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A few months ago, a close friend gave me a backpack that suits both of our tastes perfectly. It is rhobust, simple. Modular, comfortable and huge. There is a zippered divider panel in the middle, and you can open it from the top or bottom to avoid having to unpack the whole thing to get at the bottom. All of the parts can be removed, shifted around, cleaned and washed. It is digicamo (I would prefer a plain grey, but I can live with it.) It has Molle II stuff. I can't find any maker's marks.

 

Anyway, I am about 5'7" and this fits great. I could pack an  injured friend out inside my backpack if I want, and I like having the choice to carry bulky stuff. I don't buy into that notion that if you have space you will try to carry your house. No. Give me space. I will decide to leave stuff behind. I have self control. This pack has room to carry my stuff to camp, then unload the pack and gather firewood with it.

 

The problem is that my friend is 6'4" and fairly lean. People in Zimbabwe called him "mabonzo" which roughly means skeleton. The plastic exo frame is just too short for his torso. Since this is military stuff, and they care about troops' ergonomics now, I assume that this standard type of pack must exist in a suitable size to buy for him. Can you help me i.d. and find one for him? Thanks.

 

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Here are the pics. I could only find one label, and the only other markings are patent numbers on buckles. He was originally given the pack by a military friend, but I don't know what branch.

 

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LOOKS GOOD, looks like you could pack a lot of gear in that.

Here are my 2 survival packs.

Bag 1 has everything needed for long term survival in any climate. Only problem is it weighs about 70 lbs.

Bag 2 has enough non- perishable food for about 60 days and water purification  devices and water storage,

also an alcohol stove and plenty of fuel to cook all that food. It weighs about 25lbs.

So needles to say if I have to haul these 2 around and a pistol and rifle + ammo, I'm not going to get very far in a day.

I would probably make me some sort of primitive sled to cary the heavy load and just use all my power into moving it.

 

I almost forgot my 4 piece military modular sleep system, best thing I ever bought. Have sleep in that outside with no shelter before at -10 degrees fahrenheit

and stayed toasty warm all night. It weighs about 10 lbs.

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Edited by SHOTGUN MESSIAH
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Here are the pics. I could only find one label, and the only other markings are patent numbers on buckles. He was originally given the pack by a military friend, but I don't know what branch.

 

gallery_17871_1406_1163696.jpg

 

gallery_17871_1406_978487.jpg

 

gallery_17871_1406_1415953.jpg

 

gallery_17871_1406_795129.jpg

 

gallery_17871_1406_53172.jpg

I have that frame tied to a Large Alice Pack!

 

Sadly, it would only carry 1 case of 5.45x39 or 7.62x39.

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So any idea what this model is called, where to get them, and how to get one in a taller size of frame?

 

 

This one would probably fit about 10 spam cans of commie cartridges. In the picture, it actually has about 300 rounds of hand made 9mm in the side pouches that I didn't bother to take out from the last time I used it.

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Same as this one?

 

I do know that Molle is a modular system and the frame is designed to be used with various packs and equipment. I don't think that they make a taller frame.

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Edited by Sim_Player
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That NSN # is for the waist belt only.

 

I've ordered NSN items from entrygear dot com

 

I'm using an M4 mag pouch to hold my 5rd mags.  Even found that using canteen Molle pouches holds them as well and you can put single shells in the little pockets for backup.

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No offense intended but military packs do the job for general abuse and suck at everything else. The ergonomics suck, the product is hit or miss and if you aren't able to DX that shit you are stuck with a lemon. Lots of the surplus or overrun stuff is shit that didn't make the cut. I had to deal with shitty military packs working light infantry. As an avid skier and hunter I use civilian packs that are a million times better than the jansport quality shit they force on the troops these days. These guys have some good gear for large frame men. 

 

 

http://www.mysteryranch.com

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I am not saying that there aren't better made civvy stuff. I am saying that this suits the way we use them better than a $400 fancy pack does.

 

Same as this one?

I do know that Molle is a modular system and the frame is designed to be used with various packs and equipment. I don't think that they make a taller frame.

 

Dad-Dad sent me links to probably that same one. Also some large frames, but I couldn't determine whether the frame I have IS the largest one. If so, then the pack is a poor fit for him.

