bharen
Guide
It's gonna be a musical cuz' I'm gonna' sing it's praises.
I've had a fair number of packs on my back in the last 18 months. Most have been at least OK. Some have been very good, some a bit disappointing. Some didn't live up to the hype (I won't name names here...). Some were surprisingly good considering the price (the LL Bean Continental Rucksack). However, one has consistently stood out for ruggedness and comfort and has become my go-to bag of choice for day tripping.
The MOLLE II Assault Pack (NSN 8465-01-524-5250):
The MOLLE system was just being fielded Army-wide as I retired back in 2002, so I never got a formal introduction. The ALICE system was what served me through my career. I came across this particular pack model in 2010 when I bought a used copy for my son-in-law to use as a gear bag (he's a local police officer). Before giving it to him I gave it a thorough look over and was impressed. It was a good design that was very well executed. This was about the time I started hanging out on this forum and my overall interest in the outdoors and hiking got re-ignited and I started a gear quest to find a comfortable day bag.
I very quickly found this bag - in new condition - at a local surplus store and started rotating it in with other bags I was evaluating. Within a short period of time it became my bag of choice. It is, hands down, the most comfortable small backpack I've ever carried. Period. I think this is due in large part to one of the key design focuses of this pack - it is designed to be worn over body armor. This means there is a lot of room and adjustment in the shoulder straps. For a guy like me who is a bit broad in the beam this extra room makes all the difference. But it's not just the extra room. The pack's shape and internal stiffener make it extremely comfortable with loads up to 22 lbs (the most I've tested so far).
The other thing I like about it is the half-clamshell design. I prefer the classic top loading design like the ALICE pack and I really distrust the full-clamshell design that depends on the zipper to secure the contents (I've seen too many zippers fail under load). The half clamshell design of this pack is a good compromise, plus there is load strap on each side that will keep the upper half of the pack closed should the zipper fail.
As far as features go the bag is pretty simple. No internal pockets or pouches. You can add what is known as a MOLLE Radio Pouch to help divide up the internal space, but I found it just complicates things and adds unnecessary weight. There's a good sized external pocket on the back that is sub-divided into two different storage areas, and that's about it. There are lash points and PALS webbing mount points on the outside of the pack, but compared to a Maxpedition bag it's pretty spartan. I have two MOLLE canteen pouches strapped to each side and they do yeoman duty as Nalgene bottle carriers or general purpose pouches. There are lash points at the top and bottom of the pack.
My only real complaint is that the Assault Pack does not have a reinforced bottom. But then neither did my old ALICE pack, and that never failed me.
Rumor is that the Army intends to replace the Assault Pack with the new MOLLE Medium Rucksack (with external frame) as a standard issue item. That's probably true because there's too big a capacity gap between the Assault Pack and the MOLLE II Large Rucksack. However, I don't think the Assault Pack will be leaving the system any time soon. I work at a large hub airport that serves a lot of soldiers moving between duty stations. The Assault Pack is clearly a very popular item. It makes an excellent travel bag. It fits easily in overhead compartments and can hold a laptop computer, books, a change of clothing and toiletries. A medium MOLLE rucksack with frame would simply be too big and unwieldy and would end up as checked baggage.
A lot of these packs have come on the market in the last 18 months. Good used and new examples are readily available. The most commonly seen are the ACU pattern models, although the Army also had them produced in woodland camo (the old BDU pattern), desert camo (DCU) and they are now starting to appear in the new Multicam pattern. However, the ACU pattern is still a current issue item; I've seen them for sale as recently as late November in the Army Clothing Sales store at Fort Benning ($89 each, which is the government contract price). Prices can be all over the place on these on eBay, but my recommendation is to not pay more than $70 for a new example.
So how much do I like this pack? Here's a hint - in addition to the pack in these pictures I have two others, both new, in storage in case of the unlikely event that I wear this one out.
I consider the MOLLE II Assault Pack a minor classic, on par with the ALICE large rucksack as an outstanding design in its time.
