When I modded mine, I, using sliding buckles on both sides, just sewed the buckle in place, leaving the metal slides(LC-1 spring clamp version) in place to for all the adjustment. I didn't like the double adjustment ability as I felt it was too many moving parts to work loose, and it also leaves the lower straps as a part that could come off and get lost.
For the large ALICE pack, I like the 1606MC frame and the FILBE straps and belt pad, with all the updated adjustment straps. Pretty much the most up-to-date "hellcat" mod. As far as PACK mods, I like what Tactical Tailor offers.
Idk if they still do but TT used to sell an alice frame they made. I was interested in it but it was $$$. I've heard of the usmc frame mod but is it really that much lighter? My only complaint with the alice frame is it rides the top of your spine, and theres no load lifter option, but its not that bad carrying it and you sorta get used to it if you set it up right. Is there storage inbetween the bag and your back like in the alice frame ?
@@mountainmanmcbeachfront5296 It's only a touch lighter- But the ride quality is what matters. It's much more comfortable than ALICE. No storage between the pack and back... The MC1606 frame is designed to be worn w/armor...
I just got a new ALICE Pack Large (one made for the Albanian Army, it's in MarPat camo but without the USMC in the pattern for obvious reasons) They ordered them and never paid, so these beauties ended up on the civilian market. And they are much better quality than the Chinese copies in MarPat, made in the USA at least^^ Only downside is, they come with the straight back frame, but luckily I already had a good, bent, ALICE frame at home. Your little modification for the mag pouches comes in really handy, since I don't carry mags, but rather tarps, cans, outdoory stuff in general. So thank you very much for showing it to me, I wouldn't have tried it without you. :- ) All the best, greetings from Germany, happy trails and God bless
My favorite part of the alice pack/frame is the space between your back and the bag like you said. I've carried all sorts of crap back there. Theres a reason why I thought "theres no way in hell im deploying with a molle 2 ruck" lol and brought a tactical tailor malice pack with an old alice frame. Nothing beats an old Alice. Especially the medium alice they're my fav. I know they don't fit that well on the large alice but getting an alice frame shelf for like $10-15 is totally worth it especially on the medium. There's some dude in the UK that you can send your bag in and he mods it, there's vids on YT i can't remember his name but its dope.
I had to do similar mods to my large Alice pack as well. I actually like the mag pouches though, I use them for kit pouches, such as fire kit, lighting kit, navigation kit, ect. The dry bags you can buy for the Alice pack is a great addition and it's something I highly recommend for any Alice pack.
Great mods Jess! The ALICE pack is such a versatile pack and a timeless design with a long history. I think everyone should own at least one! I have several I have collected over the years. Take care!
Black Hat Bushcraft thank you, sir! Appreciate it. Their truly is a reason for them being in service as long as they were. I have quite the liking for the older WW2 mountain rucksack also, which helped inspire the ALICE. They are great packs with a cool Roycroft style frame. ATB Jess
Im out hiking with the fam yesterday and my 30 liter is packed to the gills haha I'm like huh guess I gotta break out the bigger pack for our winter outings. Love your mods and DIY stuff Jess that para handle and buckles are excellent add ons brother!!
Clearly Canadian Right on brother, same here. Been working the minimalist angle for awhile, now I am finding more interest in having the things I need and a little extra for added comfort. Fun process though. What bigger pack are you running?
@@EnduranceRoom right on bro comfort makes the difference between thriving and surviving. my Kelty coyote 80l is my long term go bag it's around 40lbs of everything i need shelter Cot lol sleeping pad cook kit you know, my ultralight go bag is a 30l slumberjack with no comfort about 15lbs with full shelter and goodies. My larger bag for outings is a old cheap gudie gear GI 50l pack still really good bag for the money in a woodland camo;)
Another add on is what's on USMC ILB . On the frame I added the side handles . About mid way on the frame . Used Paracord and some gas hose . To add to more handles . I put my pack the same way I used to put my SCBA on in the fire department ..
Cool Up Grades Brother. Those Ol Alice Packs are the Ak 47s of the Rucksacks. I Love mine. I've several Large with the Frames and 2 of the Mediums. Gonna have to Steal a few of those Ideas.
Scarboro Sasquatch Station thanks so much! Glad you enjoy! We just camped in Delaware state forest in PA last week. Heavy activity there. Lots of sign. Pretty sure I saw one across river, looked like a black tree, 8x5. Walked a bit and turned around for a double take, it was gone. Heavy vibes first night. Second night vibes and steps outside tent. It slapped our tent. Saw lots of trails and more.
