Recently I ran a thread here asking for suggestions on a daypack to replace the one I had been using but which had been destroyed. I received a lot of suggestions, links and endorsements. All appreciated very much. I was still trying to decide on which one would best suit my needs when I found one at Wally World. It's a Fieldline Alpha Ops "tactical" model in coyote or dark rather whatever the designers are calling that color this month. Lots of pockets inside and out, both mesh and solid, the slab pocket was a bonus I hadn't thought of before, covered with molle webbing and a cushy carry handle. The drawbacks are the weight, the frame sheet could be better and it could use more cushioning for heavy loads. It was listed at $39.97 and I was going to pass but the guy working sporting goods pointed out that it was on clearance for $20.00, so I grabbed it while I could. No mesh water bottle pockets like I wanted, but I think I can go a lot larger than the 2 liter hydration bladder they list, but naturally, don't include.
The features tag on it claim it's 21.5IN x 13.4IN x 8.6IN Or for the metricly inclined 54CM x 34CM x 22 CM. Capacity is 52 liters or 3177.45 cubic inches. The website lists the same pack as being a tiny bit larger, taking it up to maximum carry on size.
All in all, for twenty bucks it would be hard to beat, despite not having the water bottle pockets.
Has anyone here had any experience with this model?

http://www.fieldline.com/Products/alpha-ops-internal-frame-pack/44

No experience with the brand but it looks like a steal. Nice find!

Hmm, looks very similar to my Camelbak Motherlode pack. The Camelbak lacks any sort of frame and missing the big gusseted side pocket. I don't see a big advantage to the frame. But then I keep the pack full as it's been my go bag since 2005. In my opinion, a good solid and ergonomic hip belt is by far the more important feature.

The Camelbak is a tough bag. Mine's been through a lot, and none the worse for wear. If the stitching and the zippers on the Fieldline are as good, it should hold up well. I suspect the zippers are the weak link on this unit, though.

The price is certainly better than the Camelbak. But that's because the Motherlode is marketed to military heavily, and the price is part of the marketing hype. Fortunately, I got mine at the PX in Baghdad, so I didn't pay the premium.

For the price, if I needed another pack, I would seriously consider the Alpha One. On the face, it looks suitable.

Chaos

Thanks

Ben

The frame is one ribbed aluminum stay which rides over the spine.
There is a wide hi[ belt with more molle webbing. One pocket has me puzzled, its a small narrow mesh pocket but has top and bottom zippers. Zippers seem good for now. I have discovered that the left shoulder strap slips through the Fastex buckle far to easily. Not sure if this is a flaw in the anchor strap or in the buckle itself, may take it back in exchange for another. My bad for not testing it in store but I would have had to break the plastic tabs securing the straps. This time I'll ask the clerk if I can do so. I'm sure he won't mind.
Thanks for the information.

One thing to look at is the material it is made of. Some of the vinyl backed polyesters look like good Cordura Nylon on the outside, but do not have nearly the strength to hold stitches at stress points. Polyesters with a urethane coating are pretty good. Cordura is far superior. If it looks like vinyl on the inside, I would avoid it for all but light use.

Normally, if the pack is Cordura Nylon the description of the bag says so, otherwise it's something else. In this case the description is silent re material so my thinking is that it's something other than nylon. That said, I could be wrong -- that's the problem with inferring from lack of information.

Clear and Russ

It does have a backing, The nylon is a woven nylon that looks like a light cordura. Thanks for the information. I think I'll test it with heavy, awkward loads for a few weeks and see how it holds up. Nice thing about wally world is they'll exchange it if it doesn't survive the test. I'd rather it fail now, then when I need it miles from home.

Does the tag on the bag say that it's nylon?

There is absolutely no mention of the material in the entire six picture laden pages. It does say it has a lifetime warranty so I went to their site and it's a lot of hot air. Check it out.

http://www.fieldline.com/Warranties/lifetime-warranty/1

Izzy

That's not good. Thanks for the information.