Lets Talk Marine Corps Packs and duece gear

[Old Marine]

I guess by now there is no such thing in the Marine Corps as a Marching Pack, or Field Marching Pack. I imagine they have served their purpose and the Corps has moved on to something else by now. If you ever carried a blanket roll all rolled nice and tight with you half of the shelter half rolled on the outside of the blanket to keep it dry, you know what I am talking about. Maybe that makes you Old Corps, maybe not.

Do they still have "E" Tools, aluminum cups & canteens, field mess kits??

Been wondering about tyhis for a while.

[Yonkers]

I guess by now there is no such thing in the Marine Corps as a Marching Pack, or Field Marching Pack. I imagine they have served their purpose and the Corps has moved on to something else by now. If you ever carried a blanket roll all rolled nice and tight with you half of the shelter half rolled on the outside of the blanket to keep it dry, you know what I am talking about. Maybe that makes you Old Corps, maybe not.

Do they still have "E" Tools, aluminum cups & canteens, field mess kits??

Been wondering about tyhis for a while.

We had all that stuff in boot camp and MCT... don't know if they actually use them in the actual field though...

[chulaivet1966]

If you ever carried a blanket roll all rolled nice and tight with you half of the shelter half rolled on the outside of the blanket to keep it dry, you know what I am talking about. Maybe that makes you Old Corps, maybe not.

Do they still have "E" Tools, aluminum cups & canteens, field mess kits??

Been wondering about this for a while.

Wow....memories....I recall all stated above.
Prior to rotating to CONUS I began to see plastic canteens being issued.
I remember terms like 'knapsack' and 'haversack' but forget the differences between them.

Responses should be very educating for me.

[Cpl Heglar]

Ahhh the old ALICE pack I remember that one well Gunney.

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[FoxtrotOscar]

Those packs your talking about were the Bradford USMC 1941 Pack System still in use when I was in..

http://www.military-historians.org/p...adfordPack.pdf

[Old Marine]

Ahhh the old ALICE pack I remember that one well Gunney.

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The Alice pack I never heard of. Looks like it has a frame on it. Oh, I forgot about the Field Transport Pack which had the long blanket roll on it.

[Old Marine]

We had all that stuff in boot camp and MCT... don't know if they actually use them in the actual field though...

Did they give you classes on the subject pack system?

[Old Marine]

Those packs your talking about were the Bradford USMC 1941 Pack System still in use when I was in..

http://www.military-historians.org/p...adfordPack.pdf

This is the pack system we had when I enlisted and I never saw another pack but this one before retirement.

[FistFu68]

782 Gear Oh Hell Yeah...Rucksac too...Stole an ALICE Pack or Requistened it from U.S.ARMY (LRRPS) while in Country lefT Them ELITE Boys with my Old Chit (lmao) You snooze You loose...As far as The E-Tool the wooden Handled one 2 Me is The Best edged Weapon in The WORLD Just ask the NVA We decapitated with that Bad Boy...Still keep 1 On the Floor Board of our Truck S/F India 3 out~~~

[Zulu 36]

I used the old M1941 pack system, although the other 782 gear was a bit more modern due to Vietnam and M-16 use. We (non-grunt units in 1stMarDiv) swapped over to ALICE packs around 1976ish.

It was kind of funny using the same pack system my father did thirty-years earlier.

[ryanficken]

Do they still have "E" Tools, aluminum cups & canteens, field mess kits??

Been wondering about tyhis for a while.

Still use E-tools, canteens and canteen cups. Not so much the field mess kits. What present-day Marines are humping around is the ILBE (Wikipedia). In the picture, it's the Marine on the right's pack:



Given, it's undoubtedly more comfortable than packs prior to it, it's also larger, giving way to more packing items, and exaggerated packing lists. Who needs 5 skivvie shirts, 2 different sleeping bags and a rape whistle for a 3-day field op?

[micarr57]

had the small pack in boot got issued an alice pack at my first duty station no frame just the pack ...still got it today

[Quinbo]

What about the ass pack?

[Sgt Leprechaun]

I'm well familiar with ALL these systems as I have to work with them as part of my job at the USMCHC.

The '41 Pack system consisted of 2 basic parts, the Haversack and Knapsack. Both held together by a web belt...or YOUR web belt, as it was designed that way. A large instruction manual came with this system, which, with amendments, additions, and such, lasted until approx. 1968 (and later in the reserves). FYI, that system actually fielded a NYLON pack for a very, very short time and is considered 'rare' on the collector market today.

The '41 system, designed for and used ONLY by the Marine Corps, went out 'officially' thanks to the machinations of McNamara, who couldn't understand why each service branch had different packs and equipment. While the idea of 'standard' gear was underway since about 1955 (and the army issued a whole new set of stuff in '56, known today by that number as 'M-56' gear) the Marine Corps continued, with it's pack at least, to have a separate set of equipment. Some things were standardized, such as the e-tool and carrier, and the pistol belt (except for the M-14 carrier belt which had snaps for the ammo pouches, this was only issued to the Marine Corps).

When the ALICE system came on line circa 1970, everyone got the same stuff, like it or not. There were 2 packs in the ALICE system, the Medium, and the lesser known 'large'. Mediums with frames were standard issue for Marines well into the '90's.

The 'small' pack was also known as the 'buttpack' and was an army idea (stolen from our 2 pack system as well as their own 2 pack system, the M-1945 Combat pack and Knapsack). The buttpack was very popular and continued to be seen and used, in both canvas and nylon versions, well into the late 1990's.

FYI, the Marine Corps, in addition to it's own pack system, had it's own suspenders well into the 60's as well. All this was replaced with the ALICE system.

ALICE itself was upgraded several times and eventually replaced, at least at the MEU level, with the really horrible early MOLLE I pack system, which only lasted about a year due to it's crappy construction.

MOLLE III is now 'on the street' so to speak and the Corps is FINALLY back to issuing 'Marine Corps specific' field gear. Coyote brown is the dominate color for the most part. ILBE is a good system from what I hear.

Canteens are quickly being supplanted by the ever popular camelback. Mess kits haven't been made for several years now and I believe that they have been phased out. We were issued them in 1998, at least.

What the Marines carry in the field is very different from what they carry in Recruit Training.

Oh and the new boots (google 'RAT boot') are out, and the Corps is fielding a completely NEW seabag design, too. Basically a large cart on wheels very much like a luggage cart. Saw one this past weekend and they are SWEEEET.

For those feeling generous, the USMCHC is ALWAYS in search of new field gear to add to our displays. Drop me a PM, lets talk.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Here is a link showing the M1941 Pack, it's parts, and how to wear it. Not my link but good information!!!

http://m1pencil.wordpress.com/2010/0...uration-guide/