The Baldwin Articles – ALICE Pack Trilogy: Part 1 of 3原文地址：http://soldiersystems.net/2015/09/28/the-baldwin-files-alice-pack-trilogy-part-1-of-3/LTC Terry B

The Baldwin Articles – ALICE Pack Trilogy: Part 1 of 3

原文地址：http://soldiersystems.net/2015/09/28/the-baldwin-files-alice-pack-trilogy-part-1-of-3/

LTC Terry Baldwin, US Army (RET) served on active duty from 1975-2011 in various Infantry and Special Forces assignments.

作者简介

泰瑞·鲍德温中校（现已退役），曾服役于美国陆军（1975-2011），服役期间曾在步兵和特战单位中工作

I am going to talk mostly about the ALICE Large Combat Field Pack (rucksack) (bottom right) because that is the version that I used almost exclusively during my time in service. But I didn’t always have one. During my tour in Germany (75-78) I never saw them. We were issued strictly M1956 Load Carrying Equipment (LCE). I discovered ALICE when I rotated to Ft Lewis in the fall of 78. In stateside infantry units at that time we were issued medium rucksacks with frames and only RTOs got the large rucksacks. However, the large packs were sold at Clothing Sales. I don’t remember the price, but it was cheap. So just about every NCO and Officer bought their own for the field. And that was basically how it worked on my next tour in Hawaii. But it seems to me that when I inprocessed at the 82nd in 1983 everyone in the infantry battalions got issued the Large. In any case, in Airborne and Special Operation units the large ALICE rucksack was the standard.

译者收藏的ALICE大号背囊

本文主要将介绍有关大号ALICE背囊，因为在我服役期间几乎只使用这一种背囊。不过我也并不是只有这一个背囊，1975到1978年我被部署到西德期间ALICE装具还没有配发到位，当时我使用的还是M1956装具系统，直到1978年秋天，我被换防回到刘易斯堡的时候才配发。那时候美国国内的大兵普遍配发的是带背架的中号背包，大号背包只有无线电操作员才有。

不同年代的中号ALICE背囊

不过大号背包也可以在物资商店里买到。我不记得当时具体卖多少钱了，就记得不是很贵。所以差不多所有的士官和军官都给自己买了一个，而随后的夏威夷部署证明了这件装备的使用性能。和普通步兵单位的情况不同，1983年我被调到82空降师的时候发现空降单位每个人配发的背包都是大号而非中号，给伞降和特战单位默认配发的都是大号背囊。

The Army and USMC experimented with various rucksacks in WW II including a “Jungle Pack” that looked a lot like some of the new jungle packs that are being tested today. There had also been a popular “Mountain Rucksack” issued to some specialized units. Versions of that ruck were used quite a bit by Special Forces in the 50s and early 60s. But conventional units in WW II and Korea mostly did without. Small packs carried the soldier’s fighting load and perhaps a minimal bedroll and everything else went into the duffel bag to be moved by transport. That worked after a fashion but usually left the foot soldier shivering in the cold in both conflicts. But even that less-than-satisfactory experience didn’t convince leadership to make a rucksack general issue to the troops. So the post-Korea M1956 gear was fielded without a rucksack component.

自二战以来，陆军和陆战队都试验过很多种背囊，包括一种名为“丛林背包”，其外观和现在使用的丛林背包也很像，不过它的正式名称实际上是“山地背包”，配发给一些有特殊需求的单位。这种背包在50年代到60年代初广受特战单位亲睐，但二战和朝鲜战争期间的常规单位并未普遍配发。

二战时期美军使用的JQD-88B型山地背包，和本文介绍的大号ALICE背包容量相仿。有关该背包的详细介绍请看本站文章《美军外框架背负系统的始祖——二战JQD-88B山地背包》http://www.junpin360.com/html/2015-03-12/3993.html

同时期普遍配发的大容量背包主要就是驼袋了，用来在转运和部署的时候容纳士兵的所有携行物资：作战装备、寝具和其他东西。驼袋一般都集中起来统一运输。尽管这玩意曾经风行一时，但着实背着不舒服。可尽管如此，当时美军里也没有普遍配发一个更好一点的背囊。就算是M1956装具系统里也只有一个小小的屁股包。

