Swapping backpacks

[Finch (DayZ) 0]

So I found a Czech pack and wanted to use it in place of my coyote pack. It was in one of those hunting towers. I could not pick it up. Pressing use on the pack opened it, pressing use near it just gave me the regular switch weapon/ eat and drink commands. Opening inventory gave me access to the other loot on the ground, but I couldn't pick up the pack. Thinking I needed to drop my current pack, I did. That didn't help and then I couldn't pick up either bag. So I ran around bag less and finally managed, after much random "use" button clicking, to swipe a pack off some poor bandit victim I found dead beside the road.

How are we supposed to switch packs? It seems pretty awkward.

Also, for future reference, if we have a pack full of items, and pick up a new pack, do the items in the old pack switch into the new one automatically, or do they get dropped and must be picked up again?

[Mutonizer 78]

If there is a backpack on top of other loot, and you can't find the correct position to just have the "open/take" backpack, then sometimes you can grab all the other loot so that only the backpack remains, which will, sometimes, give you the option.

Sometimes however, the bags you see are just bugged out and you can't interact with them whatsoever (or seems so).

With "most" packs however, you will get the options for either opening or taking it. If you take it, then your old pack AND all it's content, will be dropped instead and you'll end up with an empty one. You then can open the dropped old one, and switch gear to the new one.

As with everything in ARMA2, once you get the hang of it, it's quite simple :)

[ultraspank 0]

You also have to hover over the pack and scroll the mouse wheel to interact with environment. This brings up a little menu with more options. In there should be "Take (name here) Pack" option. if not, then move the loot around it as explained above and try again. After you swap, mouse scroll on your old bag and select the option that says take contents or something to that regard. Hope that helps.