You probably know of stacking backpack bug. It has been here for ages.
If you dont - try equiping minigun, laser minigun, shish, k9000, grenade machineguns or
their unique variations, and while equiped hold R to retract them. Then pick any other
same class; or while having them equipped save, then reload the save; or die and then
reload that save.

Old backpack stays there, until you quit to desktop and reload. It also causes crashes.
It STACKS with newer backpack. You can easily end up carrying 30+ backpacks!! in a manner
similar to hedgehog carrying apples. And physics apply to them!! This is no less
than embarassing.

Many have tried to fix that - I, probably, finally succeeded.

- Flamer
- CZ257 Avenger
- K9000 / FIDO
- Fiendroaster
- M40 Gattling Laser
- Minigun
- Grenade Machinegun / Mercy
- Cleansing flame
- Sprtelwood
- Shishkebab
... did I miss something?

To use:
Install this mod, it contains the meshes going to data/meshes/*.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED THAT YOU OVERWRITE OTHER FILES WITH THIS MOD.
ONLY LISTED BELOW MODS ARE SUPPORTED!
MODS THAT OVERRIDE WEAPONS WITH OWN ESPs, CALLING OWN MODELS(.NIFs), WILL DEACTIVATE THIS MOD --
WATCH WHICH WEAPONS STILL HAVE BACKPACKS AND USE SEARCH IN YOUR DATA/MESHES/ DIRECTORY TO TRACE THEM BACK.

You dont need a new game.
To go back - uninstall the mod.
NO DLCS ARE REQUIRED EVEN IF I FIX DLCS, because only model resources are changed.
You dont need NVSE.

"Supported"* mods:

- FOOK - ONLY VERSION 1-13
-- overrides Fido/K9000 with "fook\meshes\fook\weapons\bigguns\*.nif" via its esm/esp)

- WME - ONLY VERSION 1.101
-- overrides a lot of weapons with "meshes\weapons\WME\2handhandle & .\GOs")
-- "flamerexpandedtanks*.nif" is impossible to correct without model edit. Regular flamer model is used instead.

- Classic Fallout Weapons (Vindicator) ONLY VERSION 3.3b
-- If you use CFW, be sure to check my fix for the mod.

- WMX?
-- I dont use it, so one has to patch it.

* Pay attention please, that I am JUST MODIFYING WORK BY DEVELOPERS OF THESE MODS AND GAME IN ORDER TO FIX THE BACKPACK BUG. THIS MEANS I DO NOT CLAIM ANY COPYRIGHT OVER THESE MODELS! ALL COPYRIGHT BELONGS TO CREATORS OF INCLUDED MODELS! MY CORRECTIONS AND INFORMATION ARE UNDER WTFPL LICENSE. FEEL FREE TO USE IT TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE SOLVE BACKPACK PROBLEMS WHERE YOU SEE FIT.

For unsupported or unlisted mods, you have to make own version of mesh. This is rather QUICK process. But it can turn out very repeatitive regardless!

If you want to find out how to fix your own particular gun, you can read below.
If not - go ahead and try the mod. If you spot something inconsistent - please report.



Removing backpack from specific weapon.
1. You need nifskope and nothing more.
2.1. If you have already installed your weapon, navigate to data/meshes/..

2.2. If you have not installed mod, unpack the mod and navigate to meshes/ directory, where you need to find the model.

2.3. If the mod or main NV file is a BSA archieve, use FOMM to navigate and extract it. Extracted files override those game finds in BSA, so no need to put it back.

2.4 Main vanilla NV file is called "Fallout - Meshes.bsa" and should be opened with FOOK, extract only files you need.

- classic weapons are in ../weapons/2handhandle; /nvdlc0x/2handhandle, and so on; where x=dlc number

- example of such weapons are: 25mmgrndlnchr.nif (25mm grenade machinegun), lasergatling.nif (m40 gatling laser) and so on.


3. you may encounter several files for just one weapon.
- files ending with "go" are usually world models that you see; without "go" - are those that you carry in 1st person.

- weapons that accept mods, sometimes have extra files for moded version. There can be up to
3 mods. For example: lasergatlingcfframe.nif - gattling laser with cfframe installed; lasergatlingcfframego.nif - exactly same, but when dropped on ground(world model). And so on.

So for ONE weapon, you may end with up to 14 files (2x unmodded, 1mod, 2mod, 3mod, 1+2mod, 2+3mod, 1+2+3mod), 2x = due to world and 1st person model. In reality there are up to 6 files.

Each of them must be edited.

- you can check which NIF files a weapon uses in GECK. Open Geck, open your file, go to weapons, find your weapon and double click, Art tab contains unmodded 1st person and world model; mods tab contains 1st person and world model for when 1,2,1+2,2+3,1+2+3 mods are installed on that weapon.

Explore contents of this mod for hits which files belong which guns with which mods.

4. Make a copy of file you edit. Edit original. In case of damage, replace original with copy of a copy and apply original name.

4.1 Open file WITH Nifskope. I will reference Nifskope window in 4 parts:
Upper Left (Structure), Upper Right(Model View)
Lower Left (Help), Lower Right(Properties, of selected structure element)

4.2 Make sure that "File-Autosanitize Before Save" is OFF, UNchecked!!!!

4.3 In "Structure", you should see only one element with index 0. Unfold it.

4.4 In "Structure", inside unfold element 0, find an element that has caption "Backpack". Note the number that is before it.

4.4.1 If you cant find this element, in "Model View" click on model part that looks like Backpack. Clicking on empty space DEselects all. After you clicked, look in "Structure" which element is highlightend.

If there is only one element, or all model was selected - backpack is attached to model and cant be seperated. This is not the case with all original weapons - backpack is usually seperate.

- If you cant find backpack, it may not be present OR may be located INSIDE the model, in this case you can only guess from "Structure" which element belongs to Backpack. You must find and pick the upmost possible.
- Its usually on upper level inside element 0, but it can also find itself within first element.
- A notable feature of Backpack is presence of "NiStringExtraData" element with Property "Bip01 Spine2", this denotes that this element is attached to player back.
- If you find out later, that model in Nifskope and GECK does not have backpack, yet in your game it does, it could be that its actually different mod overloading default model with its own. Use a search function by file name to track that model and mod, and fix it.

4.5 After you noted the number, click on the element 0 itself (root).

4.6 In "Properties" find value "Num Children" and "Children"(which is just below).
4.7 Unfold "Children". You job is to edit the field, so that element number of Backpack is LOWEST.
Example you have: 20, 23, 50, 68 - where 23 is Backpack. Make it look like 20, 50, 68, 23. Make sure that elements are sorted in ascending order! If Backpack was already lastest element, skip this step.

4.8 After that, doubleclick on "Num Children" and reduce it by one, effectively cutting that lastest element - Backpack, out of root of Element 0.

4.9 Save As. I recommend overwrite. Nifskope will immediately reopen the file and you should notice the change in "Structure". The Omitted Backpack element should now reside outside of Element 0, on same , topmost level.

5.0 Right click on Backpack element, Block, Remove BRANCH.

5.1 Save As, overwrite.

Congratulations, you have just removed the backpack. Close Nifskope and doubleclick on next file in your file manager. Repeat for all instances.


Troubleshooting:
-Q The textures are suddenly flattened out or messed up.
-A You forgot to perform step 4.2 before edit, Nifskope has destroyed your model. Please restore a copy and start from 4.2.