Is this an actual PECOC trials item?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-British-Army-PECOC-Trails-Bergen-Brand-New-Hybrid-MTP-Rucksack-/381574666732?

Seller doesn't show a tag, but says he knows what it is. That always makes me suspicious as people with rare items tend to know proof helps their sales.

Obviously this is a factory made bag. Obviously it is made from Hybrid Cordura cloth. As far as I know nobody is making that cloth commercially, so I think it is safe to presume it is original cloth. But is it a legitimate production or sample item for the MoD, or was it a factory who made a sample on their own initiative or perhaps decided to make a few extra quid by running a few "samples" with surplus cloth after trials were concluded? Just curious

Steve

Looks gen to me! I'm always a little bit suspicious of items in such good nick but i think its the real deal. Just a shame about the price tag.

Looks like the 90l to me. The one I have is a mirror example, it's virtually brand new. Yeah the price is a killer as there have been a few on ebay and all seem to be in the £400 bracket...the other examples I've seen have side pouches included, this one by the looks of it doesn't!

I do have the same. Has a tag in the lid I think. But it has got one for sure, at least mine. Will sell mine for less!

I think even if you managed to get the material ( which I have seen dog covers made out of PECOC condura) to make the Bergan would cost a considerable amount and if I'm being honest it would be trying to get someone to make you to that spec which would be the hard part I think it would cost a lot more than the price it's being sold for. An example of this, I researched into buying PECOC print from spoonflower in the heavy twill to make a couple of Bergan covers (Dixies Corner). The price of material itself was circa £60 for one cover, then I had a massive uphill battle to get Dixies corner to make the Bergan cover as in his words 'it's was his name on the line' but they wouldn't make it to the same military spec! So I canned it...too expensive!

Thanks for the info!

Lee, I agree nobody would try to make a Bergan from scratch or perhaps paying someone else to slip it in during the night shift. But the factory itself could easily slip the cloth at no risk and at no cost other than what they paid for the cloth. This could be done as a self made sample to tempt a government into signing them up to make more. When there's no market for it the stuff gets sold off as "experimental" instead of "sales sample". For most people if the item is really interesting then they don't care which it is. But for the serious collector, there's a difference between something requested by MoD and something tossed out at a trade show hoping to catch a big fish. I'm curious which this is

Steve

Real enough but mad money he is after

Agree James, the only items that seem to left are owned by folk who know their value and are asking for a premium price. I remember a few years ago Field Textiles having two 90L and they were asking £95 I think, at the time I thought they were expensive but now...cheap as chips...wish I'd got them both! I suppose to get any of this stuff at a reasonable price, the MOD would have to find a room full of it and push it through Field Textiles...which I don't see happening!!