Medium Alice and Load bearing Vest?

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

I was thinking it would be reasonable to attach a Medium Alice w/frame to a load bearing vest. I am sure can "make" it work but is it done in the military? I have bought the components and am trying to understand the correct way to do this. All I know is that they are compatible gear. Thanks in advance for any real knowledge about the combo...

[Rick]

Maybe some pictures might help. I'm trying to visualize how you want to mate the two items.

[Winter]

No, it isn't done. You wouldn't want to take off your combat gear just to get to your backpack. It's only done on short patrols for the RTO and usually they don't do it either.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

Maybe some pictures might help. I'm trying to visualize how you want to mate the two items.

Give me till' the morning...I'll have pictures! Gees..Oh and I just installed that trigger! Lookin' good pics of that project in the am also! Had my little girls Summer Camp Recital deal thing tonight! Would you believe it...it all arrived tonight while I was preoccupied. Ithink it was planned!

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

No, it isn't done. You wouldn't want to take off your combat gear just to get to your backpack. It's only done on short patrols for the RTO and usually they don't do it either.

So it is doable....I am not in combat, just carrying gear?

[Rick]

What do you plan on hauling on the frame. What kind of LBE do you have? Is it Molle?

[Rick]

I'll just wait for the pics. I'm really having trouble visualizing this. The medium Alice has its own shoulder straps so I'm trying to figure out what you gain.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

I'll just wait for the pics. I'm really having trouble visualizing this. The medium Alice has its own shoulder straps so I'm trying to figure out what you gain.

The one I bought has no straps. I stole it though and it appears barely used...newish. The frame I bought looks like whoever wore it went through some serious hard knocks! The vest in great shape just says...Tactical Load Bearing Vest (enhanced)

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

http://www.heartlandvaluesoutdoors.c...%29/Categories
Here it is.

[Rick]

The Medium was designed to be used with or without frame. If it doesn't have shoulder straps you can by them just about anywhere. You don't have to attach the frame to anything if that's why you are doing it. You can even order some Molle shoulder straps and install those. That will give you a LOT more padding than the OE Alice straps. It takes a slight mod to the frame but it works well.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

The Medium was designed to be used with or without frame. If it doesn't have shoulder straps you can by them just about anywhere. You don't have to attach the frame to anything if that's why you are doing it. You can even order some Molle shoulder straps and install those. That will give you a LOT more padding than the OE Alice straps. It takes a slight mod to the frame but it works well.

I may consider the Molle straps. I have some Alice straps but yeah this pack I bought it without and intending on using the LBE with frame.

[SARKY]

Normally with a load bearing vest, a ruck or day pack is attached to the vest. Not something as large as an ALICE. I have my load bearing vest set up to dock and lock my Kifaru E&E pack to it.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

Vest from the back.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

From the side.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

I think, I want to marry the 2 together. It looks like it would fit my needs...

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

Normally with a load bearing vest, a ruck or day pack is attached to the vest. Not something as large as an ALICE. I have my load bearing vest set up to dock and lock my Kifaru E&E pack to it.

Thanks Sarky, I have a few smaller packs that would work for that. I do have a need that this idea might fit though. Think Horseback. Easy access items out front, shorter proflie Medium Alice out back. I have a few other packs that may be alternatives. Just brainstorming the "idea" behind my purchase.

[Winter]

If you are set on doing it. Lose the frame

Cut the tabs open on the back suspenders so you can pull them out of the metal keepers.
Reroute the tabs through the keeper, through the little d-rings the shoulder straps go through and back through the keeper.

Those vests are worth every penny of what they are charging for them. Good gear IMO. I do like the LBE better in warm weather.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

If you are set on doing it. Lose the frame

Cut the tabs open on the back suspenders so you can pull them out of the metal keepers.
Reroute the tabs through the keeper, through the little d-rings the shoulder straps go through and back through the keeper.

Those vests are worth every penny of what they are charging for them. Good gear IMO. I do like the LBE better in warm weather.

Thanks for your response. You know exactly what I am trying to do. I will have to cut the keepers off. I don't want to loose the frame though, I like the comfort for the weight I plan to carry. I see no issue doing the same with the frame. I'll look at attaching it to the "D' rings. I will try and retain the space between my back and the pack using the Alice belt. I know it isn't the norm now, but I am convinced it fits my needs. My needs are pretty specialized actually. It is durn hot here! The plan is to have the same or more storage than my Lg. Alice, increase mobility and stabilize the load center of mass.

[Rick]

Rather than cut up the vest why couldn't you just get some 1 inch webbing and 4 buckles? Anchor on the top of the fame by looping the new webbing around the top bar on the frame and securing it with two buckles. Feed the webbing through the buckle on top of the vest, down through the D rings and anchor back on the frame using a loop and the other two buckles. Leave some excess webbing on both top and lower buckles. That would not only make the webbing adjustable so you could loosen or tighten the frame if you need but it would not alter either the vest or the pack in case you decide to go another route down the road.

pack.jpg

I'm just trying to think through it but I think that might work. The only problem might be the buckles hitting the hardware on the vest and not snugging as tight at you want at the top. If that's the case then you should be able to extend top buckles down through the top of the pack utilizing the shoulder strap's metal loops on the frame and attach both top and bottom to the middle horizontal bar on the frame. Since you won't be using a kidney pad you shouldn't have any trouble finding either an anchor point on the bottom of the frame or a place to loop through if you want to anchor on the middle bar. That would snug the frame right up to the vest.

If you have the frame attached on the top bar with some excess webbing you could loosen the top straps when you were mounted and give your back plenty of air flow. When you decide to dismount you could reach up, grasp both ends of the webbing and cinch the frame snug back to the vest.

Either way, it might hang lower on the vest than you want. I think controlling the height relative to the vest is going to be the trick.

[crashdive123]

Do you intend to use the pack on the frame that way? Looks like it is on the wrong side.

[Rick]

I think it's missing the kidney pad, which would attach on the opposite side of the pack/frame as it sits. You can just see the kidney pad loop on the right side opposite the pack.

[crashdive123]

Yep. You are probably correct.