Are alice packs worth it?
I currently use a red rock outdoors engagement pack and I like it however it's a little small and lacks a real frame. I'll do a review if anyone wants on the red rock. Are the extra weight worth it for the medium alice pack with frame? Are they more durable than nylon? Are the frames comfortable?
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If you use the search feature, you will find all kinds of ALICE info.
I am a fan of them. People that are under 6' tall and are of small to medium build seem to be the ones that find them comfy or at least tolerable. Those that are bigger, taller or broad shouldered usually complain of shoulder and neck pain. I have small, medium and large ALICE packs, some with frames and some without. Some are genuine milsurp and others are milsurp knock offs of fair to good quality. The most important thing is don't overweight them or yourself, and use a dry bag with them as appropriate.
Good luck on the search.
”There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.” ~Johnny Rotten
Thanks, I'm about 5'8 but have a athletic build with very broad shoulders. Will do on the search. I didn't think they made small Alice packs? Are they not issued?
Sent from up in an oak tree
I'm 5'7", medium build with a few extra lbs. and I'm cool with them. The military only had medium and large ALICE packs. Large is required to have the frame while medium packs the frame is optional. The civilian world saw that the military had medium and large packs, so military contractors decided to complete the set by making a small pack. It does not take a frame at all and I find them convenient for day trips and as an overnight bag.Originally Posted by Traditionalist
”There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.” ~Johnny Rotten
Interesting thanks for the info!
Sent from up in an oak tree
I like them as well. The only caveat is the shoulder straps are the pits. I upgraded mine to Molle shoulder straps and it made a world of difference.
Rick is absolutely right about the straps. I'm convinced that I'm paying for those long, leisurely strolls across the country-side now.
When Wealth is Lost, Nothing is Lost;
When Health is Lost, Something is Lost;
When Character is Lost, ALL IS LOST!!!!!!!
Colonel Charles Hyatt circa 1880
Well....if you are a tradionalist, then yes, they are worth it. That way you can find out for yourself why so many people don't like them.They aren't more durable than nylon, because they are nylon. Anyways......if I were you, I would get an ILBE.
If you do decide to go the ALICE route, google "Hellcat".
I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money.
http://www.youtube.com/user/FinallyMe78?feature=mhee
Consider that the military is more concerned with making GI proof gear than in well designed and comfortable load carrying gear.
Yes, I carried one over hill and dale through swamp and over mountain. Hated every minute of it. Of course the military always expects one to carry 70 pounds as soon as they hand you something with shoulder straps on it!
The backpacking industry has spent the past 100 years developing the best load carrying systems humans have ever used, so why buy a device of medieval torture?
The medium alice weighs 8 pounds empty. That is 8 pounds of food, a good sleeping bag or a change of clothes you can not carry.
Besides, they're ugly.
If you didn't bring jerky what did I just eat?
Man, some of you guys are hard on ALICE! The straps are the worst part of them. A medium ALICE with MOLLE straps and no frame and a load not exceeding 30lbs is the cheapest and most comfortable set up I have come up with for long distance (5-8 mile) hikes. You should be able to put the bag and straps together for about $25 and it be a good first bag for you. You gotta start somewhere.
”There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.” ~Johnny Rotten
He's 16. He's not going to go out and purchase a Kifuru (neither am I by the way). However, for the price, it's hard to beat an Alice especially if you upgrade the straps. Even with the OEM straps it's not bad as long as you don't load it down or decide to walk 50 miles. But it is a good starter pack for a young man trying to get a pack on the cheap.
Are there better molle straps than others? The molle straps on my red rock engagement pack are ok, but they lack padding. Are they a universal fit?
Sent from up in an oak tree
I think mine are Molle II straps. It's been a while and I'm not certain. Here's a tut for putting them on the frame. I removed the vertical bar on the frame just as this guy did. I found no problem with frame integrity by doing that.
http://www.zombiehunters.org/forum/v...ht=alice+molle
Here's a couple I've upgraded.
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+1.............
”There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.” ~Johnny Rotten
I can remember the old backpack my dad and all the other father's in the neighborhood brought home from WWII. It would be interesting to know how many gallons of cool aid, number of marshmallows and candy bars those things carried after they got back stateside and the second generation began using them to scout things like woods, creeks, tree tops, backyards and brick walls. I learned early on that chocolate bars would not stand up to an August summer. We probably gave those chocolate bars to the Krauts as punishment. I'd never be that cruel today.
I have an old medium Alice with no frame that I got somewhere for dirt cheap. It is just a backup in case I decide to hike with a person that doesn't have a backpack. As long as it is loaded with light stuff it isn't bad, way better than nothing. I let one of the girls use it and we just use it to carry lunch in for a hike, and she didn't complain at all!
But there are a whole lot of better backpacks out there for serious hiking!
That folks is it in a nutshell.
Young and strong people put up with stuff till they find out it sucks, that there are better units out there, but cost a whole bunch of money....so you kinda figure out first, Do I want to go, then what can I afford, and what sucks less.
Make your decision and go for it......up grades come in time.
My answer is Yes, It is worth it, ...I have one set up....but mostly will get carried in the truck....but has spent some miles with about 30# or so.
Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
Evoking the 50 year old rule...
First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
Member Wahoo Killer knives club....#27
Or....you can just buy the MOLLE pack instead. Or...you can buy a cheap old Kelty and put MOLLE straps on that. There are a lot of better cheap options than that ALICE frame.
By the way, people and equipment companies throw the word MOLLE around like crazy. But, we are all talking about a very specific pack. Here are some links to buy. I am not associated with this site, just have bought stuff here. You can look on ebay as well for good deals.
http://tonystactical.com/index.php?m...roducts_id=123
http://tonystactical.com/index.php?m...roducts_id=140
As to the MOLLE shoulder straps, you can replace them with ALICE LC2 shoulder straps and get the same performance. But, you can only do that on an ALICE frame. You can also make your own frame out of PVC. Then it will be the right size, and a few pounds lighter.
I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money.
http://www.youtube.com/user/FinallyMe78?feature=mhee
If you have a medium Alice, you don't need a frame at all. There is also a way to eliminate the frame on the large with some ingenuity.
”There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.” ~Johnny Rotten
Here's another question is the molle 2 or line better for someone my size? It seems like it would be huge on me
Sent from up in an oak tree
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