Which Pack on a Budget?

I've tried to find a topic on which pack folks are using and why. But not much luck :-/
Maybe my fu is weak?

I'm wanting to get my first pack. Something like an Alice but I feel like there's better options.
I don't want to spend a fortune but I don't want junk either.
Can you guys help a total noob out?

They're not the cheapest, and probably not even what your looking for, but I love it to death and I think the price is fair. Personally its the best fit I've ever had (6', 170lbs) I can barely tell I have it on, and its super organized. Check out the 5.11 Rush bags. Theres 3 sizes, 12, 24 and 72.

I use a 24 for my truck/get home/everyday and a 72 for my BOB.

I originally ordered a 12 but sent it back for the 24, it was just too small for what I was looking for.

Medium ALICE pack for $15. Make a custom frame out of 1/2 PVC pipe for under $3 and invest in some BLACKHAWK straps for $25 when you get the extra money.

Eventually you can replace all the metal hardware for $8 with FASTEX buckles.

You will then have an indstructable, functional pack.

I like the ALICE with a 1606 Downeast MOLLE frame. You get the best of the ALICE with the best of the MOLLE. You're looking at around 45 for the 1606 frame.

Large alice. durable and cheap.

What they said, ALICE!

Is eBay going to be my best price?
I'm a small guy. Will the large be too big?

If you go with medium alice you will be good, the mountain ruck or Large alice is huge.

Found a medium Alice with frame and straps for $30 out the door. Like new.
Decent deal?

I have this pack and bought it a couple months ago for backpacking at $79...I have put about 25 miles on this pack and love it. At $79 dollars and free shipping I thought it was a steal but it's now at $59. Get the large if you decide on it. And L.L. Bean serves their customers well.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/75379?feat=2-SR0

A medium ALICE can be set up to be much more comfortable than it is when stock. It is the perfect size for many applications. I lived out of mine for ten days at a time with no problem, and they stow in a vehicle or a boat quite easily. For the $$ you can't go wrong. Having said this there are so many nice commercial alternatives available now, like the Eagle 3 ($99?) that I have switched. However i will never get rid of the ALICE and use it for assessory gear.

If everything is USGI then you got a great deal. Knockoff stuff has MUCH thinner material, not much heavier than tent nylon.

Alice


I bought 2 large alice packs, good packs.

Personally, I think it depends on what you plan to use it for. For basic hiking, camping, etc. I've got a Kelty 3100 that works fine and can be had for < $100 if you watch for the sales. For a BoB/GHB/etc. type thing where you want cheap, fairly durable, but don't care that it's not uber-light, I'd go with:

L.A. Police Gear 3-Day pack for $30. I like it, holds a lot of stuff at 2600cu.in., cheap but heavy.
L.A. Police Gear Operator pack for $45. It appears to be bigger than the 3-day at 2900cu.in. and am considering it.

P.S. Right now LAPG is having 15%off thru the end of today.

I buy stuff from Old grouch all the time..

Old Grouch

and it's always in good shape.. just got 3 large alice packs for gifts for christmas.. paid $40.00 each for them, complete with frames. I'm a big, fat guy, so I've got to modify the belt to fit me, of course, by my oldest son loves his.. and can't wait to use it.

sure, it's older tech, but you can buy replacement buckles and snaps and what not at wally world for cheap, adn I'm going to convert most of the buckles over to either quick lock or caribiner clips.

whatca gonna use the pack for?



after that it'll be easier to narrow it down besides throwing links to made in china shit packs at you


( go med alice if your pockets are shallow.....you cant go wrong on that end)

It's all surplus. It's on the way.

I'm basically looking for my first go at a survival pack. A learning step really.
I have the medium Alice on the way.
Now I need to fill it up haha.

I think you will like the ALICE. You can expand on it and change stuff out like the frame and straps.

I have tried other stuff and come back to it.

Thanks for the link. Great reviews so I bought three

Any opinions on this for a ghb

http://www.botachtactical.com/kepe18taba.html

Budget? But still quality?

LG or MED USGI (beware of fakes!) ALICE pack, USGI frame, and MOLLE upgrades to shoulder straps and waistbelt.

See the ALICE gear thread in Tactical gear forum on this site, and look for Enforcer's posts starting about pg 7 or so. Excellent tutorial (W/many Pix) on how to upgrade the ALICE packs with MOLLE stuff. You can dye ACU and DCU (desert camo) MOLLE stuff using dk, green Rit dye if you want.

