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The Hidden Woodsmen Tropical Lightweight Rucksack for Bushcraft - Alice Pack Replacement
Feb 4, 2024
Taking at a close look at the Hidden Woodsmen Tropical Lightweight Rucksack. This is a modern upgrade to the Alice pack that we all love to hate. https://thehiddenwoodsmen.com
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0:30
What's up guys, prepared to wander out in the woods today
0:42
I've got a review for you today on a new Hidden Woodsman pack that I just got in and that
0:48
I've been kind of testing out this weekend. And I want to show it to you, see what you guys think
0:54
Stick around. So I just got this pack in from Hidden Woodsman
0:59
This is the Tropical Lightweight Rucksack. And basically what this is, it's a modernization of the old Alice pack
1:08
And everybody in the bushcraft survival community loves the Alice pack. I started with one
1:16
I loved mine. I used it for a long time. But there's always ways to upgrade and get better with gear
1:25
Hidden Woodsman has come out with this version of his Alice pack, I guess, which we'll call it
1:31
And he's really done some really cool upgrades to it. Some modernization, like I said, of materials and just some features that are not found
1:42
on the old traditional Alice pack. But it still retains that basic layout that I think we all enjoy and love because it's
1:52
so useful. Alright, so we've got the basic layout of the old Alice pack, as you can tell
2:01
We've got a top lid, compression straps run down either side, and we've got three pockets
2:10
Alice pack, right? But that's kind of where it ends because everything else has been upgraded as far as materials
2:19
and volume. Now, materials, from what I understand, this is a 500D Cordura
2:27
Of course, you can tell there is binding or edging on all the flaps
2:37
There are FastTech buckles and rot-proof thread. So that's a very basic thing with Hidden Woodsman, of course, made in the USA
2:50
That's another thing that you need to know and it's definitely something worth calling out
2:55
Also, another feature that I really kind of like on this is that all the straps have retaining
3:06
Velcro on the end of them. So you can roll these up and get them out of the way
3:19
So that way you don't have these loose, long, dangly straps hanging everywhere
3:24
You can get those all cinched down nice and tight. You can also run them and Velcro them to the strap behind them
3:32
So that keeps them from flopping and that just helps kind of control everything and
3:35
keeps everything nice and neat. And of course, since it is an Alice pack, it works with the Alice pack system
3:45
And here I have an old Alice pack frame. I've got the standard Alice pack shoulder straps and the standard kidney pad
3:58
One thing that does come with the Hidden Woodsman pack is this retention strap
4:04
And then actually what that does is that helps cinch the pack down to the frame and keeps
4:09
it from flopping back and forth. You still retain the space in here behind the frame, which I know a lot of guys like
4:21
to put a poncho... I keep my rain suit back here in a pouch
4:27
It goes right inside behind that strap and that sets in that pocket, that space between
4:34
your back and the pack. So it's a little bit of an extra storage area and it works pretty well
4:42
So once you get the pack, you're going to need to get some straps, get a belt, and get
4:49
a frame. Now on Hidden Woodsman's site, he does sell straps and belts as an additional cost, of course
4:59
But they're definitely more upgraded than these. But if you're in a pinch, budget-wise, go to your surplus store, pick up some of the
5:09
old gear. Maybe you've got some of this stuff laying around in your basement
5:14
So all you have to do is add it to this stuff and you've got a system and you're ready to go
5:20
Moving back to the front, the pockets, as you can tell, are not as narrow as the old
5:28
Alice pack. They're actually much wider, and so much so that I can get a pretty decent-sized cook
5:39
kit in that front pocket with room to spare
5:55
Side pockets are the same way. Someone was asking me about this and they asked me what kind of different size things
6:03
could fit in here. Well, I can tell you without a doubt, pretty much any size canteen kit that you have, from
6:12
the Pathfinder, the Heavy Cover, whatever, is going to fit in here
6:17
Full-size Nalgene's, whatever. I've got my skinny Stanley bottle in there, but I've got room for other stuff
6:35
Tons of room. So these are much wider. Now, one thing that the Alice pack has that this does not
6:45
This does not have the pass-through pockets on the side like the Alice did
6:52
I probably would have loved to have seen that feature. That would have been a great add-on to this, but it's not a deal-breaker for me
6:58