On my medium Alice, I did the molle 2 shoulder and hip belt mod on the DEI 1606 airborne assault frame (worth the $42.00), purchased from Down East . Never looked back, and switch between this (for warm weather) to a modded (lightened) ILBE pack (for colder weather). The ILBE is a perfect bug out pack also as it hauls a load and is almost indestructible.
I just got a large ALICE pack and I've been looking at ways to improve it. I don't really know how to sew though- but I guess now's as good a time as any to learn!
A great mod Viking Mitch das done adds 30lt more capacity. On the sides he sewed on 2 zips each side to accept 2 rocket pouches off a longback Bergen. They are pretty cheap to buy. If you do it have a look at how Karimor manufacturers put an extra strap on as well.
Hay there, I love my Alice pack I was very lucky to get an Australian Army one, which is basically a USA Alice one. Just is a OD Green basic with AUS stamped on it. But I cannot get myself to undo the three small pockets to make one large one as I know I will regrert it later. I think to keep things standard, which allows me to buy other gear, but I do appreciate doing mods for personal preference. Nice video, keep them coming.
Very cool mods!! I think I am digging the mag pouch mod. I have done most of the rest to my medium alice but was considering getting the large one. If I do I will keep that mag pouch mod in mind. Keep up the solid work !!
Ya, that is a good one.. I will definitely consolidate my mag pouches as well.. And the other mods as well.. My large alice hasn't made "the cut" in a while.. This could make it a contender..
nice mods amigo!...adding cord locks to the two outside pockets works the bomb as well...that way you don't need to tie and untie the the buggers...more secure as well...atb...woods
odinsdotter Nice! The buckle mod was actually quite easy. If you use a frame, attaching a handle to it is pretty simple to do also. Without a frame, stitch a piece of webbing up top near base of the lid. I use a speedy stitch (great hand tool for leather and heavier fabrics). The straps can be easily done quite cheaply too. Makes carrying anything over 25lbs much much more comfortable.
Endurance Room ok I usually use the frame I’ve been working on lighting the load I think I have finally figured out what i need and how much it weighs lol but I’m thinking I might go back and forth especially summer vs winter and might use the frame in winter when I need to carry more I’m quite small(5’2” about 120) so it definitely helps to have the frame
Just wanted to chime in, I have a later version of the Alice Pack (Pack only, not the full set) made of Nylon or something similar and not the Canvas one. My version only has the two larger side pockets with the tunnel stitching, not the middle, which is sewn flush with the rest of the pack. Please keep that in mind if you want to purchase one. The canvas and nylon models have some differences between them! Personally I wish I went for the canvas one because it’s more iconic but aside from minor differences like the tunnel stitching they’re pretty similar. Edit: I assume he sewed them shut, but the nylon version comes with some pretty sizable drainage holes in the magazine pouches that I needed to close off before I could use the bag as an outdoor backpack. They’re MASSIVE, so repurposing the bag may take some extra work if you seek to utilize the mag pouches in their current configuration.
@@n-signia1087 I typically keep small first aid, sowing, and emergency ponchos and blankets in them. Bottom pouches I have a ponch ( middle ), wood working ( silky saw, wood rasp, and my fire starter kit ), the remaining pocket has my steaks, some 550 and some bank line in it. I find that I use the stuff in the top very little, but when you get a cut if you can get to your first aid one handed and quickly the less likely you are to get blood on everything. A can of black pepper fits in there quite nicely and it is my goto for cuts anyway.
Nice mods, I did the same with my large and medium ALICE packs. Haven't gotten up the nerve to do the fastek buckles and I didn't turn the mag pouches into one pouch. I can't sew worth a crap. I added the molle sleeping bag carrier to the bottom of my medium pack.
Jeff Richards Cool! The buckle mod was quite easy to do if you have a piece of extra webbing. It just threads into the existing buckle and then I folded it up and used tape to lock it down. Takes about 5 min. Totally worth it.
Good pocket Mod, it's hard to beat the Med & Large ALICE Packs. I did the Hellcat upgrades, and Sea to Summit buckles years ago, thanks to YT. Thanks for posting. TAKE CARE..
those aren't magazine pouches...magazine bags were mounted on the LBE harness. I would not want to find myself needing to remove my pack so I can rummage those pouches for a loaded magazine. P.S. Excellent ideas! thanks bro..
I really like the idea of the fastex buckles on the flap straps, but I’m wondering how you were able to put them in without cutting anything? Could you make a video on how you installed those?
