Lowe Alpine Sracen or alt

[Decy4ever]

Hey guys need a little help with buying my new rucksack for trecking, camping etc:
(I'm 6ft and in the cadets btw) i've narrowed it down to 3 diffrent sacks:

• The Lowe Alpine Saracen
• The Web-tex ultimax burgen
• The Standard issue PLCE burgen

Couple of Qs to help me decide:

• can i wear soldier 95 webbing (yoke, pouches etc) with these
• the quality of these
• any thing important i should know

cheers

[Britboy]

I wouldn't go Webtex as the quality isn't renowned. I have little experience with Lowe Alpine.

Nothing wrong with the standard PLCE bergen, tough, modular, and you can get some nice deals online, it's good kit.

However if you're a cadet do you need 120 litres plus and if you do carry that much stuff and you are young, don't risk wrecking your back or whatever.

Oh yeh be sure to get a shortback one, the longback sucks unless you are built like Lurch.

Are you sure a civvy rucksack mightn't be the way forward though? Then it'd be of use in everyday life and for hiking etc too. I know you can do this with a PLCE but its pretty huge and can look a bit OTT (although you could just get a civvy coloured rucksack cover). Another thing to remember is if you are out hiking and something bad happens, DPM and IRR are not working in your favour when Mountain Rescue come looking for you, hence I have an orange civvy pack.

Some things to think about.

Regards
BB

[Enduring Freedom]

• The Lowe Alpine Saracen I have a Lowe Alpine, not Saracen but Commando, and it's superb. (You can't get the Commando any more, but a Lowe Alpine is generally great)
  
• The Web-tex ultimax burgen Don't know it
  
• The Standard issue PLCE burgen Good for the money, but I would never use it for long trecking
  

Couple of Qs to help me decide:

• can i wear soldier 95 webbing (yoke, pouches etc) with these Not with the Lowe Alpine. The PLCE is good with webbing, but make sure to get a short one (as Britboy have already written)
  
• the quality of these The quality of these Lowe Alpine is great. The PLCE is good, considering it was made by the lowest bidder.
  
• any thing important i should know If You don't have to wear webbing, go for the Lowe Alpine.
  

[canofbeans]

Hey guys need a little help with buying my new rucksack for trecking, camping etc:
(I'm 6ft and in the cadets btw) i've narrowed it down to 3 diffrent sacks:

Could you define a little bit more on what ure exactly going to be using it for? Cause i know most people wanne look omgdelta etc. but 120l is really overkill for any normal use and especially for hiking, i can tell you that you are just packing way to much stuff if you can fill that monster up.
From what i can make up from youre post i would rather go with a 65+15 type of mode, if you know how to pack it you can put about as much as youll ever need in it.

lets say idd have to chose from youre above 3 i can recommend lowe..

[snapper036]

ditch the webtex, straight away mate.
it's c@%p

[jsb]

I own quit a few army backpacks.
My faverit is the lowe, xellent quality and a Royal Dutch Army issue one is reletiv cheap .A mint one will set you back 150-175 euro.

The lowe sting/stingray and grabbag stike are also very good.

[Britboy]

I think CanOfBeans hit the nail on the head there: 120l is pretty essential if you've got NBC kit, radio batteries, extra ammo, 5 days rations etc etc etc to pack, but I wouldn't imagine needing all that in civilian life.

As a cadet, I take it you won't be spending THAT long in the field, and replen is usually not faraway if I remember my cadet days right So perhaps a large daysack/patrols pack might be more in order?

[jsb]

I think CanOfBeans hit the nail on the head there: 120l is pretty essential if you've got NBC kit, radio batteries, extra ammo, 5 days rations etc etc etc to pack, but I wouldn't imagine needing all that in civilian life.

As a cadet, I take it you won't be spending THAT long in the field, and replen is usually not faraway if I remember my cadet days right So perhaps a large daysack/patrols pack might be more in order?

Get the the smaller lowe,s butt not the STRIKE .
The others have the lowe system that you can change on the legth off the back. And the strike not.
jeroen

[canofbeans]

Get the the smaller lowe,s butt not the STRIKE .
The others have the lowe system that you can change on the legth off the back. And the strike not.
jeroen

most civilian sacks have a system to change the distance between the hip belt and the shoulder straps, if thats what you mean?

like for example a macpac glissade, but i suggest foremost that the op goes to a good store to get a fit on. Some bags just dont fit certain builds. In a good shop you can try different bags with a little load like 10kgs to get a good idea, and you can always order it later from the internet if you want.

[gilgoul]

I have a Saracen,
Took it last week for three days of desert hiking in complete autonomy, + photo equipment.
Well, got to say, the best pack I ever owned, even if it has some disadvantages, bulky, heavy, it is well designed, sturdy, and able to carry heavy loads.

[Decy4ever]

ok cheers guys gave me a lot to think about
so web-tex is gone so's the saracen
As to length of time spent in the feild probably up 2 a week
Can smaller Lowes use soldier 95 webbing?
Which is better PLCE standard or an immitation eg highlander?
And can someone explain more why the PLCE is not the best for really long hikes plz?
cheers

[eR_Skaarj]

I have Lowe Alpine Stingray and its really good pack, pretty durable and top quality sewing. But I think this pack need more padded traps (once I carring it with 15kg load and after 25km I think I can't walk next metr).

[Lerch]

Oh yeh be sure to get a shortback one, the longback sucks unless you are built like Lurch.

Quoted for the truth, I can wear the longback and it still makes contact with my beltkit if I lean back.

[Britboy]

O sorry Lerch didnt realise their was a Lerch on here!

I meant built super-tall like the actual Lurch off the telly.

I had a longback on Cambrian Patrol, I am 5 foot 9, and all because the damn CQ couldn't be bothered to swap it for a shortie for me!

In fact that little outing was so little fun that I went out and bought myself my own short PLCE bergen after, just so I'd not have to put up with a ma-hoo-sive one again!

[AROUETLJ]

Could I suggest the Karrimor Sabre? I've got the 60-100 litre model and I love it to bits.