I mean, it's nice when you're carrying longer stuff like axes and things like that, but
7:04
this does not. This is sewn right into the body. So another nice feature is on the top flat pocket, you've got this mesh material with
7:50
a zipper. This is for your lightweight grab-and-go items. I've got a microfiber towel in here, my butane lighter
8:00
I've got a strap to hang my pack from. Of course, we've got a nice drawstring cinch collar on the top here, so you can get that
8:22
all nice and tight. Give you a little bit of weather protection, and it opens up into a very generous size pack
8:33
Let me see if I can lift this up so you can see it on the inside
8:38
You'll notice that there is an orange pocket in there, and that is a sleeve that can be
8:45
used for a hydration bladder, for your tarp, a blanket, whatever you can jam in there
8:52
I've got some long items like my trowel, my knife, and a saw
8:58
The thing is, you can tell just by looking at this thing how deep it goes
9:03
I'll have specs down below for sure to show you volume, but this thing is much more generous
9:10
than the old Alice was. Just got a ton more room. And another interesting feature is that the compression strap for the main body of the
9:42
bag, you can adjust it from the bottom, but you can also adjust it from the top
9:51
See that? So it goes both ways. That just gives you more adjustment, more control
9:57
If you're putting larger items underneath the lid, you're able to cinch it down from
10:02
the top or cinch it down from the bottom, either way. Now on the bottom of the pack, I've got two Hidden Woodsman bedroll straps attached, because
10:20
I've got my blanket going underneath here, and I put a wool blanket underneath here
10:25
no problem. It'll fit perfectly. But you'll notice, of course, there is webbing loops across the bottom, so you can strap
10:35
sleeping bags or blankets or a bedroll or a pad or whatever you want
10:42
So it's another great option. Plenty of features right there to do whatever you want with it
10:51
Now another thing about this pack is that currently it is on sale at Hidden Woodsman
10:57
I don't know how long that sale's going to last. The sale could be down by the time I post this video
11:02
I don't know. But the price was really decent. And if you're looking to build your own pack system with the frame and the straps you want
11:11
because as you know, or maybe you don't know, there is a lot of options out on the market
11:16
that are upgrades to the standard Army issue Alice gear. And there are plastic frames, there are metal frames, and there are a wide variety of straps
11:28
and waist belts. Tactical Tailor, of course Malcolm at Hidden Woodsman makes his own set of belts and straps
11:36
So there's just different stuff out there that you can choose from
11:40
So you can really get the pack and then customize it to your needs, to your budget, and have
11:48
a really decent bag that's going to last a long time. Because I think with the upgraded materials to a 500D Cordura, it's going to last a lot
11:57
longer than the old Alice pack did. This is going to be a bag you're going to end up handing down to your kids for sure
12:05
if you take care of it. Alright guys, that's it for today's video
12:12
I don't really have much more to say about this. It is a very simple pack
12:17
I mean of course it's based on the Alice. There's not a lot to it
12:21
It is pockets, a main compartment, and a zippered lid, and then some attachment points on the
12:26
bottom, and that is it. And that's what I want. It makes it for a really simple, easy to pack and load bag
12:37
You can get a wide variety of gear in here. You can have your sleep system on the inside of the bag because it has enough size and
12:43
volume to it and width that you can actually get a compressed sleeping bag at the bottom
12:48
so it's not hanging on the outside of your bag. And with the different options for shoulder straps and waist belts, you can make it as
12:57
comfy as you want. It is a fantastic product. I love it
13:02
I've been using it this weekend. It carries very well. It's been very easy to load, very easy to find my gear and keep it organized and haul
13:12
all those bulky items that I take out camping with me. So it's been fantastic
13:17
I love it. Great product. As always with Hidden Woodsman stuff, it's like I haven't had a bad product yet
13:23
They've all been good. They're fantastic. So please check out Malcolm's website, link down below
13:31
Also please check out the affiliate links down below for Amazon. Check out Instagram and the Facebook group
13:38
Join that if you will. And of course do all the good stuff of like, subscribe, and share
13:45
Hit that bell icon so you're getting notifications. And we'll see you next time on the Prepared Wanderer
13:51
Thanks for watching
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