I am often asked how to attach the straps to the A.L.I.C.E. Pack Frame. In this tutorial, I will try to explain how to do so. I’m sure you will have problems putting them on, becasue this won’t be able to answer all of your questions. So just post away, and I’m sure someone can help.
1 - This shouldn’t be that hard to figure out. For the shoulder straps, they just go under the frame into the metal holder. Then they go over the top of frame, and then enter the clasp. The strap will do a 180 degree turn and exit through the other part of the clasp.
2 - Now this part was really hard for me to figure out originally. The bottom assembly of the goes from the inside of the frame, out the hole. Then the other part comes through the eyelet in the strap. Your gonna need to make sure the whole strap assembly is separrated in the middle. You will learn how to reattach it in the next step.
3 - Your gonna need to re-attach the two pieces that make up the shoulder straps. To do so, there are two oval metal rings. You are going to need to place the bigger ring over the smaller. Now, there should be a squeeze clip. You want to squeeze the two sided together, and the clip in the smaller ring. All that is left is to snap the button to end this step.
NOTE: This may only work for the quick release straps!
4 - This part needs little explaination. To attach the kidney belt, place the part with the hooks through the larger metal rings on the frame. Chances are, it won’t stay on, so in the next step we will secure it with the securing thingy.
5 - For this next part you will need the weird shaped metal piece and the nylon strap. This might be different with other attachment pieces. You are going to take the strap from the attachment peice and feed it through one of the kidney pad’s metal rings. Then you are going to take it and put it through the other kidney pad’s ring. After that is done you want to put it under the bar in the weirdly shaped metal piece, and then above the other bar. Tighten it up and you are done, hopefully.
AJ, would it be possible for you to post a picture of the clasp for the kidney straps open so we can see how you actually threaded the nylon through? Because I’ve tried it a thousand different ways and it refuses to work. I appreciate it, thanks.
As well as bolts that fit through both the spacers, and the slots on the alice pack. You may need to also get some flat washers. The bolts and spacers go in the bottom slots, but then you will need to drill two holes on the horizontal brace, and if you want to.. one or two on the vertical brace.
Use nylock nuts, and make sure you have longer bolts than you would need. 1-1/2" would probably be long enough.. probably 1/4 - 20 sized bolts.
You can mount it anyway you really want to.. but just make sure you use something to space out the alice pack from the motherboard by about 1/2"
The first image in the tutorial shows the straps going into the top of the clasp from behind, then out the bottom, and emergind behind the clasp. But this seems a fairly awkward way to do it, because it’s hard to pull the strap tight.
I’ve looked at several images of packs for reference, and the correct way to run the strap I think is to run it through the bottom of the clasp from behind, then through the top from the front. This puts the end of the strap in front of the strap, pointing up, and it’s easy to pull tight.
Also, take note of how the strap goes through the hole, then over the bar from behind. This is surely the correct way to do it. I’ve seen packs that just run the strap through the holes, but if you think about it, that would put a lot of pressure on a very small section of the strap, and that would lead to breakage with heavy usage.
Finally, the tutorial doesn’t touch on it, but note how the shoulderpads have a 45 degree bend at the bottom of them. The bends should point towards the outside of the pack frame. Otherwise it will be uncomfortable and look rediculous.
I got my ALICE frame today and took off the straps to prep the frame for painting… My kidney pad has a ‘turnbuckle’ very similar to the one in this photo… but now I can’t figure out how to re-thread it!
