Question about PLCE.

[Keith_Beef]

I've been trying to understand how PLCE (Personal Load Carrying Equipment) works.

There are mentions, here and there of using the side pouches (each 10L capacity, I think) from a bergen fitted to a yoke, as a day pack.... Does the bergen come with its own shoulder straps and hip belt, or does it attach to the yoke?

Or in other words, if my idea was to have the 90L bergen (Long Convoluted Back Rucksack), the 30L patrol pack, plus two pouches, so as to have the choice of capacity between 10L, 20L, 30L, 40L, 50L, 90L, 100L, 110L, would I need to buy a yoke and hip belt as well, or would the bergen or patrol pack come with a detachable yoke and belt, usable with the side pouches alone?

 

[shaneh]

The Bergan comes with it's own padded shoulder straps and an unpadded waist strap permanently fixed on.

The detachable side pockets (zip onto the left and right sides of the bergan) have there own shoulder straps, you can use one or two side pouches with this design...

 

[Wildgoose]

You would need a daysack yoke (yoke side from memory NOT yoke main) to make the side pouches into a Day sack.

The waist belt on the day sack yoke is a simple inch wide webbing strap.

 

[The Lord Poncho]

You would need a daysack yoke (yoke side from memory NOT yoke main) to make the side pouches into a Day sack.

The waist belt on the day sack yoke is a simple inch wide webbing strap.

+ a couple of webbing straps/SR buckles to attach the base of the padded shoulder straps of the daysack yoke to the base of the side pouch(es). It was quite common to leave a yoke all set up ready to go attached to a single side pouch, with that side pouch attached to the bergen by its zips. Thus, when you dumped your Bergen and needed a daysack, you just unzipped it and were good to go. Most people after basic training either purchased their own stand alone daysack or were issued one which is then usually carried stuffed under the lid of the bergen as a 'grab sack' , and the side pouches are then rarely used as a daysack. They work as a daysack, but they are a little limiting to be honest.

Your idea to buy a bergen and patrol pack would most likely mean that you would only use the side pouches as side pouches to add extra capacity and kit segregation to your bergen. Assuming you mean the 30 litre DPM patrol pack that was issued (commonly known as an NI pack, as this was the theater where it was first issued), then all but the very first/experimental models were not fitted with zips to accept the side pouches, but rather have their own sewn on side pockets which cannot be removed. The Karrimor SF/PRI MTP patrol pack (45 litre) that was issued in Afghanistan does have zips on the side to accept the bergen side pouches.