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Throwback Thursday: Finnish Defence Forces M85 load carrying system 40 year anniversary!
In 1980 the Finnish Defence Forces and Savotta started working on what was to become the new combat load carrying system of the FDF. Prototype field tests began in 1983 and by the early 1990's the M85 system had started to replace the older M60 gear in active service use.
Overall the M85 system, consisting of belt, harness, pouches, backpack and gear bag, was very much a "product of it's time", as should be. Body armour was not yet a thing in the FDF and modularity simply meant you could (if allowed) play around with the three pouches (magazine pouch, utility pouch and huge butt pack).
Perhaps the most notable feature of M85 gear is how indestructible it was made. For example the magazine and utility pouches were made from extremely wide webbing instead of fabric and everything was built to endure extreme misuse.
Nowadays the M05 load carrying system, M17 body armour and M23 equipment sets have mostly replaced the M85 stuff in active use. But the M85 gear isn't dead yet, it hasn't been sold off as surplus or anything and still sees frequent use in reservist refresher training.