I took some extra webbing and looped it through the metal buckle, into the fastex buckle, back into the metal buckle, and then wrapped it in tape. Florida Boy Survival did a good video on the mod. Cheers
I'm not 100% but I think you used the Alice era NBC/chem suit bag, judging by the size of the buckles and the velcro. The sleeping bag carrier utilizes 2" buckles and no velcro. no big deal, but in case anyone was looking for the same materials or what have you
Hey what do you think about that shooters stool Alice pack mod from Waypoint Survival? I literally bought the Alice pack for that particular mod. Great video btw!
Thanks! It’s nice to have a chair in the woods. I would give it a try and see what you think. I have made a few chair/packs and bought one from Finland and really like them.
![Megan Thee Stallion - Bigger In Texas [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QxTkZTLWdo4/mqdefault.jpg)
Okay leaving the metal sliders as a backup was very smart... Kinda wish I thought of that. Good stuff man.
When I modded mine, I, using sliding buckles on both sides, just sewed the buckle in place, leaving the metal slides(LC-1 spring clamp version) in place to for all the adjustment. I didn't like the double adjustment ability as I felt it was too many moving parts to work loose, and it also leaves the lower straps as a part that could come off and get lost.
For the large ALICE pack, I like the 1606MC frame and the FILBE straps and belt pad, with all the updated adjustment straps. Pretty much the most up-to-date "hellcat" mod. As far as PACK mods, I like what Tactical Tailor offers.
Idk if they still do but TT used to sell an alice frame they made. I was interested in it but it was $$$. I've heard of the usmc frame mod but is it really that much lighter? My only complaint with the alice frame is it rides the top of your spine, and theres no load lifter option, but its not that bad carrying it and you sorta get used to it if you set it up right. Is there storage inbetween the bag and your back like in the alice frame ?
@@mountainmanmcbeachfront5296 It's only a touch lighter- But the ride quality is what matters. It's much more comfortable than ALICE. No storage between the pack and back... The MC1606 frame is designed to be worn w/armor...
I just got a new ALICE Pack Large (one made for the Albanian Army, it's in MarPat camo but without the USMC in the pattern for obvious reasons) They ordered them and never paid, so these beauties ended up on the civilian market. And they are much better quality than the Chinese copies in MarPat, made in the USA at least^^
Only downside is, they come with the straight back frame, but luckily I already had a good, bent, ALICE frame at home.
Your little modification for the mag pouches comes in really handy, since I don't carry mags, but rather tarps, cans, outdoory stuff in general. So thank you very much for showing it to me, I wouldn't have tried it without you. :- )
All the best, greetings from Germany, happy trails and God bless
couchcamper that is great! Sounds like an awesome pack! Glad to hear you like the mod. Hope it serves you well.
All the best to you and your family.
they also don't have the tunnels behind the middle pocket.
My favorite part of the alice pack/frame is the space between your back and the bag like you said. I've carried all sorts of crap back there. Theres a reason why I thought "theres no way in hell im deploying with a molle 2 ruck" lol and brought a tactical tailor malice pack with an old alice frame. Nothing beats an old Alice. Especially the medium alice they're my fav.
I know they don't fit that well on the large alice but getting an alice frame shelf for like $10-15 is totally worth it especially on the medium.
There's some dude in the UK that you can send your bag in and he mods it, there's vids on YT i can't remember his name but its dope.
I had to do similar mods to my large Alice pack as well. I actually like the mag pouches though, I use them for kit pouches, such as fire kit, lighting kit, navigation kit, ect. The dry bags you can buy for the Alice pack is a great addition and it's something I highly recommend for any Alice pack.
Nice idea on the kits. Dry bag is definitely a good option.
Great mods Jess! The ALICE pack is such a versatile pack and a timeless design with a long history. I think everyone should own at least one! I have several I have collected over the years. Take care!
Black Hat Bushcraft thank you, sir! Appreciate it. Their truly is a reason for them being in service as long as they were. I have quite the liking for the older WW2 mountain rucksack also, which helped inspire the ALICE. They are great packs with a cool Roycroft style frame.
ATB
Jess
Im out hiking with the fam yesterday and my 30 liter is packed to the gills haha I'm like huh guess I gotta break out the bigger pack for our winter outings. Love your mods and DIY stuff Jess that para handle and buckles are excellent add ons brother!!
Clearly Canadian Right on brother, same here. Been working the minimalist angle for awhile, now I am finding more interest in having the things I need and a little extra for added comfort. Fun process though. What bigger pack are you running?