Even if starting from scratch, for about $100 you will have a set-up that will carry heavy loads well. Best bang for the buck out there, unless you luck––and I mean REALLY luck–– into something similar.

Throw a MOLLE Modular Sleeping System Carrier on the bottom, and either pack will be able to carry loads––with some comfort–– that would not be possible with the UNMODIFIED ALICE pack+frame.

I modded two ALICE packs as per Enforcer's tutorial, a LG, and a MED. Just so you know I'm not just talking.

Now, if you decide to go this route I have some suggestions about the pack.

First of all, make sure it's USGI.

Second, examine every square inch of it for flaws. I'm assuming you are buying the pack locally, at your local surplus store. If not, call the Vendor and MAKE SURE the pack is USGI. This especially means turning the pack inside-out, and examining all the stitching to make sure that the edges of the fabric have not un-ravelled to a point that allows a stitched seam to blow-out. The newer the pack, the better, obviously.

You did say you were on a budget, right? Well, this is something I do to anything I buy, no matter what the source.

Take the pack+USGI frame (usually anodized, and seldom painted) home. Buy a 4-pack of bic lighters. Turn the pack
inside-out again, and use the lighters to sear/melt the edges of all the fabric you can possibly get to. Cut-off any long strands of threads––you don't want to deal with anything much longer than 1/8" in length. The top of the lighter gets HOT doing this, so you will rotate the lighters. Doing this prevents the fabric from un-ravelling in the future, and thus prevents blow-outs.

This will take you about 1-1/2 hours on a LG ALICE (inside and out) pack, but it is REQUIRED preventative maintenance. Again, I perform this routine on all my nylon gear, bar none. You would be surprised at the so-called "Top Tier" Mfrs whose products demonstrate construction flaws––some serious.

With respect to the ALICE, you are using your time to correct possible flaws in the original article. It is priced cheap because it was made in the millions out of good materials, but attention to construction detail was non-existant in some important areas. You are correcting this oversight, and making a good pack into an excellent one, all for the cost of 4 lighters, and some of your time. Done right, you will never have to do this procedure again. I have done this procedure myself, and I admit it takes some practice to do it right. If you want to do this procedure, then buy the cheapest, rattiest ALICE pack and practice a good bit before going to work on your good unit.


I have a LOT of sympathy for folks wanting GOOD gear on a budget, so feel free to ask questions. If I can help, I will.

Having done ALL the above myself, I can confidently say my ALICE packs are totally GTG, and EXCELLENT bargains.

I would compare them with packs costing hundreds of dollars more. No kidding.

There is NO shortage of folks on this site who have deep pockets and will suggest high-quality and high-cost gear.
It is easy––if you have the VERY considerable amount of money required–– to buy top-tier stuff. Getting the same––or very nearly the same–– thing for a LOT less requires some thought, time, and effort. But you can do it. I have, and if I can do it so can anyone.

Good luck!

I bought a molle2 pack on the cheap for hauling larger-than-normal loads (for individual outings I like small+light, but I take the kiddos with me sometimes). It's not as comfortable (IMO) as some of the more expensive packs, but it was (A) cheap, (B) can haul a bunch of crap, and (C) isn't uncomfortable under load. Plus it's in nifty DCU.

Do yourself a favor, and closely compare your pack frame with the new, MUCH-improved frames. I sold-off my older frame. http://www.downeastinc.com/packs/packs.html

I had both frames on-hand for examination, and new, improved plastic aside, the newer frame is OBVIOUSLY beefier in the right places, and lighter to boot. I upgraded when it was a bit more expensive to do so than now. Just sayin'.

Your welcome....Always glad to help out a fellow prepper. You definitely got your money's worth...Enjoy!

Take your time & shop around. Wait till mid-late February or 1st week of March. Everybody is clearance out their camping stuff to make room for new inventory. Target usually has some pretty sweet deals around then. I fell into a sweet deal last spring. The family & I were at Gander Mountain and saw a North Face Rucksack for 1/2 off. Then due to a technicality, the manager was cool enough to knock another few bucks off. I paid something like $50.00 - $75.00 for it. I think it was originally in the neighborhood of $200.00ish. It's navy blue, but that's nothing that a can of spray paint or dye can't fix. I think it's a North Face Tera 65 if I'm not mistaken. It's a very nice pack, lots of room. I found a Blackhawk 3 Day Assault Pack on E-Bay for pretty cheap. It was damn near new. That thing has a bunch of room in it.

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