bag on top on it with no problems. Oh, and it has a frame, a steel one.
Leather needs some care, but that's an occasion for love. I feel she might outlive me, or die in action, as it should be, but I'm not buying a newer, flashier modern contraption. They might be better, but Berta is good enough.
I love you Berta.
Funny timing, recently bought a much smaller Savotta pack myself for summer outings. The milsurp sturdiness with civilian-centric features that seems present in a lot of their gear is pretty neat.
I once chugged
In the spirit of the
thread, Berta sounds like one of the rare possessions that attains unto "2++ steps forward, maybe a small fraction of a step back" status.