Working on the Get Home/ Car Kits
The thing about having kits/ systems is that a lot of the benefit comes from the process of making the thing. In reality we do not have much in the car that we didn’t before this. However I thought through what we really needed, made some lists and filled a few small but significant gaps. Also kits are a forcing mechanism to have the stuff that you might need where you might actually need it. There isn’t much point in having stuff (not talking about stores, redundant items and such) at home in the basement. A jacket, knife, compass, poncho and pair of boots at home are far less useful than having that stuff in a backpack out in the woods or in the trunk.
My long term (probably 6-12 month range) way forward with kits is probably as follows. The kit I recently put together will get lightened down and be Wifey’s BOB. One in a larger bag will get put together for me. On the bright side I already have most of the big ticket items lying around so the total cost will not be too bad.
Sportsmens Guide has used Alice Packs for $45. For some reason I have really been feeling a real urge to buy one. I don’t really like them but if I had to go all Mad Max/ The Postman that is the bag I would want to carry. A pack that I will have for the long term would be worth modifying to make as comfortable as possible.
I am not sure exactly what I would use it for. Maybe a BOB but then again in some scenarios having a pack that does not look militaryish would be very nice. A scruffy guy carrying an (earth tone) commercial backpack looks like some hippie slacker not a crazy right wing evil wacist militia nutjob. If you want to go a little bit further, toss a peace symbol pin on this or that and make a cardboard sign that says ‘damn the man, spare some change’ or whatever. Depending on the situation switching contents between bags would be easy. Also at a bit under 50 bucks I would be more comfortable leaving an Alice in a vehicle than a more expensive bag that says “steal me, there is good stuff inside’.
Anyway that is what is going on with that.
Molle Rucksacks
Our friend Commander Zero asked my opinion on the relatively new Molle Rucksacks. Well here it is. As a bit of background I have spent a good amount of time carrying an old typical framed pack, various commercial internal frame packs, the ALICE Pack and most recently the MOLLE. That gives me a decent frame of reference for this.
First I will talk about my ruck/ backpack preferences then I will get to the MOLLE. The best packs I have ever carried were commercial production modern internal frame style packs. I have an internal frame REI bag and it is pretty darn nice. Other such bags are equitable. For the worst bags I have carried it is an even split between the old very traditional external frame models and the ALICE. The MOLLE lies somewhere in the middle.
The biggest benefit of the MOLLE is that it is super modular. More so than any other pack I have used it is super adaptable. Commercial internal frame ones can be adjusted for height but there is little that can be done about adding different pouches and such to the outside. The MOLLE is basically covered with the rows of straps which let you mount anything (within said system) onto it.
There are some complaints about the MOLLE floating around both the Army and the various forums and such. There is a real traditionalist streak in the Army. Whatever people came up on is the best and all the new stuff sucks. I would wager that back in the day there were some soldiers standing around waiting to do some mundane task complaining about the switch to rifles which shoot those new fangled cased cartridges. Someone could invent a new ruck that is just as reliable and rugged as the last one but magically levitates and thus effectively weighs nothing on your back and soldiers would complain about it. I have heard people talk about how MOLLE rucks just break but personally I have used and abused them without issue. I have tossed rucks weighing 80-100 pounds out of the back of a large truck and had them land on cement at an awkward angle without issue. I know early on some field testing went pretty bad with them. I also know a particular fellow who was part of a group that was doing such testing, they (in typical soldier fashion) did not like these new things, so they intentionally broke them in order to sabotage the tests.
The MOLLE is hands down better than the ALICE for numerous reasons. It is big enough to carry all the stuff we need (unlike a newbie on a 1 mile overnight hike guys who carry rucks a lot don’t just fill up bags willy nilly) without junk tied all over it. The modularity is a big plus but also the side “sustainment pouches” are actually big enough to be useful, unlike the midgety ones on the ALICE. Also I am not sure why the people who made ALICE packs thought the human back has a roughly 4 inch tall and 4 inch deep slit in their lower back (the not at all padded ‘waist belt’ sticks out and grinds on your back) but the MOLLE folks are smarter than that. The MOLLE is bigger and more comfortable to carry (at all or with a heavy load) than the ALICE hands down. I am not trying to give the ALICE a bad rap or anything. They are a rugged, common and very affordable earth tone rucksack.
As a service member I am required to use what they issue me and thus am glad they went to the MOLLE. However as a survivalist they do nothing for me. I know for some folks it is a big deal to have the newest and coolest military issue gear. I guess that is cool, its your money so do whatever makes you happy. MOLLE packs are solidly decent but not for their price. Personally if I was on a tight budget and wanted a pack I would get an ALICE pack due to sheer value. (Edited later to include: With MOLLE available for $50 there is no reason to go with the inferior ALICE) If money wasn’t really a big concern I would get an internal frame pack from a decent brand (REI, Kelty, etc). You really do want an earth tone but worst case if a good deal presents itself and you don’t care about appearance a rattle can will fix that. If price was no object at all the folks at Kirafu seem to make a real nice bag.
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