Brian
I've had a fair number of packs on my back in the last 18 months. Most have been at least OK. Some have been very good, some a bit disappointing. Some didn't live up to the hype (I won't name names here...). Some were surprisingly good considering the price (the LL Bean Continental Rucksack). However, one has consistently stood out for ruggedness and comfort and has become my go-to bag of choice for day tripping.
The MOLLE II Assault Pack (NSN 8465-01-524-5250):
The MOLLE system was just being fielded Army-wide as I retired back in 2002, so I never got a formal introduction. The ALICE system was what served me through my career. I came across this particular pack model in 2010 when I bought a used copy for my son-in-law to use as a gear bag (he's a local police officer). Before giving it to him I gave it a thorough look over and was impressed. It was a good design that was very well executed. This was about the time I started hanging out on this forum and my overall interest in the outdoors and hiking got re-ignited and I started a gear quest to find a comfortable day bag.
I very quickly found this bag - in new condition - at a local surplus store and started rotating it in with other bags I was evaluating. Within a short period of time it became my bag of choice. It is, hands down, the most comfortable small backpack I've ever carried. Period. I think this is due in large part to one of the key design focuses of this pack - it is designed to be worn over body armor. This means there is a lot of room and adjustment in the shoulder straps. For a guy like me who is a bit broad in the beam this extra room makes all the difference. But it's not just the extra room. The pack's shape and internal stiffener make it extremely comfortable with loads up to 22 lbs (the most I've tested so far).
The other thing I like about it is the half-clamshell design. I prefer the classic top loading design like the ALICE pack and I really distrust the full-clamshell design that depends on the zipper to secure the contents (I've seen too many zippers fail under load). The half clamshell design of this pack is a good compromise, plus there is load strap on each side that will keep the upper half of the pack closed should the zipper fail.
As far as features go the bag is pretty simple. No internal pockets or pouches. You can add what is known as a MOLLE Radio Pouch to help divide up the internal space, but I found it just complicates things and adds unnecessary weight. There's a good sized external pocket on the back that is sub-divided into two different storage areas, and that's about it. There are lash points and PALS webbing mount points on the outside of the pack, but compared to a Maxpedition bag it's pretty spartan. I have two MOLLE canteen pouches strapped to each side and they do yeoman duty as Nalgene bottle carriers or general purpose pouches. There are lash points at the top and bottom of the pack.
My only real complaint is that the Assault Pack does not have a reinforced bottom. But then neither did my old ALICE pack, and that never failed me.
Rumor is that the Army intends to replace the Assault Pack with the new MOLLE Medium Rucksack (with external frame) as a standard issue item. That's probably true because there's too big a capacity gap between the Assault Pack and the MOLLE II Large Rucksack. However, I don't think the Assault Pack will be leaving the system any time soon. I work at a large hub airport that serves a lot of soldiers moving between duty stations. The Assault Pack is clearly a very popular item. It makes an excellent travel bag. It fits easily in overhead compartments and can hold a laptop computer, books, a change of clothing and toiletries. A medium MOLLE rucksack with frame would simply be too big and unwieldy and would end up as checked baggage.
A lot of these packs have come on the market in the last 18 months. Good used and new examples are readily available. The most commonly seen are the ACU pattern models, although the Army also had them produced in woodland camo (the old BDU pattern), desert camo (DCU) and they are now starting to appear in the new Multicam pattern. However, the ACU pattern is still a current issue item; I've seen them for sale as recently as late November in the Army Clothing Sales store at Fort Benning ($89 each, which is the government contract price). Prices can be all over the place on these on eBay, but my recommendation is to not pay more than $70 for a new example.
So how much do I like this pack? Here's a hint - in addition to the pack in these pictures I have two others, both new, in storage in case of the unlikely event that I wear this one out.
I consider the MOLLE II Assault Pack a minor classic, on par with the ALICE large rucksack as an outstanding design in its time.
Brian