@@EnduranceRoom right on bro comfort makes the difference between thriving and surviving. my Kelty coyote 80l is my long term go bag it's around 40lbs of everything i need shelter Cot lol sleeping pad cook kit you know, my ultralight go bag is a 30l slumberjack with no comfort about 15lbs with full shelter and goodies. My larger bag for outings is a old cheap gudie gear GI 50l pack still really good bag for the money in a woodland camo;)
Hey bud check out my ultra short video;) of a awesome ultralight chair, you might like just uploaded peace brother 👍
Clearly Canadian will do.
Another add on is what's on USMC ILB . On the frame I added the side handles . About mid way on the frame . Used Paracord and some gas hose . To add to more handles . I put my pack the same way I used to put my SCBA on in the fire department ..
LOL WOW-- I thought I had the only Hellcat-modded ALICE in existence with Woodland shoulder straps and ACU Digital kidney belt! Exactly like mine lol
Nice job on the magazine pouch modification. I really like what you did. I think I am going to do the same thing on my large alice pack.
thank you! Its been about 8months now and I still enjoy it. Good luck with your pack!
Slick mod! Worth the effort!,
Cool Up Grades Brother. Those Ol Alice Packs are the Ak 47s of the Rucksacks. I Love mine. I've several Large with the Frames and 2 of the Mediums. Gonna have to Steal a few of those Ideas.
Thanks James! Hard to beat a good ALICE
Cool 😎 video ...Jess ..! Love your gear tech info ... essential upgrades to make ones hiking 🥾 adventures more enjoyable...!!! Thanks Scarboro 🌹💚☮️🍀🦉🦋
Scarboro Sasquatch Station thanks so much! Glad you enjoy! We just camped in Delaware state forest in PA last week. Heavy activity there. Lots of sign. Pretty sure I saw one across river, looked like a black tree, 8x5. Walked a bit and turned around for a double take, it was gone. Heavy vibes first night. Second night vibes and steps outside tent. It slapped our tent. Saw lots of trails and more.
Solid kit and great mods! Great info and video as always brother! Cheers!
thanks brother! Much appreciated!
On my medium Alice, I did the molle 2 shoulder and hip belt mod on the DEI 1606 airborne assault frame (worth the $42.00), purchased from Down East . Never looked back, and switch between this (for warm weather) to a modded (lightened) ILBE pack (for colder weather). The ILBE is a perfect bug out pack also as it hauls a load and is almost indestructible.
Great tips thank you very much! I might try these with my second Alice pack that I've got for spare parts
I just got a large ALICE pack and I've been looking at ways to improve it. I don't really know how to sew though- but I guess now's as good a time as any to learn!
Nice! checkout the speedy stitch, its a small hand awl for leather work and heavy fabric. works great and quite easy to use.
Thanks for sharing! I had a alice pack at one time, I might get another and try your mod setup, thanks and take care good man.
J Lee thank you! appreciate it
A great mod Viking Mitch das done adds 30lt more capacity.
On the sides he sewed on 2 zips each side to accept 2 rocket pouches off a longback Bergen. They are pretty cheap to buy. If you do it have a look at how Karimor manufacturers put an extra strap on as well.
Hay there, I love my Alice pack I was very lucky to get an Australian Army one, which is basically a USA Alice one. Just is a OD Green basic with AUS stamped on it. But I cannot get myself to undo the three small pockets to make one large one as I know I will regrert it later. I think to keep things standard, which allows me to buy other gear, but I do appreciate doing mods for personal preference. Nice video, keep them coming.
Very cool mods!! I think I am digging the mag pouch mod. I have done most of the rest to my medium alice but was considering getting the large one. If I do I will keep that mag pouch mod in mind. Keep up the solid work !!
Jerome Jackson thanks man! Appreciate it!
Ya, that is a good one.. I will definitely consolidate my mag pouches as well.. And the other mods as well.. My large alice hasn't made "the cut" in a while.. This could make it a contender..
Wicked Mods bro !! I have an Italian military mountain warfare pack I've modded a bit but I'm not done yet....cheers my friend ! ,;;;, Spook
maritimespook thanks Spook! I dig those Italian mountain packs!
Like your back to the Alice....
nice mods amigo!...adding cord locks to the two outside pockets works the bomb as well...that way you don't need to tie and untie the the buggers...more secure as well...atb...woods
MTwoodsrunner Thanks Woods! Great idea, sir. Much appreciated.
Nice job on your modifications!
Kris Hoogstraat thank you Kris!
Nice. I use the magazine pouches for magazines...
I carry a med Alice and I love all these mod ideas definitely going to add a grab handle maybe some more comfortable straps in the future 😬
odinsdotter Nice! The buckle mod was actually quite easy. If you use a frame, attaching a handle to it is pretty simple to do also. Without a frame, stitch a piece of webbing up top near base of the lid. I use a speedy stitch (great hand tool for leather and heavier fabrics). The straps can be easily done quite cheaply too. Makes carrying anything over 25lbs much much more comfortable.
