Pimp my ALICE Pack, Part 2

The tragedy's second part, the carrying system of the ALICE Packs. We show you how to drastically improve the carrying comfort of your backpack with some younger surplus parts.

The shoulder straps and hip belt of the newer MOLLE II Main Packs are very popular for the "HELLCAT MOD" as they are relatively inexpensive to get, or were. In M81 Woodland, it has unfortunately become difficult to find the right strapping at a reasonable price. For those who don't care about the color, the set in UCP is still available quite cheap second-hand.

We had bought our set over a decade ago and it had been lying unused in the box until now.

For optimal comfort, you also need a frame. The original ALICE frame is okay, but a more modern plastic frame can also be used.

Assembly of Shoulder Straps

Step one, slide the ALICE Pack onto the frame. This should be fairly simple.

Next, with the shoulder straps, you need to release the emergency closures and set aside the lower shoulder strap parts.

Now lay the shoulder strap on the frame in the correct orientation. It may sound silly, but it is quite easy to attach the shoulder strap the wrong way.

Next, guide the wide webbing strap over the padding of the ALICE Pack, up over the frame, and then down. Later, thanks to this webbing guide, the backpack can be adjusted in height a bit.

Continue guiding the webbing strap down to the junction of the ALICE frame. Loop it around as shown in the image, and the webbing strap goes back up again.

Now thread the webbing strap through the large triple-bar buckle, and the height adjustment is complete.

Next, close the side 25 mm straps. Depending on the height of the backpack, the upper strap may not be able to be closed because the padding is in the way. Simply tuck in the webbing. Wrap the lower strap once around the frame and secure it well.

Once these steps are completed, the whole thing should look like in the image.

Only the lower parts of the shoulder straps are missing. The assembly is quite simple. Thread the loop through the round hole in the frame …

… and pull the part with the buckle through. Do this on both sides and tighten securely.

The emergency release is a bit special, but simple to use. Simply insert the plastic part and press it in firmly (and we mean really firmly) until it "clicks". Then close the safety snap button and you're done.

This is how your ALICE pack with frame and MOLLE II shoulder straps should look once fully assembled. Yes, the woodland pattern doesn't match 100%, but it looks worse in the photo than in reality.

Load Distributor

We're not quite finished with installing the shoulder straps. The load distributor straps need to be attached to the upper end with the backpack and frame. Sometimes these short straps may not be included when you buy the shoulder straps used. However, they can be quickly made yourself or you can buy civilian 25 mm pack straps with tri-glide buckle and shorten them.

It's not rocket science, simply thread these short 25 mm straps with tri-glide buckle through the eyelet on the backpack and around the frame. It's a bit fiddly, but doable.

Then thread through the plastic buckle on the shoulder strap and finally secure with the tri-glide buckle.

When everything is tightened, it should look like in the picture. The load spreaders don't do much with the traditional ALICE frame, but they do provide a better grip.

Hip Belt

A good backpack directs the load through a sturdy hip belt to the hips. We achieve this with the MOLLE II hip belt. When mounting, it is important that the curved part points DOWN. You can also mount it the other way around, but that can cause very uncomfortable pressure points and even blisters.

Otherwise, the installation is quite self-explanatory. Thread all four straps through the large, elongated metal eyelet on the backpack and tighten. You can secure the excess band as shown in the picture. It holds securely.

The ALICE Pack with MOLLE II harness is now ready. It is already noticeable from the photos that it is more comfortable to carry.

We have completed the most important modifications. But there are still some practical details that can be done. Stay tuned.

More ALICE Pack on SPARTANAT:

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