ALPS OutdoorZ Commander Frame - Brown, Updated SKU

I Got this pack from Alps Outdoorz for a second season elk and mule deer hunt in the western slope of CO. We hunted a public area without horses, and so the right pack equipment was essential. I needed a pack that could carry 10 lbs and expand to carry meat- up to 100 lbs. I had purchased the Alps Traverse, and although it was a well crafted pack, I didn't like the level of support I got when I trained with it carrying just 50 lbs. For cargoes under 30 lbs, it's great, but for larger loads, I found the shoulder straps and waist belt unable to give the support I needed to carry it comfortably. I emailed Alps and they helped me trade out for the commander- frame pack and freighter combination. I carried this pack for 6 of 8 days, and it was great. I just strapped my day pack to it, and I could easily separate them, and I could easily strap on my spotting scope, stow layers, and even strap up my gun if I needed to. I was able to rest the butt of my gun on the shelf, and could secure the barrel with the top strap, so I could pull it out one handed from that safe stowed position. This made hiking between main hunting areas much easier and still allowed me to access my rifle if I stumbled on something. The pack is very versatile and I hiked miles with it comfortably. I used it for transporting meat, packing a campsite, carrying another hunters bivy pack so the other of us could day hunt while the other carried gear back to camp. It was always comfortable. The pack was a huge blessing. I had a comfortable harness that I could put anything onto, and my only limitation was my legs. Drawbacks: there are tow drawbacks to the pack for my application, both relating to the lower shelf. 1. when moving through brush or over branches, the shelf is low enough that the hard nylon can noise rubbing on these things. This is no help stalking through dark timber for example. However, if you load your cargo high with the straps, and angle the shelf higher, this can mostly be alleviated. It just takes a little more time packing up. 2. As some other reviewers have noticed, the nylon on the bottom of the shelf gets dragged over things and tears. My pack already has some minor tears, and this from only one hunt. That is not great, but i'm not sure this is a defect- it's just a reality of this kind of design. However, there are real benefits to this design in versatility and weight management, so I'm not sure this is a fault. It might just be a trade off. In short, for those doing pack hunts or trips, this pack is a great deal. I leaves money for other gear, and is very versatile for those of us want to simplify, yet don't have the benefit of horses. All in all, the proof is in the pudding. I won't be going out west without this pack. Period. It proved the right solution to my gear question mark.

This is a replacement for an ancient external frame pack I have been using for years to haul meat and firewood. This is one of the most if not the most comfortable packs with a heavy weight I have ever used. The shelf is a huge help in supporting weight. I have owned probably a dozen packs over the years including very expensive expedition packs and this beats them all for comfort. Thus far I have used this only for hauling firewood out of a ravine on my property. The wood is awkward to load and balance and the terrain is very steep. I thought this would make for a good test as well as conditioning prior to elk season. The picture shows how I attach long limbs. Larger diameter rounds can fit vertically as well as on the shelf. (not shown) For reference, I can get three 5-6 inch diameter logs in the top hold with no problem. No question this will handle my deer and elk hauling needs on rough terrain. The pockets are well thought out, the material seems plenty rugged and the ability to easily attach a pack to the frame is perfect for my hunts. Pack to camp, make camp, hunt, haul meat, repeat as necessary. One thing to be careful of related to the pricing here. I bought the frame and pack separate because at the time buying them separate was less expensive. Before the two even arrived the pricing changed and buying the combination was less expensive. So I suggest you double check before ordering to get the best deal.

A decently solid load hauler for the price that I am using for training. I pack a 50lb bag of gravel, and it manages it OK. Shoulder straps like to slowly loosen. Has a billion cotter pins that are annoying and only macro-adjustable. No shoulder load lifters, hip load adjustment straps are really weird when tightened (the hip belt itself is great). Lacks the features, comfort, and versatility of my hunting pack - BUT - costs 80% less. If you’re going backcountry and are going to live in your pack, I would personally get spendy on a great pack. This one works for more routine/shorter duration hauls. I wouldn’t want to put my 90lb spike camp (w/water) in it and hike a steep grade.

. This is my SECOND Commander Freighter Frame. I have also purchased this same frame WITH the custom ruck option. I may even purchase a 3rd Commander Cargo Frame (no joke). This is the very best value in a universal cargo frame. The suspension is ideal and it is FULLY adjustable, for your own unique ergonomics (whoever you are). I own an ALICE cargo frame, with MOLLE-II Gen4 suspension and this commander kicks it's butt HARD. By the time you properly pimp an upgraded ALICE rig with MOLLE suspension (aka MALICE PACK) you will be spending MORE than this commander costs and the ALPS COMMANDER CARGO FRAME is (easily ... far and away) a more comfortable suspension ... adjustable ... much larger ... much more utility and capacity. Features out the WAZOO. I dealt with their customer service, for an issue that was not even their fault. I will not go into the details but these folks are a righteous crew and they solved my issue very swiftly and without any hassle. You can load anything from a large duffel or a huge kayak dry-bag or military deployment load-out bag ... There are THREE large retention (cinch) cargo straps and a load bearing shelf. The top bar of the frame can telescope up for true SHERPA CAPACITY. At this price ? .. Just do this. They will also include a mini catalogue and you should check their "LITTLE BEAR SYSTEM" ... Just great stuff and a great bunch of folks. I like this system MORE than my MALICE or my ILBE or my EBERLESTOCK V90 BBATTLESHIP or my fully expanded MOLLE-II Gen4 "Rifleman's Ruck" system. They have an extra-large waist-belt available but I am HUGE and their standard belt fit over my winter parka just fine ... try the standard belt before you order the extra large belt (which is like ~$40 delivered). DO THIS !! JUST DO IT ! I am not a kind reviewer. This product ROCKS ! SEVEN STARS AND A GREAT BIG GRIN !