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I am not saying that there aren't better made civvy stuff. I am saying that this suits the way we use them better than a $400 fancy pack does.

 

 

Same as this one?

I do know that Molle is a modular system and the frame is designed to be used with various packs and equipment. I don't think that they make a taller frame.

 

 

Dad-Dad sent me links to probably that same one. Also some large frames, but I couldn't determine whether the frame I have IS the largest one. If so, then the pack is a poor fit for him.

From what I saw they only make medium and large

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Is there a clear way to tell which is which? Maybe mine is medium. If so, I will buy a large for him and call it done. If mine is large, then I need to keep looking.

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Large frame dimensions:

 

Dimensions: 22.5"x15.5"

Weight: 2.2 lbs.

 

Medium frame dimensions:

 

Dimensions: 18.75"x15"

Weight: 1 lb.

The DEI 1609 is designed to bridge the gap between heavy duty external frames and light duty stays and frame sheets.

 

It's all in the Downeast Inc link I pm' you, click on the pack frame link.

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As a sidenote, this one looks pretty cool and the price is good, but I have not yet looked at any info about how it fits, how much it holds, whether it constantly squeaks like an old vietnam era pack....

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151572172258?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

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Thinking of it, actually. Or maybe adding a molle II waist strap onto the above linked snow camo bundeswehr pack. 


I've also got a piece of old road sign aluminum that could be formed into a pack frame extension with a bit of effort. But I haven't talked myself into taking on the project, what with the rest of life going on.

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Like previously mentioned those rucks kinda sucked ass. 20Ks with those things fully load makes you just want to set it on fire and watch it burn. YMMV. But to answer the question to my knowledge no, we don't have anything other than that frame and rucksack intended for larger/taller guys. It's a one size fits all deal.

 

Edit: I thought you were talking about the sack's carrying capacity. Yeah they have different frames but I think it goes up to just your large. I haven't seen bigger.

Edited by socom688
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FWIW, there are some good reasons to want durability and low price tag over ultimate comfort. he's about to take it to Zimbabwe. Valuable stuff is not wise to take there. He also likes to be very rough on his gear. We've used it to pack firewood up a mountain plenty of times, and all manner of poky tools. That flyweight nylon stuff the fancy packs are made of just wouldn't do for this. 

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I am going to see what it would take to stretch out a molle II frame without making it weak, stabby or heavy. If that looks sucky, the next line will be to get that BW pack and rig the molle II style waist belt onto it.

 

Either way, I'll add in some pictures of whatever works. (or doesn't)

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Picked up my molle2 frame and straps (minus the clips ($10 on Amazon)) for $20.00 at a thrift store.

 

I married it to a large Alice Pack (more room and weight than I care to carry).

 

I don't hike so my wife gave me the stink eye and then winked.

Edited by Sim_Player
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I am not saying that there aren't better made civvy stuff. I am saying that this suits the way we use them better than a $400 fancy pack does.

 

Same as this one?

 

I do know that Molle is a modular system and the frame is designed to be used with various packs and equipment. I don't think that they make a taller frame.

 

Dad-Dad sent me links to probably that same one. Also some large frames, but I couldn't determine whether the frame I have IS the largest one. If so, then the pack is a poor fit for him.

The surplus stuff will do just fine for weekend warrior stuff and as a backup pack. Just take into consideration what it will be used for. If it's your primary bag that you do almost everything with, life will be a lot better with a pack that fits you well and reduces stress while fully loaded. Take your pack out and do 20 miles with it. You will quickly find out what works and does not work. If you use it as a bug out bag, consider blending in. Not only will it fatigue you quicker it will make you stick out like a sore thumb to someone more prepared with evil intent. If you have a large torso, like I do, you will find that the issued packs truly do suck and after a day of hiking will wonder why your lumbar feels like it was hit with a baseball bat. The packs I linked are made in Montana for climbers, soldiers, firefighters etc. They are one of the best but there are tons of good products out there that do the trick. For skiing, I have found that the Ortovox packs work really well and I also use it for a range bag when shooting pistols.

 

Whatever you do, do your homework. If it's just a novelty bag go for the surplus shit. If it's for serious recreation or work, consider getting fitted or know how to fit yourself with a frame pack or integrated pack that will reduce stress on your body and incease your ability to move gear faster, easier and with less damage to your joints and muscle.

