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Thread: CFP 90 advice/warnings and start of possible work around for an issue

  1. #1
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    CFP 90 advice/warnings and start of possible work around for an issue

    For brevity I will leave out the why I am messing with a CFP 90 and go to the advice of almost always avoiding the purchase of one with the possible caveat of being able to examine the specific pack in person before buying.

    The busted seams issue I had known about for sometime(heard claims of shoddy sewing and/or cotton thread that would rot away) which is an easily seen issue albeit not always difficult to fix.

    The issue I learned about next(and recently when given this one) is the semi diamond shaped piece of polymer(shoulder straps are sewn to it) that bolts/clamp in to a track to adjust back length can be very brittle...like milk jug out in the sun for years brittle. Get the ok from the seller before inspecting then try bending it some. If it is pliable it may be an OK example. If it breaks, walk away from it even if the seller discounts it because....

    I got this one for free and the piece of plastic mentioned disintegrated so I figured like most USGI stuff parts exist to keep it running and found a shoulder strap assembly fairly quickly thar had a pliable semi diamond piece.

    The length adjustment track "seemed" to be in good shape in the spots I tested it, but once I got the new strap assembly installed the track came apart in several places and due to shape and being sewn in would basically be difficult to impossible to fix making the pack dead in the water.

    That being said...

    If you have one/get one free, a possible work around is a MOLLE main pack shoulder strap assembly. The one I have on hand is Woodland and I think is MOLLE II, so not sure about the UCP/Multicam ones I think have slight differences.

    The upper load lifter straps on the harnesses are compatible and the lower CFP90 shoulder strap adjusters will slide in to the MOLLE QR buckles after breaking the stitched end that double the webbing over.

    The less certain(will fit, but not a second of time yet on durabilty) parts are the 1 vertical strap that will attach to the webbing on the rear of the CFP90 waist belt and the 4 horizontal straps on the MOLLE shoulder strap assembly by running them around the CFP90 aluminum stays in areas not covered by the nylon track the stays are inserted in to.

    For someone around 5'6"(likely the lower fit range of the pack when new) the horizontal straps around the stays idea should work without modifying anything. Taller than that, the the 2 webbing tracks will require cutting open areas(and sealing the webbing cuts with heat or glue) to allow for height adjustment.

    Just stuck this together so I will try to periodically pop in with sinking or still afloat updates on this.

  2. #2
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    That polymer chunkle the shoulder straps are sewn to and the track system itself are absolute shit and the designer should be shot and hung twice.

    I had originally written "If he's already dead his body should be exhumed and desecrated for the money the US Government paid and got cheated." Maybe the designer wasn't part of the corporate business part. So maybe his descendants should just be shamed and made to feel bad.

    What was a better-than-decent piece of equipment for mountain and cold weather warfare was doomed when Specialty Plastics won the bid and substituted Lowe Military's ladder adjustment design.

    It can be fixed / salvaged if you have patience and an industrial sewing machine.

    The original Lowe:




    Saracen:



    If you don't, Lowe Alpine (Military) made the Saracen in olive, DPM, Irish, and Swedish camo.

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    Quote Originally Posted by sinister View Post
    That polymer chunkle the shoulder straps are sewn to and the track system itself are absolute shit and the designer should be shot and hung twice.

    I had originally written "If he's already dead his body should be exhumed and desecrated for the money the US Government paid and got cheated." Maybe the designer wasn't part of the corporate business part. So maybe his descendants should just be shamed and made to feel bad.

    What was a better-than-decent piece of equipment for mountain and cold weather warfare was doomed when Specialty Plastics won the bid and substituted Lowe Military's ladder adjustment design.

    It can be fixed / salvaged if you have patience and an industrial sewing machine.

    The original Lowe:




    Saracen:



    If you don't, Lowe Alpine (Military) made the Saracen in olive, DPM, Irish, and Swedish camo.
    I wondered about the suspension after owning a Lowe Alpine military pack(the belt doubled as a rappel seat) and a commercial pack that had the same adjustment. I recall seeing a commercial version of the CFP 90(2 short and 1 long side pockets) in typical mid 1990's super bright backpacking colors, but didn't flip it around to check out the adjustment set up.

  4. #4
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    Chinese (Rothco) knock-offs have no vertical adjustment and are sewn directly to the bag -- like a GI duffel.

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    Quote Originally Posted by sinister View Post
    Chinese (Rothco) knock-offs have no vertical adjustment and are sewn directly to the bag -- like a GI duffel.
    Should have said civilian model. It was Lowe Alpine in a Sports Unlimited around 1995 with the pocket layout of the CFP90.

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    Quote Originally Posted by sinister View Post
    That polymer chunkle the shoulder straps are sewn to and the track system itself are absolute shit and the designer should be shot and hung twice.

    I had originally written "If he's already dead his body should be exhumed and desecrated for the money the US Government paid and got cheated." Maybe the designer wasn't part of the corporate business part. So maybe his descendants should just be shamed and made to feel bad.

    What was a better-than-decent piece of equipment for mountain and cold weather warfare was doomed when Specialty Plastics won the bid and substituted Lowe Military's ladder adjustment design.
    .

    Looks like it was Lowe that did track nonsense according to an old catalog.


    https://soldiersystems.net/2017/02/2...ector-catalog/

    I think they ditched it quick though. Rab now owns them, so not sure what system Lowe packs use now.
    Last edited by jsbhike; 02-16-22 at 07:49.

  7. #7
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    I had a Lowe issued at one point. Great ruck, hard to jump. Cried when I turned it in. It didn’t hurt, unlike the big green tick.

    Later, we got issued the CFP-90, the ones made in PR. They lasted one exercise at Lackland. Most guys had fits trying to rig them to jump, then all the seams started blowing out in the field. And every time you set it down, the frame stiffeners would jump out of the nylon channel. We couldn’t DX those ****ing things fast enough.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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