Pimp my ALICE Pack, Part 1

Today we want to take a look at one of the most promising upgrades for an ALICE Pack, whether it's Medium or Large. The conversion to plastic buckles.

We introduced you to the almost antique backpack in our review HERE. At its core, it's still usable, but a few small changes wouldn't hurt.

The ALICE Pack comes from the factory with metallic ladderlock buckles, which work well and hold up fine, but the straps aren't particularly quick to open or close. Quick-release buckles are a bit more practical here.

First, remove the metallic buckles. Whether with a saw, Dremel, or sturdy wire cutters is up to you. Just be careful. We simply cut through one side of the buckle and then bent the ladder away. Metal and webbing separate easily.

Do this six times. Two buckles on the main straps, three buckles on the outer pockets, and one buckle in the inner compartment of the backpack. The last buckle can be left depending on preference, as it's not as bothersome.

Now you'll need six, or five, 25mm quick-release buckles with a one-way opening. Called "Repair Buckles". These are available from several manufacturers and in various versions. Ours are from Woojin and we found them on Ebay.

You can also make such a buckle yourself from a regular 25mm quick-release buckle. You just need to cut the ladder slightly diagonally in the middle.

This is what it looks like once installed. The installation on the main straps was unfortunately extremely tight, as the webbing loop was sewn very tightly here. But after a lot of cursing, it eventually worked. In hindsight, it would have been easier and less strenuous to just unpick the seam slightly and sew it back.

Once all the buckles have been replaced, your Alice Pack will already look quite "modern". In the second part, we will focus on the carrying system, the second weak point of the ALICE Packs.

More ALICE Pack on SPARTANAT:

• Review: Turkish Alice Pack Medium
• Pimp my ALICE Pack, Part 1