I had purchased this frame from here..obviously. the first day I received it i broke it in a test. Initial unboxing and inspection...1 pin was missing, 2 r pins also. I noticed a small crease in the frame right at the shelf. The tags where also in a pocket and not attached to the bag. I did not think much of this at the time. I then fit the bag properly and loaded it with weight for a quick little hike and test. Within about 50 meters the shelf had busted and I was left with a broken bag. I called alps the following business day...this happened on a friday and called on a monday...I talked to there customer service desk. Told them I had bought the bag off amazon. Had sent them pictures of the bag..as well as pictures of initial inspection. They were very helpful and sent me a new bag the following day. Couldn't ask for better customer suport! I inspected new bag and was definently in better shape then the one I ordered the first time. I, as well as the customer service desk came to the conclusion that it was probably a return from someone else i had recieved the first time. So far so good on the new setup! Fits great. Works great. Would recommend alps brand for sure! So far I have only had about 120 lbs on the frame... lashed. Has held up for my rucks so far.

My application for this pack is somewhat unique: to support my HFpack rig (man-portable shortwave amateur radio), in situations when I want to wear an antenna and/or hike further with my gear. I was considering a surplus ALICE frame, but opted for the convenience of something that includes straps and a big shelf. I’m impressed with the quality. Thais is my first experience with an external frame pack. As someone who sweats a lot, I really appreciate the ventilation. I was worried about the horizontal supports causing back pain, but the shape of the frame and the way it bears weight makes it a non-issue. At 5’8” and 220 lbs (38-40” pant size), I was also unnecessarily concerned about the fit. The waist and sternum straps would accommodate someone much larger than myself, but the pack might be unwieldy for someone shorter or very thin. Alps sells a version of this bag with XL straps, which would’ve been way too big on me. The pack is surprisingly light, considering how much load it’ll handle—more than my personal fitness will. There’s no shortage of ways to strap in my current bag containing the transceiver and LFP battery, additional battery/solar hardware, a folding stool (or two and a table, to picnic with the wife), and as many field antennas as I care to lug around. I’m only limited by what’s convenient to drag into the field. On that note, I also intend to throw my bulky quadcopter hard case on the frame the next time we shoot video away from the car. No more grime on the case’s wheels, no more straining my shoulders carrying it over grass and gravel. I attached a 3/8” antenna mount to one of the vertical frame members. Hopefully the leverage of 7-14’ and 1-2 lbs of vertical extension, depending on the coil on whip combination, won’t fatigue the aluminum. Time will tell.

After looking at several options including several molle packs (US Standard Issue Molle II, ILBE system, Eberlestock) and standard packs (jansport, kelty, same alps outdoorz frame with pack bag, and some others), I decided to put together a custom system. I chose this frame as a foundation because it is so cost effective, adaptable, and sturdy. First, I modified standard issue molle shoulder straps with quick releases and molle hip belt to work with this frame. Then, I added the recently re-released jansport D2 bag to the frame (the top bar and blocks will attach to the adjustible top bar perfectly giving a nice 'top shelf' to compliment the freighter shelf). The D2 bag is an approx. 5300 cu inch, panel loading beast of a bag. (I have always used and operated more efficiently out of a jansport panel loader than a top loader, personally, but I did not like the new frame on the D2. I *did* loved this freighter frame/shelf and the jansport/freighter combo is really nice). NOTE: the D2 is on sale for 149.9x with free shipping at the time of this review. A pretty good savings over the regular price. Finally, I put the compression panels back on the frame for extra external pockets/lashing and to compress the bag ... a VERY strong and flexible bug out system even with the crazy color coordination :-). If anyone is interested in the modifications I will try to post pics. You can't really go wrong with this frame at this price regardless of how you set it up.

Great experience like always ordering through Amazon. This is the second time I have ordered this product. Very well made.

Very solid rack- took it backcountry camping and I lashed a barrel to it as well as my bedroll. Easy to adjust and manipulate based on the load you require to carry. Very comfortable as well and made carrying extra weight simple.

great

Very large and light weight frame backpack. Various adjustments and very comfortable to wear with heavy loads. The weight sits on your hips, so no back injuries. Very sturdy too.

I haven't really gotten to know this pack well, but we've used it for 2 field trips. It's comfortable it seems solidly built, and I expect it will last. I'm 6'3" and it fits me well, but I also work with someone 5'4" and it adjusts to fit her comfortably as well. The frame fits a wide variety of gear, including toolboxes and coolers that are quite a bit wider than the frame itself. My 2 main criticisms are: 1. When adjusted to full height, the top bar hits the back of my head when I'm standing straight or looking upwards. This is annoying, but not a deal-breaker, and maybe I'll figure out how to adjust the fit so it's not a problem. As far as I can tell so far, on longer hikes, I think I'd need to drop this bar to its lowest height, reducing the total gear capacity but making me more comfortable. If this bar were bent away from the user, or if it could extend another 6-12" upwards, it would eliminate this. Alternatively, for really heavy loads you could strap this bar to your forehead. That's common in south Asia, and would work well here. Maybe that was the designer's intention? In my case, it's slightly annoying. 2. I'm used to lashing gear with ropes. This pack is designed to be lashed with a pack of included buckle-straps, and the webbing/fabric on the sides allows the gear to be contained while using these. If you want to use rope, though, these block many access points to the frame. Not a big issue, but for irregular/large gear, you may want to remove that fabric. I haven't tried that yet, but it looks like you could do that without much trouble.

Works very good. Highly recommend. Very strong.