My Buddy, Craig Caudill, from DansDepot.com, and I were recently talking about survival packs.
He was telling me all about the A.L.I.C.E. packs that they used back in the Vietnam war.
He told me that even after all these years, those packs are still some of the best ones that you can get your hands on.
I asked him to write up an article for me about them because I wanted to share it with y'all.
He wrote the article, but then he took it one step further.
He made a video demonstrating the A.L.I.C.E. Pack (look below the review for the video).
The ALICE (All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment) Pack in many respects is the most affordable and useful piece of pack gear made in a long time.
Designed, manufactured, tested and utilized under the watchful eye of the US military, this pack has been through it all.
Now that these packs are have been shelved and set aside for the MOLLE system, getting these packs is so easy that one or more of them should be available to hikers, survivalists, preppers, hunters and virtually anyone who wants a good pack to keep their gear in.
As a means of disclosing as much as information as possible, let’s take a look at the some of the good (and not so good) points of these packs.
GOOD POINTS
- Incredible product testing under the harshest of conditions, the Vietnam War.
- Internal frame, straps, and belt insure this sits on your hips to distribute weight well.
- Large internal pocket for large or numerous items.
- Outside pockets that make it incredibly easy to get to regular-use items.
- Has extra webbing to customize or simply add more pockets and pouches.
- Materials and stitching are incredibly durable and lightweight.
NOT SO GOOD POINTS
- For those that are used to modern packs, the lumbar support and shoulder straps are not as padded as more modern ones. Still, they provide padding in just the right places.
- We have read elsewhere, that occasionally the rivets on the frame loosen up, but are finding that the new frames may have fixed that problem. At least on this one that we tested extensively.
- Over multiple years of use the waterproof coating on the inside map pocket starts to break down. That can be easily fixed by putting your maps in a plastic bag.
Again, we love these packs for their affordability and how hearty they are. We don’t feel you go wrong with one, or two, or three.
Craig did a great job reviewing the good and bad points of an A.L.I.C.E. pack, but he didn't stop there. He actually went out in the field and shot a video going over all of the features of these packs.
Check it out below:
Are you looking to replace your current BOB, or maybe you want to make an entirely new one?
Craig actually has quite a few of these available in all different price ranges patterns and colors, feel free to check them out by clicking the link below:
https://survivallife.com/alice-packs