美军自二战前就开始使用的驼袋，时至今日仍然在使用

Then came Vietnam. The long movements and extended operations in the jungle terrain kept adding more and more weight onto the soldiers’ backs. So eventually two different rucksacks were fielded during that conflict with mixed results. One is the Tropical Rucksack also called a Jungle Rucksack that I have on display (bottom left). As you can see it is nearly identical in size and pocket configuration to the medium ALICE. It has a spring steel X frame that is longer but similar to the frame on the canvas ARVN Pack. The other issued pack was the Lightweight Rucksack which came with a tubular aluminum frame. I don’t have one but if you have seen Platoon or some of the other Vietnam War movies this is the one the actors usually carry. Neither was entirely satisfactory in service but features of both were eventually incorporated into the ALICE packs.

随着越南战争的爆发，美军在越南越陷越深，战线越来越长。士兵往往需要在丛林地带连续多日执行作战任务，这就需要士兵自己背负更多的物资。于是经过一系列设计、改进和试验，最终有两款背囊配发部队：热带背囊和轻量化背囊。

热带背囊实物

热带背囊的尺寸和设计和后来的中号ALICE背囊已经很像了（实际上热带背囊正是ALICE中号背囊的设计原型，译注），但采用钢制的X型背架，比采用同样背负结构的帆布的ARVN背包更大一些。

轻量化背囊实物

而轻量化背囊则是一种采用铝制背架的中等尺寸背囊。这两种背囊都可以在很多越战资料照片和相关电影中看到。尽管轻量化背囊和热带背囊也并未完全满足部队的需要，但它们的设计理念和特点后来被ALICE背囊所继承。

ALICE was very much a product of the hard lessons learned from extended infantry combat in Vietnam. It is what I would classify as an excellent combat patrolling rucksack. That is it was optimized to fight and live out of for long duration dismounted operations. Despite its origins, it was also definitely not just a jungle ruck. It was intended for worldwide deployments and functions equally well in the desert, mountains, jungle or artic. It is simple and adaptable and can readily meet the load carriage needs of the Paratrooper or the Marine and anyone from conventional riflemen to Green Berets and SEALs. The ALICE rucksack is probably the closest thing to a truly universal piece of kit the US Military has ever developed.

ALICE装具的设计积累了很多越战期间步兵装具使用的经验和教训，特别针对战斗和长途无补给的任务进行了优化，在我看来ALICE背包的设计在战斗巡逻方面的性能十分出色。它不仅适用于丛林作战，在世界各地使用都没有任何问题：林地、高原、荒漠甚至极地。它结构简单，上手容易，可伞降也可水际使用。下至大头步兵上至绿帽海豹都首选使用。ALICE背包可以说是美军设计过的最接近“完全通用”的装备。

1983年美军“紧急暴怒”行动中身背大号ALICE背包的82空降师士兵

 A number of packs have been tested or fielded in the interim intended to replace the ALICE. The first contender I encountered was the Lowe LOCO pack (top left) which came out in the early 80s. That eventually morphed into the CFP 90 (top middle) which in turn led to the Gregory SPEAR pack (top right) and the USMC’s Arc’teryx ILBE pack (not shown). All of these were high end backpacks designed by leaders in the civilian backpacking industry. They had suspension systems that were much more comfortable than the ALICE. Yet none remained in service very long or were ever very popular with troops who live, work and fight with a rucksack on their backs. And the reason for their rejection was simple. None of them were very good combat patrolling rucksacks. The very features that made them attractive to civilian outdoorsmen made them less than ideal for soldiers as compared to ALICE. Three common characteristics in particular were problematic. Their height, the internal frames, and the extended padded waist belts.

在ALICE背包服役的几十年来，军方曾试验和配发了不少其代替品。首先是80年代早期的Lowe的LOCO背包，这款背包是后来的CFP-90背包的前身和设计原型。而后是格里高利为SPEAR系统设计和生产的UM21背包系统。再往后则是2003年的陆战队ILBE背包系统。这些背包大多都有高端民用户外背包的背景以及比ALICE背包更加舒适的背负系统。然而这些背包都没有在军队中服役太长时间（CFP-90背包系统很快被证明是一件完全失败的装备、SPEAR背包由于自重过大而很少人用、基于Arc'Teryx Bora 95登山包设计的ILBE系统由于成本高自重大而且不适合背负在防弹衣外面，2012年起开始被FILBE所代替，译注），原因很简单：这些背包的设计都是基于民用户外产品，而非长途行军巡逻。民用产品并不能完全符合军用需求。这些产品主要在三个主要因素上存在问题：高度、内框架支撑系统和由背负面扩展的腰封。

