Video: Packing For A Day Hike

“Should I buy, an ALICE Pack or a MOLLE Pack?” – that is one of the questions that I see a lot of on the forum. The answer is not a simple one. Before you can answer a question, sometimes you have to ask a few questions.

How much room do you need and how rugged do you need the frame? For example, the MOLLE pack has a plastic frame, ALICE has a metal frame.

A couple of weeks ago my son, nephew and I went on a boating / camping trip. We loaded up the gear, launched the boat and headed out to a camping spot on the river. While we were there, I decided to put together a video about the packs and do a little comparison.

My first exposure to the ALICE pack was way back in either 1992 or 1993. One of my good buddies had just came back from the first Persian gulf conflict, and one of the first things he did was buy himself a medium ALICE pack to replace the one he had been using in the ARMY. I liked the pack so much, I bought myself one. The difference between my buddies pack and mine – my pack was woodland camo, while my buddies pack was olive drab. After using the medium ALICE for a few years, I found it was a little so, so I bought a large ALICE pack in olive green.

My first exposure to the MOLLE pack was a couple of months ago after I bought 3 packs off ebay.

The three packs that my son, nephew and I brought on the camping included:

• Large MOLLE with internal sleep system.
• MOLLE II with external sleep system.
• Medium ALICE pack.

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Active Roots Lightweight Packable Water Resistant Travel Hiking Backpack Daypack Handy Foldable Camping Outdoor Backpack – $29.95
Description:
*LIGHTWEIGHT & FOLDABLE – our ultra-light daypack weighs less than 10oz and folds into the size of a small book so that you can easily bring it on any adventure no matter how long or far
*SPACIOUS & ORGANIZED – this backpack unfolds into a beast of a backpack, boasting an internal capacity of 34L to hold everything you need while containing 7 different easy-access pockets…

WILDMAX Hydration Backpack – $28.99
Description:
*Easily storage water,sports towel, hat, umbrella, phone, snacks, key and more for men women cycling, hiking, running, climbing, biking,camping,long day commuter,day trips, daypack travel and journey.
*The Wildmax 18L large capacity hydration bladder provide enough capacity to store sports towel, hat, umberealla and etc when cycling,…

75L Camping Hiking Backpack Lightweight Packable Bag Waterproof Backpack Travel Outdoor Daypacks – $38.69
Features:
*Practical Design: the main storage of this 75L large capacity camping backpack has elastic drawstrings to adjust size of the bag, and there’s plenty room for you to pack sleeping bag, mat, hammock or shoes and luggage in, one laptop compartment, one front zipper pocket and two side pocket for water bottle or camping mat.
*Easy to carry: adjustable and breathable mesh shoulder straps with 2cm sponge padding help relieve the stress from your shoulder. Molded foam breathable back support is good for ventilation and easing burden. The airflow will keep your back cool and dry.
*Adjustable Straps: adjust the tightness as you need, For tying up your pack or hanging sleeping bag, mat, hammock etc, Suitable for all people.
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When I was a kid growing up in Bridge City, Texas, my buddies and I would hang out in a section of woods that borders a marsh. We would build trails through the woods, tree houses, go camping, just do what kids did.

As my buddies and I got older, we stopped hanging out in the woods and started socializing more. After we stopped maintaining the trails, they were slowly reclaimed by nature. Within just a few years the trails were almost impassible.

Two decades later, Hurricane Rita pushed through the area and uprooted a lot of the old oak trees.

While visiting with my mom and dad for Thanksgiving, I took a camera and headed off into the old trails. […]