1:48 German rucksack WW I

German infantry pack of the First World War — a 1:48 set from Plusmodel

Resin castings of the military packs (Tornister) of German infantry from the period of the First World War in 1:48 scale from the Czech manufacturer Plusmodel. A small but immensely effective accessory: equipment set down in a trench, piled on a supply wagon or hung up in a billet gives a scene a human dimension at once.

The real subject

The German infantryman carried the characteristic square infantry pack of rigid construction, covered on the older patterns with untrimmed calfskin. A shelter half, a greatcoat and a mess tin were strapped to the pack, so the resulting silhouette is among the most easily recognizable elements of the equipment of the imperial army. On dioramas of the Western Front such equipment is omnipresent: in the trenches, by the field kitchens and with the baggage trains.

Painting tips

Wash the castings, separate them from the casting blocks and glue them with cyanoacrylate glue. The basis is ocher, brown and gray-green tones; treat the leather straps in a darker brown and suggest the hairy surface of the pack with fine drybrushing. A brown wash at the end will join the colors and bring the relief out.

Who the set is for

• modelers of figures and dioramas of the First World War
• builders of trench scenes and supply columns in 1:48 scale
• everyone who wants to liven vehicles or a scene up with small equipment

The accessory is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.