隶属于陆军SPEAR特战装备系统的UM21背包子系统

USMC于2003年配发的ILBE背包系统。图片里还包含了只配发海军医疗兵的医疗背包和只配发特战或侦察单位的侦察背包系统

First, they were simple too tall. Extending above the shoulders as high or higher than the top of an individual’s helmet and blocking head movement and vision. Not necessarily a significant issue if conducting an administrative roadmarch for physical conditioning but a critical problem on a tactical Movement to Contact – even if just in training. Paratroopers probably disliked those long packs the most. None of them rigged very readily for airborne operations and because of their length they inevitably drag on the aircraft floor for even the tallest jumpers. And the shorter the jumper the more of a safety hazard the long packs became. I recall my ODA jumping the CFP 90s just one time not long after Desert Storm and that experience was so unpleasant that we went back to ALICE for good the next day.

身高179cm的译者本人身背装满的FILBE主包+突击包组合，从背面只能看到双腿

首先是高度。这些背包都有一个共性问题：太高了！装满之后甚至都超过士兵的头盔顶了，会妨碍转头导致视野受限。民用户外背包通过增加背包的高度而非宽度和厚度来提升容量，这种做法在一般的公路行军和体能训练时没有问题，也确实符合一般的登山和户外使用需求，但是在接敌需要做战术动作的时候就会暴露出致命问题，在日常的训练也会发现这一点。另外，过长的背包也不适合伞降使用，因为在伞降准备的时候，背包需要倒挂在身前下部，并在落地之前解除挂载先扔到地上。而太长的背包挂在身前会拖到地上，甚至个头最高的伞兵都没办法。这个问题不仅会导致伞兵在机舱里举步维艰，更会引发安全问题。背包短一些就不会有这个问题。海湾战争之后不久笔者曾作为ODA的一员执行伞降任务，使用的是CFP-90——只用了一次就再不想用，第二天我就换回使用ALICE背包了。

配文：基本上完全失败的CFP-90背包系统。

详细请参考本站文章《CFP-90——所谓”海豹御用“的某种四丛背包》http://www.junpin360.com/html/2015-01-07/3849.html

The internal frames are also not as suitable for combat operations as an external frame. Soldiers routinely carry heavy and odd shaped loads like mortar bipods and baseplates secured to the outside of their rucks. Tying items like that off to a rigid external frame rather than just to the exterior of the rucksack bag keeps the load much more stable and manageable. And as with the height issue mentioned above, internal frames are not conducive to easily rigging these packs for jumping as compared to external frame designs. Internal frame packs intentionally hug the wearer’s body when worn and do not leave space between to facilitate ventilation. Although admittedly this criticism is perhaps not as relevant today when body armor is routinely being worn. The tall internal frame packs also do not naturally sit upright like the short and squat ALICE with its external frame. Soldiers have to find something to lean the long packs against in order to load or unload items or even to put the rucksack on or off. The internal frame packs are simply less user friendly and can actually make the job harder rather than easier.

其次，内框架背负系统也并不适合作战需求。一般情况下，士兵除了需要背负自己所需的物资之外，还需要在背包外捆绑携带额外的辎重：如迫击炮弹药、脚架和座盘等。然而如果把这些额外的辎重直接捆绑到外框架背包的背架上，会比捆绑在内框架背包的包体上要稳固得多。在加上上文所提到的高度问题，使得内框架背包几乎无法用于伞降行动。另外内框架背包的背负面几乎是“抱”在背负者的后背上，只留有很小的通风通道，散热是个问题，不过这问题在现在士兵穿着防弹衣的时候倒是并不明显了。瘦高的内框架背包也无法像短粗外框架ALICE背包那样能够稳定地直立在地上，士兵在上包和卸包的时候还得找东西靠一下。内框架的设计在军用需求面前解决的问题远没有产生的新问题多。

ILBE背包主包的侧面和正面均可捆绑携带其他物资，如迫击炮的炮管、支架和炮弹等

The long packs all had extended padded waist belts that were intended to distribute part of the load onto the hips. Assuming an individual’s waist and hips were actually clear of fighting load gear. This wasn’t and still isn’t usually the case. In short, while well intentioned and sound in theory, wrap around padded rucksack waist belts always interfaced poorly with LCE / LBV or body armor and tended to get snagged or tangled up with the other gear. That made donning and especially dropping the backpacks much more complicated and troublesome than it had been with ALICE. And getting tangled up with a rucksack can be more than just an annoyance; it can be dangerous. Therefore most experienced troopers kept the waist belt / pad wrapped back around the frame or pack body and as much out of the way as possible. All the time. And from what I have observed that still remains true even today.

