ALICE – All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment

The meaning of the acronym ALICE is All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment.  It first came into existence in January 1973 and has been around for a long period of time.  The ALICE pack was a necessity for the soldiers in the Vietnam War.  After many modifications to previous backpack versions, the ALICE was lightened to three lbs when empty.  The ultimate reason behind the invention of the ALICE was to lighten the overall weight carried by soldiers.  The ALICE was designed for easy carrying as it had wide shoulder straps which reduced the pressure on the shoulders.  Military packs are used to carry items for the mission and usually consisted of    firearm and ammunition, first aid kit, a change of clothes, a canteen and any other item that is thought of as being relevant to completing the mission.  The ALICE has been replaced by the MOLLE but you can still find ALICE packs in many army stores.  They are great for camping and hiking.

MOLLE – Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment

After the ALICE packs, then came the MOLLE which means Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. The MOLLE system is a replacement to the ALICE (All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment) system.  It was introduced in 1997 but its use was not popular until after the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.  The MOLLE system is a fully integrated system which consists of a load bearing vest along with butt pack, main ruck that has sustainable pouches and also a compartment to carry a sleeping bag.  The load bearing vest is always worn and contains pockets to carry hand grenade or magazine.

The MOLLE backpack is designed to be worn and not carried.  The vest is designed to carry a soldier’s combat gear within easy reach. The load can be dropped by using a quick release leaving just the vest which is very helpful in combat when a soldier needs to move fast.

ILBE – Improved Load Bearing Equipment

Experience has proved that both the ALICE and the MOLLE systems needed improvements and so they combined their best features and created the ILBE.  It consists of a main pack, an assault pack that can be removed, a 100-ounce hydration system and various pouches that are suitable for mission accomplishment.  It has a smaller capacity than the MOLLE but still big enough to carry the necessities as it can accommodate up to 120 pounds.  The ILBE is perfect for the soldier in combat as it holds more weaponry and ammunition and is used when less food and water are needed.  At present it is the most advanced carrying system in use by the military.