PSA: That time at a flea market in Portland made me rethink my whole bug-out bag

I was at this big flea market in Portland last summer, just browsing old tools and junk. Found a guy selling military surplus packs, and he showed me his old army ruck from the 90s. He pointed out how my fancy new camping backpack had thin straps and no frame for heavy loads. I thought I had a solid grab-and-go setup, but after talking to him for twenty minutes I realized I was carrying about 30 pounds of stuff in a bag built for 15. So I swapped to a surplus Alice pack with a frame and metal buckles. Now I can haul a solid 50 pounds of water filters and canned goods without my shoulders screaming. Has anyone else had a random stranger completely change how you prep?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles_sanchez17d ago

Ran into an old timer at a gun show who pointed out my "tactical" backpack had zero hip support. Felt like a mall ninja right then. Swapped it for a beat up internal frame pack I found for 20 bucks. Now I can carry enough jerky and iodine tabs to survive a week without my back giving out on me.

drew_park17d agoOG Member

Those Alice packs are heavy though... my lower back can't handle the weight like it used to.

margaret30417d ago

Actually the original USGI Alice pack isn't that bad if you have the right frame. The problem is most people use the small bent frame but the large straight frame distributes weight way better. @miles_sanchez is right about hip support being key though, the Alice pack's kidney pad is kinda useless without the metal frame to transfer load. I've carried 80 pounds in mine through the Sierras and my back was fine because I had it adjusted right. The real trick is making sure the waist belt sits on your hip bones not your soft tissue.