 

Do you put surplus ammunition in your rifle for self defense? Do you use cheap chinese hiking boots to hike? It's your body, just thought I would put my two cents in to warn you about the shitty military packs. Pay a little more now for a good pack and you will avoid paying chiropractors and surgeons later on in life. Especially if you are packing over 50 pounds.

 

P.S. beware of the sea of chinese knock off surplus gear especially packs and other commonly sold items. U.S. packs will almost always have ITW Fastex buckles that can be identified in the molding and YKK zippers.

Edited by Stryker0946
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These are for camping, relatively short hikes lasting a few days. Lugging stuff up to a base camp, also a kinda hidden campsite with some permanent things we are stealthily stocking up for fun. A few weeks ago, I used it to lug a bunch of wrenches and assorted hand tools to build a bridge in the woods and possibly get a portable saw mill going again. I used an old alice pack frame on the same trip to lug around a big chainsaw too. That reminded me how much I hate Alice packs. Maybe they would be OK with the "hellcat mod" but they squeak constantly.  

 

I also use it to carry steel targets , and ammo into awkward places. This kind of thing is great for carrying awkward heavy crap that would poke holes in civvy backpacks. And if I do ruin it, I can buy the parts or another pack on ebay.  So I might be packing in 75 or a hundred pounds of clumsy heavy crap for 2-3 miles of rough stuff.  That's what this is for. 

 

I have a pretty decent internal frame daypack that fits me extremely well. It just doesn't have enormous capacity. It's good for everyday use and a day hike.

 

I don't do the bug out bag thing. I'm not trying to play soldier. You can do that if you want, but I have next to no interest in it. If I carry a long arm in the woods, it will either be for part of a backpacking trip, hunting, or a short target shooting excursion. 

 

 

I don't really do the 20 mile a day 2 week treks, but if I get invited to climb mount adams or do some snow hiking at night, it is good enough to get me there and let me join. Sure there are better. More comfortable, lighter, better balanced. I'll keep mystery ranch in mind if I ever start doing more climbing or the longer treks with any frequency. I've looked at gregory and similar too, and seldom found things that fit me well without having some glaring flaw. Frankly it makes me angry that these things can cost $3-400 and not be waterproof or nearly so. Really? The same companies that know how to make a tent, can't figure out how to put flaps on the zippers, and they want to sell me a $60 shower cap to put over the backpack. Screw that. They suck. That's shameful design. The market needs someone to sell a $250-350 internal frame quality pack with waterproof cloth and splash proof zipper shields. Warrant it for 1 month as actual water proof under one of those mil standard type spray tests, then splash proof thereafter. Obviously they can't control wear and snags, but we ought to be able to put tent repair glue or raft sealant on any snags or chafed areas and seams and keep them going.

+1 on the zippers though. I look at straps 1st, zippers 2nd. If either of those doesn't measure up, I move on. I have had so many blown out zippers in my life...

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My packs would be used for moving stuff short distances too (ie, to and from the car).

 

Different scenarios would dictate what to pack so I keep them mostly empty and at the ready.

Edited by Sim_Player
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IMO the best surplus pack available right now for general civvy use is still the phased out USMC ILBE.  Designed by Arc'teryx and made by Propper, they're a solid piece of gear.  They're really more like a modern backpacking pack just made with cordura instead of thin nylon.  Marines phased them out because they just didn't jive with wearing body armor under the pack suspension.  So unless that's a major concern, they're superb for all sorts of use.  I use mine for winter camping when I need to carry a little extra weight.   To me it's comfortable to about 45 pounds.  After that it starts to lose its balance, but again that's all preference.  You can find them pretty much complete in good shape for $80-100.

 

USMC_ILBE_lg.jpg

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Check out eberlestocks g4 operator or skycrane packs. They're pricy but you can find them used on military bookoo sites heavily discounted. Thats how i got my operator. I have a friend who is 6ft 4in and it can even adjust to him. Its tough as nails and can carry everything and the kitchen sink! Ive used mine for camping and hiking for miles at a time with a 50lb load and compared to other packs it felt like 30lbs.

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Those look very nice, but they are way out of the pricerange of what I can do for him. Kinda also too nice to treat the way it will be used.

 

I am trying to scrape up the cash for the ILBE large ruck.

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