The experimental EX 54-14 Combat Pack was made from olive drab (OD7) water repellent cotton duck and was designed to accommodate the following items1:
- Poncho
- 1 pair of wool socks
- Toiletries
- Towel
- 1/3 C-Ration
The pack was equipped with a small carrying handle, a plastic card holder and side webbing slots for attaching other components of the system, such as a canteen cover or intrenching tool carrier. A row of eyelets on the edge of the compartment flap enabled hook fixture gear to also be carried. As with the rest of the EX-54 field gear, the combat pack attached to the pistol belt via a pair of chunky slide keepers.
Tested by the Quartermaster Research and Development Center as a replacement for the M1945 webbing, the EX-54 load carrying system evolved into the M1956 field gear that was used throughout the Vietnam War.
Notes:
1. Quartermaster Research and Development Center, Experimental Individual Load Carrying System, pp9-10