Ahhh - the trap worked - caught me a whippersnapper!

Like I said, strictly old school. A clevis pin was what held your pack bag to the external frame you carried. They were held in place by thin metal loops that had a tendency to shear off, letting the pin fall out and causing the bag to sag away from the frame.

With the advent (divine intervention, in my opinion) of internal frame packs, clevis pins went the way of canvas tents. Yes, believe it or not, they used to be made out of canvas!

(Before you ask, I have no idea what a whippersnapper is - I just know my grandpa used to call me a young one. Then he usually gave me a quarter or a spanking, so I never really knew whether it was good or bad to be one.)