Underground Journal

The Advantages of the MOLLE Military Backpack

The MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load Carrying Equipment) military backpack was developed back as early as 1996 to replace the old ALICE (All-Purpose, Lightweight, Individual, Carrying, Equipment) backpacks that were used for years. These new bags were first deployed in October of 2001 to ARMY field agents and the MARINE CORP.

The idea behind these new bags was to make a more lightweight and durable carrying system than the ALICE bag that had been developed way back in 1974. The bags were made thinner and longer than the old style bag. The new model moves the center of gravity to a easier to manage position keeping the soldier in a much more comfortable posture at weight even up to 120 pounds. The MOLLE also has a new suspension system with padded shoulder pads and belt that are adjustable to different torso lengths. This eliminates the need for different size packs.

The system is made up of the MOLLE vest, a butt pack, and a main ruck sack. The vest is heavy duty and contains pouches for ammo and grenades. The vest also has removable pockets that can be added or taken off to accommodate different needs. The Vest is designed to hold the weight of the butt pack and ruck sack on the hips of the wearer where it can be held much easier than on the shoulders. Each MOLLE comes with a one quart canteen as well as tube water filtration system. There are a number of pockets for carrying just about any device imaginable. There is even a strap system to carry heavier objects such as a 5 gallon container of water.

The MOLLE pack is a remarkable storage device for the modern day soldier. All of the thought that went in to its design is obvious when you look at all of the features that it has.

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