背负的时候，内框架背包需要使用背包腰带或者腰封将重量分散到腰部。但这是假设使用者并未穿戴其他装备的情况，在战场上。士兵除了背负背包，还要穿戴防弹衣和装具，后腰位置一般都被各种装具附包或者屁股包所占据，原本为分散重量舒适背负设计的背包腰封此时反而会起到反作用。不仅会使背包的穿脱变得麻烦，更有在紧急情况下钩挂和纠缠的危险。有经验的士兵在身穿装具的情况下根本就不用这种背包腰封，而为了固定这个无用繁琐又没法拆的东西，他们会把背包的腰封或者腰带反扣在背包本体或者背架上。这种做法在我服役期间一直都有见到。

Lots of people look at older gear as clunky and unsophisticated…and therefore deemed to be less effective than newer kit. I prefer to think of the ALICE pack as a flexible, rugged, classic design. And like all classics it continues to enjoy popularity at least in some professional circles because it always functions reliably. It gets the job done. When I retired a few years ago ALICE packs were still a fairly common fixture in many Team Rooms (I expect they still are today). Not because there were not newer “sexier” alternatives available or that people were adverse to change. But rather something that works as well as ALICE just doesn’t go out of style until something that is proven to be much better comes along. So far that hasn’t happened. It is no accident that the USMC’s current FILBE pack clearly shows its ALICE roots. And many of the complaints I have heard about the MOLLE II Large Rucksack could be fixed if it were actually a little more like ALICE (something I intend to discuss another time).

很多人觉得老装具既笨重又缺乏功能，并由此认为其不如新装备。然而我认为，时至今日ALICE背包仍然是一件灵活使用、坚固耐用的经典产品。正如其他经典一样，ALICE背包在一些专业领域仍然发挥着不可替代的作用。数年前我从军队退役时，ALICE背包仍然是很多单位的装备间里的必备物件（我估计到现在仍然是这样）。这并非因为没有更新更精良的代替品或者仅仅是怀旧，而是由于在一些有硬性需求的使用场合下，能比ALICE背包更好用的装备还没被设计出来，在这些方面ALICE背包远未过时。时至今日，在陆战队采用的最新的FILBE背包系统上，仍然能看到ALICE背包的影子（主包外侧副仓设置、背架等，FILBE的背架甚至能直接用在ALICE背包上，译注）。我曾经听到过很多有关MOLLE II主包的抱怨。实际上如果主包的设计如果能多参考ALICE背包一点，这些问题就都会得到解决。

陆战队于2011年开始采用的FILBE背包系统，用以代替ILBE背包系统。详细文章请参考《美国海军陆战队背负系统——FILBE》http://www.junpin360.com/html/2014-12-26/3827.html

Some might take umbrage if I called ALICE the gold standard of combat rucksacks. I agree that is probably too grandiose a characterization for the old girl. But I do think it is fair to say that the ALICE pack still remains the baseline standard by which all newcomers will have to be judged for many years to come. ALICE packs were obviously not perfect. That is also a fact. But I submit that if tasked to develop a single multipurpose or “full spectrum” combat rucksack today. One that could be versatile enough to effectively fill so many diverse roles for so many people in so many different combat environments. I have no doubt the resulting rucksack would look a lot like ALICE. And rightly so.

说了这么多，大概有些人会不满于我将ALICE背包作为战斗背包的标杆产品，我也承认对于这件老装备确实也有些过誉了。但我仍旧认为，ALICE背包为后来者树立了一个良好的基准，一个经过多年实战考验的基准。ALICE背包显然并非完美，这是事实，但我坚持认为如果现在开发出一件多功能甚至“全能”的，在各种任务需求和作战环境面前仍然保持高效率高性能的作战背包，我丝毫不怀疑它一定会和ALICE背包非常像，这是理所当然的。