Austrian "ALICE"-Style Rucksack with Carrying Yoke and Daypack, Surplus

Dirt cheap 45-50 L Austrian military rucksack with a carrying yoke and a daypack that you can also use together with the rucksack to give you a bit more space. A very high-tech carrying system from the '80s. Modular already when nobody had even heard the word yet. Perfect for a few days long trips.

Features

In the golden '80s, Austrians had a carrying system that consisted of a largish rucksack and a smaller bag that could be carried as a butt pack. You can possibly also carry it on top of the rucksack. Some even seem to carry it in the front, which isn’t super practical, though. It can also function as a shoulder bag or a small daypack. We have previously sold both packs separately. However, Christmas came early this year, and we managed to get the whole set.

Rucksack

Lookswise this is pretty similar to the US Alice pack, except that it doesn’t have any kind of a frame. The capacity isn’t given, but we’d estimate it to be about 45-50 liters. Enough for a few days’ trekking. The spacious main compartment has a flap that is closed with two buckles. Most have metal buckles, but some newer ones may have plastic ones. The main compartment is also closed with a double drawstring, which enables you to overpack the rucksack to some extent or make really sure that your stuff won’t fall out. The large main compartment has a separate big pocket closeable with a buckle, where you can slide in e.g. the BW sleeping mat. The bottom is rubberized, on some on the outside and on others on the inside. So, your crap won’t get instantly wet when you set the pack on the wet moss, grass, or snow.

The rucksack has two side pouches on both sides plus a bit bigger outer pouch, all closed with buckles. The material varies from nylon to polyamide, also other synthetics might be available, but propertywise, they are all pretty similar. The weight when empty is c. 1 kg (2.2 lbs).

Daypack

The daypack has one main compartment that has a smaller flat pocket against the back. The pack features a drawstring closure plus a flap that is closed with buckles. Furthermore, there are straps at the bottom for attaching a sleeping pad or whatever you wanna put there. The weight when empty and without shoulder straps is c. 600 g (1.3 lbs).

Shoulder straps

This combo comes with one carry yoke that works with both the rucksack and the daypack. The shoulder straps are quite minimally padded, and there is no hip belt. Well, too much padding screws up your shooting, and ergonomics and other comfort nonsense are the devil’s inventions to vintage folks anyway. The straps are attached to the rucksack with metal hooks that differ a bit from batch to batch. In case you don’t like fast detachability, you can bend the hooks properly shut if you want.

Condition

Used Austrian military surplus. Some have seen more, some less use. There can be slight surface rust on the metal parts, small stains, previous users’ names, and other signs of use. However, these are all perfectly serviceable and in quite a nice condition for their age. Note that details, materials, and color can vary to some extent. There are packs from different manufacturers and years.