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Just bought a barely used Medium ALICE rucksask (green with frame). I needed a better medium ruck compared to the one I've been using.

Why are there string ties inside the bottom of the main bag?

What parts break and need to be replaced?

Some of those rivets look a little fragile. Any suggestions on which to replace with self-tapping screws or small bolts?

Any good workarounds for those guaranteed-to-twist shoulder straps?

Hey Maple Leaf, I used to have a Med-Ruck when in the Ohio Nat Guard. They stink when it comes to holding what you realistically need when going to the field for any amount of time. I ended up buying my own Large ruck / frame, LC-1, and still use that same combo to this day on active duty. I've used it while being both light and Mech Infantry and while in armor units, (11C Mortarmen are in all these units). These are pictures of my ruck which is with me right now at ANCOC, which I have become literally attached to. It's been to the big sand-box twice, Korea twice, NTC for 4 years, and numerous other exercises. That frame has been dropped from helicopters and Duece tailgates and had yet to break, (but you can see that its slightly bent). The extra large kidney pad is a must for road-marches. It's from Brigade Quartermasters and simply slides over the existing pad.
Inside you can see the same pouch you should have in your ruck. Its for carrying the PRC-77 radio originally. The straps you speak of in your Med-ruck are for shortening up the ruck, carrying your small load higher for day patrols and such. The higher the load, the easier it is to carry and on your back. I found the following on Medium and Large rucks;

"The Medium Pack has a pouch with a drawcord closure and three outside pockets. It has a 50 pound capacity. The pouch has an inside pocket designed to fit the AN/PRC-25 or -77 radio, if issued. The pouch flap has a map pocket. The pack may be carried with or without the pack frame by attaching the shoulder straps as desired. Tie-down cords and D-rings inside the pouch can be used to shorten the pack if only partially filled. Equipment hangers for canteens, bayonet, intrenching tool or other equipment are provided on the sides of the pack and above the pockets. Early issue ALICE packs included waterproof liner bags for the main compartment and the three outside pockets, but that was later discontinued. Drainage eyelets are provided in the main pouch and pockets.
Bedrolls can be strapped to the top or bottom of the pack, using loops provided, or can be stuffed inside if there is room.
The Large Pack is used for long missions or in the Arctic where more clothing and shelter must be carried. It has a 70 pound capacity. In addition to the features of the Medium Pack, there is another row of three small pockets on the outside above the regular pockets. The large pack is always carried on the pack frame."

OMG! The AN/PRC-25 or -77 radio (of Sainted Memory) ...could there be someone else here old enough to have actually humped and used these puppies? (with their attendent spare battery)

Range in the Vietnam Cordillera: maybe one mile, on a good day, often less.

I've carried them. I always thought a CB radio would be cheaper, lighter and have twice the range!

The PRC-77 radios were what my National Guard unit had from 1982 through early 1992. We even had them 1997-98 while I was in Korea with 1/503rd INF (Airassault), 2ID. These were mainly used for training and EIB use when talking to adjoining training sites. That was the last time I saw a PRC-77 though.

We had PRC-77's in my USAR unit when I got out in '96. Since I was in the RATT section, I usually didn't have to hump one these around .

A friend of mine was in Navy JROTC and he invited me along on an FTX held by UC Berkeley Army ROTC at Camp Parks. I humped the PRC-77. Not long after, I was at UC Berkeley and in Army ROTC but I can't remember if I carried it (though I learned how to talk on it).

Haa! I got you all beat. Mapping and Charting Establishment (MCE) is the Canadian topographic survey and terrain analysis unit (US terms for clarity). Getting green equipment out of the supply system would be virtually impossible without redesigning and redefining the unit's role.

Therefore clever people do what they can. In July 2005 MCE held 15 AN/PRC 77 radios with ALICE backboard and camo strap'age. Fresh from storage radios with clean paint. Batteries will be a problem. And it wasn't too long ago that MCE turned in its .303 Lee Enfield survival rifles.

Getting back to my original question, here is how I addressed my problem:

1- burnt off all the loose dangling threads,
2- ditched the frame (don't need it or the weight),
3- removed the snap straps on the pockets, and shoelaced on FASTEX buckles on the pockets and top flap closures,
3- measured a cardboard template shaped like a letter T, the top width is the same as the frame "pocket", the staff is the width of the two vertical, sewn-in straps down the back and as long as the back panel plus about 4",
4- with my angle grinder, sheet metal ViseGrip pliers and a hammer, duplicated the template on a government-surplus storage shelf panel (about 24"x48" for $5.00),
5- with an awl and propane torch burnt two holes through the top of the back panel where the web overlaps,
6- measured the length of the back panel and folded the sheet metal to 90-deg at the joint of the back and bottom,
7- bolted the sheet metal to the inside of the rucksack with 1/4" coarse thread bolts, washers and nuts - 2 on the top edge just outside the shoulder strap attachments and 2 through the drain holes on the bottom, and
8- after a few days of trials I trapped a 1/2" piece of closed cell foam behind the sheet metal to pad my back and increase the radius of the fold.

The bag now stands upright by itself, is about as light weight as possible, has cargo spaces that are easy to access, and the job satisfies my sense of craftiness. I can carry file folders and binders without fear of them getting dog-earred.

The shoulder straps are still a disappointment, but I'm working on their replacement. The pack will be uncomfortable for long trips because the sheet metal will flex but not across the 90-deg crease. Oh well, more to follow ...