For what it is worth: I have carried all of my rescue gear (approx. weight 75lbs) in a large surplus ALICE pack w/ frame for about 6 years. Prior to that I used a general backpacking pack. The ALICE pack has served me well; it has many pockets to organize my gear. Recently, I have retired the ALICE pack to my wife's van for my backup gear. I now use a pack from LA RESCUE designed for USAR applications. It was quite expensive, but built like a tank. Two things I do not like about the new pack is the hip belt, which uses a VELCRO and metal buckle to adjust and it does not have as many pockets as the ALICE pack. I may try to jury rig a new buckle for the hip belt. For the money, I think the ALICE pack is a good value and should last quite a while. Pete