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Military packs have long been a mainstay in army and navy stores. From shoulder bags to backpacks, they are popular with civilians for both their utility and fashion.
Army/navy store merchants will also find it profitable to carry commercial backpacks for serious hikers and campers.
The army introduced the MOLLE pack (Modular Lightweight Load carrying Equipment) in the 1990s. Reviews have been mixed.
The main benefit of the MOLLE pack is that it can be configured to fit the needs of the individual soldier. The MOLLE pack consists of a large rucksack with straps or other connectors for attaching smaller packs and pouches.
A large MOLLE pack can hold as many as eight smaller attachments.
“The MOLLE pack is our big seller now,” said Andy Chen of Condor Outdoor Products. Chen notes that there are several systems for attaching components to the pack including snaps and a “weave and tuck” system. All MOLLE packs are equipped with PALC webbing, rows of heavy-duty nylon that allow the pouches to be attached.
“The equipment you add will have to have the MOLLE strap,” said Chen.
Holy MOLLE
Condor’s leader in its MOLLE pack line is the three-day assault pack. Besides the military, end users include law enforcement professionals, campers, Boy Scouts and students who use the pack as a multi-purpose book bag.
Another group of users, said Chen, are young people who play airsoft games, some of which may last one, two or three days.
“They wear them for an authentic military look, he said.
Chen sells MOLLE packs in OD, black, coyote tan, and ACU, but the ACU is his best seller.
“It has become a fashionable pattern,” he said.
The MOLLE system makes it possible to attach pouches to different parts of the pack, said John Wright of American Recreational Products, which bought out Academy Broadway.
ARP produces three different types of MOLLE packs. All three will take MOLLE attachments. The patrol pack, a 2600 cubic inch front loader without pockets. The assault pack, the largest of the three is 3200 top loader.
But ARP’s most popular model is the Essential Sling, which comes in a 1200 and 1800 cubic inch models.
“It is a large day pack with lots of pockets and organizing features,” said Wright. “It can be used as a ‘bug out’ pack, one that you have pre-loaded with everything you need for two days travel, so if you have to drop what you are doing and run, you have only to grab the loaded pack.”
