My ALICE Hellcat Pack...

[Niblick]

Thanks for that ghost, very helpful.

[Burncycle]

Thanks for that Tacair, now I've added a buttpack to my Hellcat lol

Formerly I had a day's worth of food in each of the outside pockets (3 days worth). Now all of that fits inside the buttpack and it frees up the pockets for other things.

I was thinking though guys, mine is set up for winter but it's getting pretty heavy (around 65 pounds with water). Slogging it into camp and out at the end of the trip is one thing, but carrying it around during would be a PITA... what about carrying a smaller daypack in the space in the frame? I've managed to comfortably fit a Camelbak HAWG (minus hydration bladder) in the space. Once camp is set up, the main pack is dropped off and the hydration bladder transferred to the HAWG. You can also go smaller and lighter... the MAXPEDITION Rollypoly Extreme rolls down pretty tiny.

[Niblick]

Thanks for that Tacair, now I've added a buttpack to my Hellcat lol

Formerly I had a day's worth of food in each of the outside pockets (3 days worth). Now all of that fits inside the buttpack and it frees up the pockets for other things.

I was thinking though guys, mine is set up for winter but it's getting pretty heavy (around 65 pounds with water). Slogging it into camp and out at the end of the trip is one thing, but carrying it around during would be a PITA... what about carrying a smaller daypack in the space in the frame? I've managed to comfortably fit a Camelbak HAWG (minus hydration bladder) in the space. Once camp is set up, the main pack is dropped off and the hydration bladder transferred to the HAWG. You can also go smaller and lighter... the MAXPEDITION Rollypoly Extreme rolls down pretty tiny.

My entire camping set up is based around the notion of carrying a smaller day pack. I only do it if someone is staying at camp to guard the shit. I never leave gear unsecured even if it's miles in to the woods. Preppers have the tendency to have $1000+ worth of gear at any time and I'm no exception.

[Kutter_0311]

I'm a big fan of patrol/assault packs docked onto a main ruck.

As odd as it may sound, I had a pair of Medium ALICE rucks piggybacked for a while...

I think my fave packs to add are the USMC ILBE Assault Pack and the Camelbak Ambush.

By adding both to a main ruck, you can really concentrate your heavier camp gear in the main ruck and keep more oft-used gear in the other two. This lets you drop the heavy stuff at a bivy site or patrol base and immediately head out on patrol or ambush without having to stop and dig through bags.

The ILBE assault pack is a great size for carrying a few MRE's, poncho/liner, water, and other essentials for a day or two of light operations, while the Ambush is just big enough to carry water, ammo, and snacks without slowwing you down.

So, I'd take the assault pack on overnight ambush, but I'd take the Ambush if I were assaulting a position

[Crimson Phoenix]

Since I'm keeping my MOLLE II assault pack as my daypack until I get something like a Camelbak Hawg or Mule, I'm considering setting up my Recon Ruck as a Hellcat once I get a frame and new belt for it and piggybacking the assault pack, if possible. I know I've done it with the large MOLLE ruck, with the smaller Hellcat for two to three day outings, which are the more likely trips I take. I can then ditch the large MOLLE ruck unless I'm expecting to be out nearly a week or more.

Speaking of, since I use either a poncho liner or a Snugpak Sleeper Lite mummy bag to sleep in, do they make a smaller waterproof bag suitable to carry it instead of the MSS sleep carrier bag that attaches to the bottom of the ruck? I somehow figure the Sleeper Lite and a decent pillow would still take up less room than the MSS. I know when I put them in the sleeping bag compartment of the large ruck, I had enough room to shove my tent down (vertically) all the way to the bottom on one side and my rolled up thermarest self-inflating mattress in a bag likewise on the other side with the sleeping bag nestled in the middle.

[Kutter_0311]

If you have an MSS, try it out under the Recon Ruck. It can get pretty small.

I don't know of any smaller bag you could use there, unless you go to the butt pack, or the SOB...

[ghost792]

I made an interesting discovery the other day. A Pelican 1020 micro case fits perfectly inside one of the old 2 button IFAK pouches. My cell phone fits perfectly in the 1020, or it can be used to carry other small items in waterproof safety.

[Kutter_0311]

My cell phone fits perfectly in the 1020, or it can be used to carry other small items in waterproof safety.

Jesus, how big is your cell phone?

[ghost792]

2.6 x 5 x .5 inches. Phones with usable touchscreens are big.

The 1020 also works great for carrying spare batteries and memory cards for my digital camera.

[Jeriah]

(Ninja edit)

It is possible to attach sustainment pouches to the side of an ALICE ruck, - this really limits what goes into the outside pockets on each side. The pouches will also flop around a bit. (Shrug) YMMV. Just thought it was interesting to see.

