Got MMM’s aluminum mobo and an ALICE frame from the local Army Surplus.
The mobo has 2 holes on the bottom that line up perfectly with the frame, but I’m wondering how people attach them at the top? Surely the two bottom bolts don’t hold everything… do they?
Someone spotted regular black zip ties in a screen cap… I’m thinking C connectors might be the best way to attach them.
No, the two existing holes wont support it all. Most people will drill another hole, or holes and use additional hardware to fasten the board to the frame.. I actually used the two from the MB and then one additional hole on top. I purchased some spacers so that the MB would be mounted about 1/2" off the Alice Frame, which helps to account for the contours of the frame, and the flat profile of the motherboard. If you like, I could pose some photos…however there are probably several ways to do this and get an excellent result.
I just drilled 2 holes in the middle bar also. I have 4 bolt total supporting the pack. Seems to work fine.
I’d appreciate a side pick of your setup, since I’ll be adding ours to our frames in the next day or two.
I haven’t really looked at the frames vs the motherboards yet, but it sounds like the pack should sit at “leaning further back” angle then the pack. is that correct?
I just received my MOBO from MMM as well. I drilled out the center rivet in the ALICE frame and plan to use wing nuts to hold them together. It looks a little cleaner than drilling holes in the frame iteself. I have 3 screws total. .
Here are the photos on how I attached. I used the existing holes, put a bolt and washer through them and used a metal spacer I purchased at Lowes. Home Deopot also carries these. Then after that was connected I found the point on the Alice Frame from the center support that touched the Motherboard, and made a single connection there. This give sthe MB a bit of an incline, and seperation from the Alice Pack.
So you have one centerpoint connection, and two bottom connections?
Also, the top connection uses a spacer, but the bottom ones do not to give it a bit of an angle?
I’ll be at connection point within a day, so this is helping make that clearer a lot.. many thanks!
See this thread too: alice pack size question - Proton Packs - GBFans.com
Thanks, AJ!
I did the exact same thing, for the same reasons. I guess its not a bad idea.
So far, had no problems at all.
Wouldn’t wing nuts poke you in the back though?
Not as long as the bolts do not extend past a certain point on the frame. I think I did end up cutting one of my bolts a little short just in case.
the whole idea of the ALICE frame is to ensure you have a better weight repartition. As opposed to a normal backpack where you have the pack following your back, this frame put the pack at an easier angle, in order to accept more weight and permit the soldier to still be mobile without getting exhausted.
look how it sits on my wife’s back
no direct contact with the motherboard. And I personally didn’t add any (more accurate) spacers because I didn’t see the need.
Good intel.. thanks for sharing that pic.. it’s clearer in my mind now.
I started assembly today, but probably won’t be attaching it to the alice fram till late tomorrow sometime. I’m taking it nice n slow, trying to make sure everything is right on both packs.
Mars:
That pack is spaced awfully far out from her back. In the film, the metal frame sits practically flush with their backs, with the top curving over their shoulders so the top bar sits almost flush with their neck.
Those shoulder straps need to be tightened a lot. The kidney belt is supposed to be around your kidneys… not your butt. 
Oh and another thing they did in the movie to fill the space between the user’s back and the pack is the pad on the top bar doesn’t actually go around the bar, only the slit of the pad touches the bar, the rest is offset back towards the pack. Nothing actually goes through the hole of the foam. (Though putting a dowel in there or something might make it easier to keep it in position if you decide to do that and zip-tie it.)
GhostGuy, I picked that pic on purpose to illustrate the inclination of the pack compared to the back of the person wearing it.
Kathleen is tiny and adjusting the pack is very impracticable.
See how the pack holds on me:
It still doesn’t touch me, there’s still room between the frame/pack and myself. However, the point isn’t passed trough as much as with the previous picture.
What about the center bar though? Do you have wingnuts there? Looks pretty close!
Also, why do you always have a beer in your hand.
Not personally. There is some space for one if you want to, but I have a bolt going to the inside of the pack, and a pair of locknuts.
The way I made mine is that the frame is “permanently” attached to the motherboard, and the motherboard is wingnutted to the shell - this way I can remove batteries when needed. However, I’m thinking of putting locknuts there as well as I keep on re-tightning the wingnuts (over time) and wouldn’t want to have an unvoluntary drop.
when you put on your COMPLETED PACK the first time, you’ll have a drink too.
Oh, and BTW it was a frozen mug filled with DrPepper. 
I’ve got Sam Adams Octoberfest sitting in my fridge just waiting for the right occasion.
