Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Army issue pack

My son-in-law gave me a Army back pack when he got out of the army 6 years ago . any ideas on improving on it for . Hunting like adding a frame. I've never needed a backpack for hunting but am hoping to go Elk hunting in Montana. the pack could be used as a rest . or should I buy a new pack

Which ruck is it? Alice,Molle or assault type?

Really need to see a picture of it.

If it's ALICE, one size does not fit all, but it will last a lifetime, and the frames are still common and usually cheap.

If it's MOLLE, the early frames were easy to adjust for length, but they were pretty fragile, IMHO, hard to find, and expensive to replace. I haven't played with the latest, may be better than the early ones.

If it's a three day assualt pack, most of the common one have a plastic sheet for a stiffener in the back of the pack, and not much else.

MOLLE and CFP-90s are both decent. (not great, decent, things like buckles that slip are common) Buy some straps and male and female field expedient buckles for cinching loads to keep things from flopping. Cinch it down when it's loaded, and unless you're backpacking in, carry what you need for the day including meat bags, knife, latex gloves, paracord, food water, rain gear, socks, leather gloves.

An awesome upgrade would be a Kifaru Gunbearer.

I wouldn't carry a USGI ALICE, even with an upgraded belt, by design, the frame keeps your load about 3" out from your back, which makes being in mountains less balanced, clumsy. Surplus packs are inexpensive and finding replacement/upgrade parts pretty easy.

Search eBay for CFP-90, MOLLE, and ALICE packs, you'll get a better idea of what it is, and we can probably talk you through making it more comfortable/usable cheaply if we know what it is.

Just don't think you've got to fill it. Mountains will break you off even without overloading your pack...

Sorry it took so long to reply. It is a Molle II Modular light weight loud carrying equipment Assault Pack Specialty Defense System. wow any way that's what I have.

It's an assault pack- so not much more than a book bag. Are you needing to carry a heavy load with it or just day hunting?

It will be a day pack maybe over night .

With this type of pack .For day use should I add a frame.

It must be the three day pack with the plastic sheet. is this a pack worth using are should I look for something else. Should the sheet be replaced.

I don't like frames personally...

The thing here, work with it... load it up. We have 50 pound bags of limestone and one that is 70 and one around 100..

Walk with it in the evenings, it'll tell you after a couple of trips how good it is.

The biggest load I've carried so far was in a cheap bass pro backpack once... It did fine for me. Energy was an issue as I was sick as a dog by the time we got as far as packing.

But the pack never hurt me in anyway.

I use an Eagle Industries A-III Assualt Pack for some hunting applications. IIRC it holds about 2800 CI. I use it to hold gear, food, game bags, water and a spotting scope. I run it without a waist belt, for quick on and off. Super comfortable ---- right up until you shoot something. Not much room left over for meat. I've carried out 1/2 a deer (California and Montana Muleys) and my gear on several occasions without the waist belt. Not too comfortable. Waist belt make it tolerable.

In short, the assault packs are great for gear, and work well as a rest, but not well suited for hauling meat. I'll be carrying the Eagle Assault Pack this fall in Montana. again for deer. If I was hunting Elk and expected to carry my share of the carcass, I'd bring a larger pack.

I just used my beat up ILBE pack, still has the marine logo atitched on the inside of it, to pack out a load from 2 miles in that consisted of:
2 bull elk front quarters
2 backstraps
1 side neck meat
2 loins
Large rack
Rifle
Daypack
It worked well. The waist strap could have been a touch stiffer to help keep weight on my hips, but the side load cinching straps kept the meat from shifting, as well as held onto my rifle as I made the trek in the dark. The head compartment served to hold my daypack, as well as hold the rack securely. Load lifters functioned great. I could have bought a very expensive pack to maybe do the same thing as the ilbe did with a bit less versatility but possibly more comfort.

Buy a Cabela's pack frame. Use the pack you have for the day/overnight pack. If you get an elk, carry out the tenderloins, backstraps, etc., in it on the first load to the truck. Get the Cabela's frame and use that to haul out the rest.

See here - Cabela's pack frames

Yes, there are better frames out there, but the Cabela's ones are damned inexpensive and work very well.

Don't think your only options are packs or pack frames. There are also two wheel carts and sleds to consider.
I built a cart years ago, that can carry meat, gear or even an injured hunter easily. (Uses wheelchair wheels)

Another cheap option: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/6439...;attrValue_0=Olive&productId=1077114

I bought a Paradox pack from Seek Outside a couple years ago and got rid of everything else...but held onto the LL Bean carryall frame.

fyi - some of the Wilderness Pack Specialties' packs will fit on a Molle frame - as will their load hauler sling.

www.wildernesspacks.com

I bought one of their (Molle) frames and load hauler slings several years ago. it carries reasonably well, but I am short (5'7") and the frame probably doesn't carry as well for taller folks.

I've since bought a military-issue pack bag from Ebay and fit it onto the same pack frame, and it fits over the load hauler sling.

not as light or nice as my Kuiu or Outdoorsmans set-ups, but hundreds of dollars less.

fyi - the Molle pack, with a Wilderness Pack Specialties' load sling, makes for an inexpensive and handy frame pack when using pack stock, because that pack frame fits inside my panniers, whereas my Cabelas pack frame is too long to fit inside the panniers (when empty).

good luck with your search. -spfarr