I'm setting myself up a Hellcat right now, mostly because I had a large ALICE pack + frame with a broken belt, sitting around gathering dust, and I figured I might as well turn it into a project rather than toss perfectly good components. Worse case I figure I'll set it up and give it away at a ZS20 charity event or something. Anyway, I bought a MOLLE belt on Ebay for $6 + $6 shipping, and even though it hasn't arrived yet, I happened by my local army-navy surplus store, and they had Sustainment pouches for $5 each. That beats anything I could find online and no shipping, so I bought a pair. They DO attach to the sides of the Large ALICE, but I wonder if we're attaching them differently.

This website has photos of a Large ALICE with the MOLLE sustainment pouches attached; this is how I attached mine:

http://shop.cjlenterprize.com/Molle-Sus ... 2POUCH.htm

The sustainment pouches are attached to the far outboard web straps, and don't seem to interfere with the outer pockets at all. However, the MOLLE straps on the pouches are farther apart than the webbing on the pack, so when I install them like that it forces the fabric of the pouch to bunch up a bit between the straps. The top lids look a bit rumpled, and I'm sure it impairs their internal volume a little...but they're still a huge addition to the volume of the pack. Filled with towels and the pack filled with pillows, it looks wide, puffy, and not too floppy, but I'm sure with enough weight in 'em they'd sag like...well, you know, like two large, floppy sacks full of weight might sag.

I am 100% certain that sewing even little bits of molle webbing on either side of the ALICE webbing straps would allow them to sit properly, but that's an added layer of investment in this project I might or might not get around to at some point.

[ghost792]

My sustainment pouches wobbled a little until I realized I hadn't "woven" the attachment straps through the webbing loops on the back of the pouches. Made a big difference.

[Jeriah]

My sustainment pouches wobbled a little until I realized I hadn't "woven" the attachment straps through the webbing loops on the back of the pouches. Made a big difference.

I found that when I wove them, it caused the ALICE itself to bunch up, vertically, so I un-wove them. This is on a Large, BTW. Did your main pack body not rumple at all when you wove 'em?

[ghost792]

My sustainment pouches wobbled a little until I realized I hadn't "woven" the attachment straps through the webbing loops on the back of the pouches. Made a big difference.

I found that when I wove them, it caused the ALICE itself to bunch up, vertically, so I un-wove them. This is on a Large, BTW. Did your main pack body not rumple at all when you wove 'em?

It doesn't seem to have, or maybe not badly. I'll have to check again once I get the main pack loaded up later this week. Mine is also a Large. I suppose I could try it on my Medium, too. I'm getting the straps and pads to Hellcat that pack later this week.

[ghost792]

Well, I've got my Large ALICE Hellcat loaded up, and the sustainment pouches don't seem to have caused any bunching to the main pack.

I did have to re-rig the MSS carrier, because I'm carrying the full MSS this weekend due to cooler nighttime temps. I had zero problems getting the MSS into the carrier and even had enough extra space to stuff in a USGI poncho. I didn't have enough length on the MSS carrier straps to let me close the buckles. I originally had them rigged over the crossbar on the ALICE frame and through the attachment slots in the bottom of the frame and then through the horizontal webbing loops on the bottom of the ALICE ruck. I ended up just running them through the slots and loops and not over the crossbar. It seemed stable enough, but I was concerned the weight of the MSS might tear out the loops on the ALICE pack.

I noticed the d-rings on the MSS carrier lined up just below the vertical webbing loops on the lower sides of the ALICE pack (the lashing strap guides). I cut two lengths of paracord and ran one connecting each side's d-ring and lashing strap loop using 7 or 8 loops of the paracord. This seems to have firmed everything up and taken some of the weight off the bottom lashing strap loops. I'm sure there's a better way, but this works and uses what I had on hand.

I also got my set of straps and belt to turn my medium ALICE into a Hellcat. I purchased a set of newer straps in UCP (US Army digital) camo because they were the only ones I could find that included the male part of the quick release.

FYI, these shoulder straps' attachment straps are very different than the original MOLLE II ones. I was able to rig up something that works, but I don't think there will be a lot of adjustment capability to account for different torso lengths. If the center strap were longer, the traditional Hellcat assembly instructions would work. I may try to extend the center strap at some point.

On a positive note, the UCP straps seem to be a little higher quality than the woodland ones. The large pad on them is a velcro'ed pocket, which allows the pads (scapula pads?) to be replaced. There's also a small amount of extra space in that pocket that could be used for some small items.

The hip belt isn't much different, but the quick release on the buckle is much, much nicer. I'll try to take some pictures in the next few days.