ALICE Military Backpack System
The All-Purpose Light Weight Carrying Equipment (ALICE) military backpack system has been in use for forty years. Its long life can be attributed to its usefulness and popularity among troops in the field as well as recreational hikers and campers. The United States Army developed a new backpack system in 1988, but it has been slow to integrate it into its ranks because the older models are still functional and practical.
The ALICE pack, as it is commonly called, was developed in 1973 but the idea for a light weigh backpack system began more than a decade earlier, in 1961. The goal was to lighten the load on soldiers so they could maneuver better in the field. Several new models were created using a light-weigh nylon material, instead of the heavier cotton. It went through several modifications under the careful scrutiny of the military, from changing where the ammunition pack was placed for easier access to putting more first aid supplies in the pack. The backpack was first largely used in the Vietnam War, where troops found it highly useful when fighting in unfamiliar jungles.
The pack weighs only three pounds when empty, compared to the seven pounds of its predecessors. The pack comes in two primary sizes; a large ALICE pack and a smaller medium ALICE pack. Either can be used, depending on the amount of equipment a soldier needs to carry. The pack is only used to carry what a single soldier will need while on one mission. If possible, items needed for a deployment are carried in other ways by a unit. Usually, it contains ammunition, any extra firearms needed, a first aid kit, a canteen, and possibly a change of clothes, depending on the type of mission. It hangs on the soldier’s back by two straps on the shoulders and secures around the waist with another strap.
While the Army still uses the pack on missions, the United States Marine Corps has taken it out of deployments. Marines use the newer MOLLE and ILBE systems in the field, but still use the ALICE pack for training. Campers and hikers are keeping the old packs in use, however. The backpacks are available for purchase on the Internet and in Army/Navy stores for the general public.
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