Endurance Room ok I usually use the frame I’ve been working on lighting the load I think I have finally figured out what i need and how much it weighs lol but I’m thinking I might go back and forth especially summer vs winter and might use the frame in winter when I need to carry more I’m quite small(5’2” about 120) so it definitely helps to have the frame
@@EnduranceRoom we call them sewing walls in nz, great bit of kit, the guys always used to buy them to alter their kit
If you need more storage space, the outside pockets are tunnel stitched, so you can fit things between the bag and pockets.
Just wanted to chime in, I have a later version of the Alice Pack (Pack only, not the full set) made of Nylon or something similar and not the Canvas one. My version only has the two larger side pockets with the tunnel stitching, not the middle, which is sewn flush with the rest of the pack. Please keep that in mind if you want to purchase one. The canvas and nylon models have some differences between them! Personally I wish I went for the canvas one because it’s more iconic but aside from minor differences like the tunnel stitching they’re pretty similar.
Edit: I assume he sewed them shut, but the nylon version comes with some pretty sizable drainage holes in the magazine pouches that I needed to close off before I could use the bag as an outdoor backpack. They’re MASSIVE, so repurposing the bag may take some extra work if you seek to utilize the mag pouches in their current configuration.
@@n-signia1087 I typically keep small first aid, sowing, and emergency ponchos and blankets in them.
Bottom pouches I have a ponch ( middle ), wood working ( silky saw, wood rasp, and my fire starter kit ), the remaining pocket has my steaks, some 550 and some bank line in it.
I find that I use the stuff in the top very little, but when you get a cut if you can get to your first aid one handed and quickly the less likely you are to get blood on everything. A can of black pepper fits in there quite nicely and it is my goto for cuts anyway.
@@n-signia1087 my nylon medium one has a slot in all 3 pouches
Nice mods, I did the same with my large and medium ALICE packs. Haven't gotten up the nerve to do the fastek buckles and I didn't turn the mag pouches into one pouch. I can't sew worth a crap. I added the molle sleeping bag carrier to the bottom of my medium pack.
Jeff Richards Cool! The buckle mod was quite easy to do if you have a piece of extra webbing. It just threads into the existing buckle and then I folded it up and used tape to lock it down. Takes about 5 min. Totally worth it.
@@EnduranceRoom I'll try that. Thanks!
Beautiful. I was going through Ebay, I got me an old P-64 frame.
I thought I could attach my medium alicepack. Didn't work.
Great video.
Thanks mate!
Very good thanks
Good pocket Mod, it's hard to beat the Med & Large ALICE Packs. I did the Hellcat upgrades, and Sea to Summit buckles years ago, thanks to YT. Thanks for posting. TAKE CARE..
Brushbum thanks! It is definitely good stuff.
Corporal Kelly sent me
thanks! Welcome to the channel!
those aren't magazine pouches...magazine bags were mounted on the LBE harness. I would not want to find myself needing to remove my pack so I can rummage those pouches for a loaded magazine. P.S. Excellent ideas! thanks bro..
I really like the idea of the fastex buckles on the flap straps, but I’m wondering how you were able to put them in without cutting anything? Could you make a video on how you installed those?
I took some extra webbing and looped it through the metal buckle, into the fastex buckle, back into the metal buckle, and then wrapped it in tape. Florida Boy Survival did a good video on the mod. Cheers
@@EnduranceRoom ok, thanks I’ll look into that video. Thanks for the quick response as well!
I'm not 100% but I think you used the Alice era NBC/chem suit bag, judging by the size of the buckles and the velcro.
The sleeping bag carrier utilizes 2" buckles and no velcro.
no big deal, but in case anyone was looking for the same materials or what have you
Nice, that may be the one. I got it at my old surplus store back home out of a bin for $6.
Hey what do you think about that shooters stool Alice pack mod from Waypoint Survival? I literally bought the Alice pack for that particular mod. Great video btw!
Thanks! It’s nice to have a chair in the woods. I would give it a try and see what you think. I have made a few chair/packs and bought one from Finland and really like them.
@EnduranceRoom nice I'll check those videos out, thanks man!
👍🏻🇺🇸
What type of tents are those at 2:03?
plash palatka, old Soviet poncho/tents
i only have a medium A.L.i.C.E pack i keep stuffing shit in there it now weighs nearly 30 KG im in deep shit if i have to bug out in a rush !