alice pack to buy or not

[markal17]

hi guys iv see this on fleebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/US-ARMY-ALICE-PACK-FIELD-BACKPACK-COMBAT-RUCKSACK-FRAME-RACK-BERGEN-LC2-OLIVE-OD-/300622410262?_trksid=p3286.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3D LVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D4413020960456266268 it looks ok is it worth geting for a 3 day hike

[JEEP]

Personally I have a hard time seeing the appeal of the alice pack; they are heavy, bulky and a lot les comfortable than modern packs.

The do have a certain old school army cool to them, but that is not enough, in itself, for me.

From the looks of it, the one you are linking to is a modern copy, most likely made in the Far East. The quality of these are rarely even remotely compareable to the originals.

[markal17]

thanks thats what i was thinking i like stuff to be green so as not to be seen when in the woods lol not shore what sort and size of pack to get
i think its got to be more than 40lt

[GwersyllaCnau]

look at http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/shop/army-surplus-uk/58-pattern-webbing/complete-genuine-issue-full-set-258940.html

[garethw]

Hi there
Yes indeed this is a far east copy. Genuine ones won't cost you much more than this depending on condition. They do too sizes large & medium. I prefer the medium, as the large is very bulbous, sits a long way off your back, making it feel unbalanced and you must use the frame.
I personally like the retro look to them. I like the fact they are part of a modular system, and the fact I can get all my accesories in outside pockets and even add on extra Molle or Alice pouches.
However Jeep is right, standard they are heavy and can be uncomfortable if overly loaded. BUT if you combine them with the Molle ll system like this: http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?1365-My-Alice-Pack&p=27877&viewfull=1#post27877 they are very comfortable and have much more room. They do remain quite heavy compared to the ultralite stuff, but they are bullet proof. If I break anything I can just replace it, as you can get all the bits on ebay cheaply.
Also I can unclip the sleeping bag carrier and use it as a shoulder bag, or take off the frame and using the old staps, have a decent day sack. Not many packs are as versatile, robust and relatively inexpensive.
cheers
Gareth

[markal17]

thanks for that iv found one but its the large one