Name: Chuck Kime
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Height: 5'8" (172 cm)
Weight: ~235# (~107 kg)
Email address: ckime AT nelsononline DOT com
City, State, Country: Norwood (Philadelphia suburb), PA, U.S.A.
Date: March 7, 2003

Backpacking Background

I started camping with the family when I was about 9, taking several weekend trips during each 3-season until about high school. This usually involved a pop-up trailer with electricity (for the TV, of course... how rough do you want to get?).
I enlisted in the Army Reserve during my first year of college and spent 17 years fine-tuning my packing methodology. I did manage an entire weekend, from chopper insertion to campsite (not far from the AT in PA) and back the next day, with 100# (45.5 kg). By the time I separated from the service, I was down to what I thought was a respectable 75-80# (34.1-36.4 kg) load.

When my son started Cub Scouts, I continued to think I had a good packing strategy, bringing my 60# (27.3 kg) ALICE pack for a weekend. When we got to Boy Scouts a year ago, we started to enjoy day hikes with the troop, and car camping with our packs, for simplicity. We camp in locations ranging from the Chesapeake Bay area (flat and lightly wooded), to the Pocono Mts (flat spots hard to find and very wooded), and in all seasons.
Lightweight (and ultralightweight) sites have led me to seriously rethink my gear choices. I plan to start doing more hiking/backpacking on our monthly scout trips, taking along as many scouts as are willing, to a) get in shape (yeah, yeah, I know, round IS a shape), and b) determine what I really need to take along. I will have the security of the troop campsite to fall back on while I evaluate and test methods and equipment, but I am relatively confident that I will be able to reduce my 3-season pack to 20# (9.1 kg), before food, fuel and water, by the time this season is over.

Product Information

Manufacturer: U.S. Military Issue
Year of Manufacture: Unknown. This is the one the troops in Viet Nam used, so it's been around a while. Still in production, I think. I obtained my current one around 1993.
URL: None known.
Measured weight: I don't have a scale at home, but you're not gonna use this for lightweight packing. I would estimate 7-10# (3.2-4.5 kg)
Measurements, bag: ~20" x 19" x 11" (~51 cm x 48 cm x 28 cm)
Fabric: Nylon
Color: OD Green. Camouflage available.
MSRP: 1 weekend/month + 2 weeks/year * 8 years
My cost: 1 weekend/month + 2-3 weeks/year * 17 years

Features, by eyeball

Large, top loading main bag with drawstring closure
Top flap has pocket, with rubberized lining and Velcro closure. Good for maps, etc.
Three medium external pockets, each with adjustable 2-snap closure
One medium internal pocket. Good for 22# (10 kg) radio they made me carry, or several changes of lightweight clothes
Two top-to-bottom compression straps
2" (5 cm) wide webbing around 3 sides of pack, above pockets, stitched approx every 2½-3" (6-8 cm). Good for attaching darn near anything with the right size clip.
Multiple additional 2" (5 cm) webbing lash points lower on sides of pack.
Two 2" (5 cm) webbing loops on bottom of pack for sleeping bag lashing straps
Slots in the frame corresponding to the sleeping bag lash loops
Padded across top of shoulder area. This area is also pocket for bag to hang from frame, if used.
Padded shoulder straps, with quick-release feature.
Aluminum external frame, colored a slightly metallic OD/forest green.
Adjustable kidney (lumbar) pad/hip belt

I received my first ALICE pack with no packaging. It was hand-delivered to me by the Sergeant on the other side of the counter in the supply room. My first impression was, "Oh, gee. More wonderful stuff to carry." Err... something to that effect. I didn't have much time to examine it at the time, as there were 250 other trainees to go, and many more wonderful items for me to obtain that day, so my initial examination had to wait a while. In general - all seams were solid, all snaps and buckles worked. The bag was a very efficient OD green in color, as were the shoulder straps and kidney pad, which were made of the same nylon fabric, while the frame was closer to a dark forest green metallic. The letters "US" were printed in black, about 2" (5cm) high on the top flap, theoretically to remind the trainees that this stuff belonged to US, not them, whoever them was. It took me about 3-4 minutes to assemble the components into a usable pack, then had to take it apart, because a) I didn't attach the frame before the straps, and b) I hadn't been instructed to put it together yet. It was a little slower going together the second time, having to follow the step-by-step spoken instructions. This was actually a good thing, since my hands and arms were still shaking from the push-ups I had just done to remind me to follow directions AS THEY WERE GIVEN. Sigh...

The pack can be used with or without the frame and kidney pad/hip belt. When using the frame, the top of the frame is slipped between the back of the pack and the pad at the shoulder, suspending the pack from the frame. The bottom of the pack is attached to the frame with 1" (2.5 cm) webbing and metal buckles. The kidney pad/hip belt is attached to the frame with 1" (2.5 cm) webbing and a large metal buckle. The tops of the shoulder strap assemblies are attached with 1" (2.5 cm) webbing, thru rectangular metal loops at the top of the pack (and frame, if used) and back to buckles at the tops of the padded sections of the straps. This allows the user to adjust the placement of the padded portion of the shoulder straps. The bottoms of the shoulder strap assemblies are attached using a 4-5" (10-13 cm) loop in the 1" (2.5 cm) webbing. The loop is passed thru a metal ring located near the bottom of the pack (or a convenient opening in the frame, if used), and the free end of the strap passed thru the loop. The two ends of the shoulder strap assembly are then joined together with a quick release feature, as follows:

A 1" x ¼" (25 mm x 6 mm) rectangular metal loop is fastened to the top (padded) section of the shoulder strap assembly. Photo 1
A 1¼" x ¼" (30 mm x 6 mm) rectangular metal loop is attached at the top end of the bottom (looped webbing) section of the shoulder strap assembly. Photo 2
The larger loop is laid over the smaller loop, flush against the upper section of the shoulder strap assembly, leaving the smaller loop extending thru the larger and perpendicular to the upper section of the shoulder strap assembly. Photo 3
The male end of a 1" (2.5 cm) side-release buckle, which is attached to the upper section of the shoulder strap assembly with a small piece of webbing, is then inserted thru the smaller loop, from the top (of the pack) down. Photo 4
Finally, a ¾"-1" (19-25 mm) strap, which is attached to the upper section of the shoulder strap assembly above the buckle webbing, is snapped down to the bottom (looped webbing) section of the shoulder strap assembly to cover the buckle and loops. Photo 5

It sounds complicated, but it only takes a couple seconds. This quick release feature allows the pack to be dropped rapidly, if necessary, in a tactical situation. Or, if you decided to pet that cute little bear on the trail, only to realize that Momma is right behind you and not very happy (you do have your food in a bear canister, don't you?).

I used this pack, without the frame, through 3½ months of training. I carried it almost all day, almost every day, for distances of up to 15 miles (24 km) at a time. For that 15-mile hike, the pack had to weigh a minimum of 22# (10 kg). This was in addition to all of the other goodies (water, web gear with poncho, rifle, steel helmet) we were expected to have. With a load of about 25# (11.4 kg) the pack was barely half full and rode well between the shoulders and upper back. The pack always carried best when cinched down as much as possible.

After training, I was part of an Army Reserve Combat Engineer battalion, where I was issued a frame that I was permitted to use. Many of my weekend training exercises involved hikes, or at least carting my "stuff" to a field site and setting up camp. One of the longest, and most memorable, weekend hikes was at Ft. Indiantown Gap, just northeast of Harrisburg, PA, not far from the AT. We did around 5-6 miles (8-9 km), mostly up and down steep, forested hills. My load for the weekend was 100# (45.5 kg), including a 22# (10 kg) radio. The hip belt effectively transferred much of the load, saving my shoulders from what would have been a numbing experience at best, and allowed me to complete the exercise as planned. I found as I got older (matured?) that using the frame was critical for me to be able to carry the loads expected. I believe the pack itself could handle 60-70# (27-32 kg) without material failure, but the user's shoulders would likely not be up to the challenge. The frame and straps, when used with a large ALICE pack, have been reported to handle in excess of 150# (68 kg), so the weight limit for the medium is most likely limited by the pack size and user capabilities.

My pack has been beat up, misused, abused, dropped, sat on, stood on, etc. I've left it on for breaks and leaned back onto it like a chair. It has carried many things in, on and over it, without a broken stitch or hole in the fabric. It has suffered only dirt (a quick trip to the washing machine), and some mild fading. It is as close to bulletproof as any piece of equipment I've ever owned. My only gripes:

The shoulder straps are only padded for a short distance from the top. When I carry the pack properly, the pads come over my shoulders and down not even as far as my armpits. The tops of the shoulders are padded well enough, but if the hip belt is taking much of the load (and it should, believe me), the straps pull more back than down, preventing the pack from falling off the back. This leaves unpadded strapping to hit the pits and the pecs while walking. I believe late-model versions of these straps have padding farther down, but I have not seen them personally. Note: It has recently been suggested to me that a true sternum strap would reduce dependence, and therefore load, on the shoulder straps to about nil.
The frame has a central vertical bar of 1-1½" (25-38 mm) flat stock that bows away from the user's back. This lends rigidity to the frame, allows the back to breathe, and prevents hard items in the pack from contacting the wearer, but takes up quite a bit of the pack volume. The bottom of the pack could be loosened to provide more room, but this would put more load on the top of the bag, which I have never been willing to do.
The quick release for the shoulder straps releases quicker than I like, as in "whenever it wants to". If the manufactured alignment of the components isn't quite right, the snap (see above descriptions) can be put under load during normal use and open unexpectedly. I simply wrapped 1 or 2 layers of micropore medical tape (tears easily) around the snap to prevent accidental opening. The tape is thin enough to tear out of the way when I tug on the strap, but strong enough to withstand the normal load the snap seems to experience. If you are buying a surplus ALICE pack, or just straps, investigate each strap carefully and you might be able to avoid this. Note: I have been recently informed that later models corrected this. Still, be alert when selecting.

If you go car camping with a group and need a way to carry your gear, or you are going to be the "big strong man" on a family (or couple, you carry the wine and cheese) outing, the ALICE pack will certainly carry the load. While I am working my way towards lightweight, the ALICE pack will still be around for scout camping, where it can be just thrown in the trailer with everybody else's gear, and for heavier load situations, like taking my wife out with our son and me. In that case, I would be strapping on the 10# (4.5 kg) tent, the folding chairs, and all of the other amenities that she would want but be unable or unwilling to carry, knowing that ALICE is up to the task. Ah, well...

A final note, for those who are wondering: ALICE stands for "All-purpose, Lightweight, Individual, Carrying Equipment". Yeah, it's lightweight - compared to a footlocker - but it serves its intended purpose very well.

Things I like:

1. Durable.
2. Large external pockets.
3. Durable.
4. Plenty of attachment points
5. Durable.
6. Able to handle VERY heavy loads with no change in carry characteristics.
7. Durable.

Things I don't like:

1. Heavy, relatively speaking.
2. The frame limits the volume of the pack
3. The quick-release feature opens too easily. This may have been addressed in later versions.
4. The padded portion of the shoulder straps is too short. This may have been addressed in later versions.

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Owner Review by Chuck Kime