ALICE Pack Frame

US Army ALICE Frame

This is the external frame from the US Army's ALICE system (All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment), the load-carrying gear soldiers carried for decades. It sits between the pack and your back, so the weight rides on a rigid structure instead of on fabric and shoulder straps alone. Soldiers carried it under the ALICE rucksack. Hunters, campers and kit builders now fit it under original packs, custom bags or bulky loads that a frameless pack can't manage.

Features

• Genuine US Army Issue — Supplied under National Stock Number 8465-00-001-6475, the government's own catalog number for this item.
• Tubular Metal Construction — Two curved side rails join at the top to form a rigid outline that holds its shape under load.
• Center Spine And Crossbar — A vertical center strut and a flat horizontal crossbar brace the frame and give the pack and straps solid points to anchor to.
• Curved Lower Bar — The bottom bar sweeps back toward the body so the base of the load sits closer to your hips.
• Side Mounting Plates — Flat brackets at each lower corner carry the hardware where straps and accessories attach.
• Top Attachment Points — Slots along the upper rail let the pack's top fittings hook securely onto the frame.
• Dark Non-Reflective Finish — A matte dark finish keeps the frame from catching light in the field.
• ALICE System Component — Built to work with the rest of the ALICE family, so original packs and frame accessories line up with its fittings.

Original Military Spec

This frame was made to the Army's specification for the ALICE system, not to a commercial maker's version of it, so its fittings match issued packs and accessories. The listing covers the frame as pictured. Shoulder straps, kidney pad and pack bag are separate items. Reenactors and collectors get a genuine piece of US load-bearing kit, and practical users get a frame that was designed from the start to carry heavy loads.