Previously Issued U.S. G.I. Medium Olive Drab Military Surplus Alice Pack with Straps

I work for the railroad and am constantly cramming rule books, paperwork, tools, safety gear and other odds and ends in my backpack and other duffel. Due to the nature of the job, I can go thru a $50 backpack from a department store in about 6 months before holes start appearing and zippers give out. Always throwing my pack down (or up onto) trains, the ground, in and out vehicles, getting it snagged on the cab door handles, shutting it in vehicle doors, needless to say I can put back pack thru Iit's paces. When I first pulled this pack out of the box I thought -damn, didn't order a big enough pack for all my gear.....trust me, the medium is plenty big enough. It holds a surprising amount of stuff. At first glance you don't realize the ease of which you can sort and compartmentalize your gear. The only down sides I have found are, lots of loose straps (I'm a big guy, and moving through the cab of a train is fairly tight anyways) that tend to get caught on stuff. Easy fix though, just have to tighten everything up, which makes it take a little longer to get in and out of. (Not long at all once you learn the various buckles, clamps and other fastners) Also, this is made to wear on your back with weight inside. Both arms through the straps. Once you put it on, you'll understand how and where its supposed to go. Spend the time adjusting all the buckles and straps with weight in the pack......you'll thank yourself later. If your looking for a pack to just one arm it and look cool, it doesn't stay on your shoulder very well at all. When you see the pads built into the strap and back pieces you'll understand why. Its made to ride your back in a certain spot does so very well and comfortably, full too. You can one arm from say vehicle to the house and as long as you hold your arm right (awkwardly) it won't slide off. All in all great bag. And you see people who are or were in the service, and they tell you how much they loved theirs......... (well......some did). Very durable, have not ripped or tore anything as of yet.

Outstanding piece of kit. Yes, it is used. That's what SURPLUS means!! Look it up!That said, this is a backpack that's literally meant to be loaded down with 100-150 pounds of kit, and dropped out of an airplane with airborne troops or tied to the bustle rack of a tracked vehicle and dragged against trees and whatever else the tank goes through- or humped throughout the worst conditions you'd never want to be involved in, like ground combat.You're probably not doing anything near as extreme. This will, quite honestly, last you a lifetime. I still have one I bought in 1982 for $20 at the surplus store, used throughout middle school, high school, some college, work, camping, and ill-advised interludes with young women that did not love me, if-you-know-what-I-mean-and-I-think-you-do... it's none the worse for wear, an occasional loose thread which is quickly solved by a lighter like any good troop.I'd still have the one I used for Uncle Sam, but they wanted it back. What are you gonna do? That pack is probably still in service somewhere.I bought this one because I was sick of buying two $60 "durable" schoolkid's bookbag every year for my son. Paid $34, had it in two days (god I love Prime!). I expect it'll last him well into his adult life, and he'll probably be buying his sone one in 20 years or so.Neatest thing about these? TONS of space, durable as a stone axe, and if you need more space or strength added, send it off to the Tactical Tailor and for $50 or so you can have lots of upgrades added, making it still more durable, spacious, and suitable for whatever ill-advised adventure you're considering.

I got this to carry my oil painting supplies and gear into the field for plein air painting. The three outside pockets are perfect for carrying tubes of paint and other things I need to get to quickly. The main compartment has a large main section and a divider to separate items in a smaller area towards the back. It is wide enough to fit my 8 x 10 Open Box M palette, my Walkstool folding chair, my tripod (for mounting the portable palette), a brush case, sealed container of odorless mineral spirits (for brush cleaning), roll of paper towels, my hat, sunscreen, and other personal items--and even after that there's room to spare! I'm only limited by the amount of weight I can carry comfortably.These packs are used, but the one I received is in excellent shape. It's dark olive nylon, with a water resistant coating inside (which smells slightly musty--a smell that I didn't mind because it reminds me of the smell of the old army tent my dad used to set up for us kids in the yard). I imagine it could be washed out with a rag and diluted laundry or dish soap to smell fresher.The shoulder straps are wide enough and padded enough to be comfortable when the pack is loaded. As noted in the description, the should straps are woodland camo, but it's so subtle that it's hardly noticeable. Mine also does not have "US" stamped on the top flap as shown in the photo, which I don't care about either.I am VERY SATSIFIED with my purchase, and it's exactly what I was looking for in a painting pack.

Only complaint I have is with the pressure release buckles on the straps holdin the 3 outside bags lids closedas well as the ones used for the main bag cover.Hard to use when you have arthritis and possibly an agrivation even if you dont.Id prefer different buckles on those straps...Maybe side release would be good ?Just a suggestion on my part.Other than that...Its a bit worn when I got it but not enough to be an issue.Itll work for what I need it to.UPDATE 04-10-2017I just realised that the buckle types shown in the online image is different from whats actually on the pack.The ones shown in the picture woulda been preferable.