doncarpenter
WKR
So I recently purged all my Kifaru gear to fund the purchase of a bow press. I wish I didn't have to sell that stuff because I really felt like the Gen 3 Duplex fit me so well and worked for everything, but I needed some cash and I had a feeling that I could pick up a used Granite Gear CHIEF patrol pack and modify it to suit my needs. I found this pack on ebay for a pretty good deal.
So the first part of this modification was to test out the GG CHIEF patrol pack and figure out what I wanted to change. When I first got the pack I was kind of surprised how well the pack is constructed. The stitching is good, not Kifaru or Seek outside good, but it's a quality pack. The Frame is about 22 inches tall, most MIL packs are on the shorter side and this was expected. The belt was the biggest bonus of the pack. It is a little thicker than the Duplex belt and has some hdpe stiffeners in it but it is just enough and not cumbersome at all. The foam is evazote and very comfortable. The belt size is perfect for me, wraps around my hips nicely with about a half an inch of webbing left on each side of the buckle. It is a forward pull design and tightens great without slipping. The is a removable lumbar pad that I can add if I need to.
I am not a fan of the shoulder straps. They are wide and thickly padded but they are just not comfortable in the current configuration for me. Add that to the fact that the load lifters are not functional on my 21 inch torso and it was clearly the first thing that I needed to change.
The pack itself is laid out well and has enough pockets for organization but not crazy like some MIL packs. The material is 500d cordura and is in good shape for a used pack. There are some things that I will probably chop from the pack after using it more like the internal compression system but time will tell.
I flip flopped back and forth whether to just use the frame and belt and make everything else or just make some small modifications. I ended up somewhere in the middle.
Highlights of the modifications:
Added two 24 inch 7075 aluminum stays 1/8" x 1"
Added a removable compression strap
Changed the load lifter/shoulder strap connection point
Swapped two buckles for adjustable female buckles
The stays are connected to the framesheet with aluminum screw posts.
Here I bent the stays to match the frame and drilled the initial holes.
Stays in nylon webbing sleeves
I added a two loop webbing daisy chain to the back side of the stays to take a beavertail accesory that I will make later.
Here is a shot of the lower connection point on the body side of the framesheet. The screw posts have a very small profile and a smooth finish making it an ideal connection point. I also used mylar washers between the framesheet and the screw posts.
Here is the profile with the stays attached.
So the first part of this modification was to test out the GG CHIEF patrol pack and figure out what I wanted to change. When I first got the pack I was kind of surprised how well the pack is constructed. The stitching is good, not Kifaru or Seek outside good, but it's a quality pack. The Frame is about 22 inches tall, most MIL packs are on the shorter side and this was expected. The belt was the biggest bonus of the pack. It is a little thicker than the Duplex belt and has some hdpe stiffeners in it but it is just enough and not cumbersome at all. The foam is evazote and very comfortable. The belt size is perfect for me, wraps around my hips nicely with about a half an inch of webbing left on each side of the buckle. It is a forward pull design and tightens great without slipping. The is a removable lumbar pad that I can add if I need to.
I am not a fan of the shoulder straps. They are wide and thickly padded but they are just not comfortable in the current configuration for me. Add that to the fact that the load lifters are not functional on my 21 inch torso and it was clearly the first thing that I needed to change.
The pack itself is laid out well and has enough pockets for organization but not crazy like some MIL packs. The material is 500d cordura and is in good shape for a used pack. There are some things that I will probably chop from the pack after using it more like the internal compression system but time will tell.
I flip flopped back and forth whether to just use the frame and belt and make everything else or just make some small modifications. I ended up somewhere in the middle.
Highlights of the modifications:
Added two 24 inch 7075 aluminum stays 1/8" x 1"
Added a removable compression strap
Changed the load lifter/shoulder strap connection point
Swapped two buckles for adjustable female buckles
The stays are connected to the framesheet with aluminum screw posts.
Here I bent the stays to match the frame and drilled the initial holes.
Stays in nylon webbing sleeves
I added a two loop webbing daisy chain to the back side of the stays to take a beavertail accesory that I will make later.
Here is a shot of the lower connection point on the body side of the framesheet. The screw posts have a very small profile and a smooth finish making it an ideal connection point. I also used mylar washers between the framesheet and the screw posts.
Here is the profile with the stays attached.