@Grizzly That hellcat is pretty dope. That's the coolest thing I've seen in terms of rucking in a while.
@Longinvs When you're rucking, think about your feet too. Every 1 Lb. on your feet is 4-6 lbs. on your back depending on which study you're looking at. On the contrary, the better(thicker, quality) sole you have on the shoe, you'll be less likely to have blisters. You can check out this post here on rucking:
https://primaryandsecondary.com/forum/index.php?threads/norwegin-foot-march.5925/#post-34116
Pro tip: Stretch more before doing something that fucking long. I'm still hurting because I didn't prepare my body like I did my gear. Your body needs to be "gamed" too.
If you want a lighter ruck system than the ALICE, there's always the straight MOLLE. It reduced the weight of the ruck itself and provides much better hip support compared to the ALICE system. Which is why that Hellcat, outfitted with the MOLLE shoulder and hip system is so cool. I've cracked 1 MOLLE frame in the past from cinching my bag tight with a lot of weight. Granted, they were still very functional, just at a 90% level. If you don't want to ever worry about that, the Hellcat seems like one hell of a system at face value.
MOLLE:
It has a number of pros that I'll cover since they haven't been covered yet. In no particular order:
1. It's lighter. I don't know how much from a cursory duckduckgo search. But it's noticeable if you grabbed two. Ounces equal pounds, say hasta la vista to weight at every chance you get when the cost benefit analysis makes sense.
2. It's much more modular. You can remove the sustainment pouches on the side, add different ones. It's easier to cinch things down from the MOLLE being almost everywhere you might need it. There is a "shelf" in the center of the main sack that can be used to raise the weight of the cargo higher. You want to keep that weight high and close to your body. Routing a camelback or similar system isn't difficult and can be done very well.
3. Keeping it small. You want to cinch down the sack to get the ruck as small as possible. There are a standard 6 straps on the main MOLLE sack that do this. You can also empty the sack beneath the shelf to get it smaller. This will substantially lessen the felt load and make you much more maneuverable. I can run pretty freaking fast with 30 pounds or less, all things considered. If it's packed right and not swinging around. Arm movement is also less restricted when you're executing a push-up to get up from the prone. Unless I know we're bedding down for a good minute, I don't feel the urge to remove my ruck because it's comfortable and maneuverable. I might lay back on it and loosen the shoulder straps while I eat, so when it's time to go: cinch the straps and stand up. Because of the MOLLE system, you can add more straps if you absolutely have to.
4. The OCP camouflage is better than ranger green. Practically speaking, but also aesthetically(IMHO, wearer's preference).
Cons:
1. Like I said above, even with the latest generations you can break the frame. I broke a gen 2 frame. The gen 3 is much less brittle, but for that gen 2....I was being very, very aggressive with my cinching for a ruck challenge. I paid the price with a ruck that only connected the top and bottom through the center spine. Oddly enough, while I had worse hip support...it did increase my flexibility. If it wasn't for the clacking of the frame, it might have made sense for shorter/faster action stuff. I've never seen or heard of a Gen 3 frame cracking, but it could be possible.
2. MOLLE is not as cheap as the ALICE. Don't be a poor, but at the same time...budgets are real. Ball on a budget and you can ball more.
If you plan on carrying a lot of weight(65+ lbs), I would more strongly advise the MOLLE or Hellcat system. I don't know your build, whether you have a long or short torso, broad or narrow shoulders. I don't know your medical history either. But, I know that more equally sharing that load between your hips and shoulders will cause less damage/fatigue to your shoulders. This helps in movement, shooting and comfort substantially after 65 lbs. Idk why, but 65 lbs. is the magic number for my build that a properly worn ruck very noticeably affects the above 3 things. I'm 6'0, 170 lbs with above average length limbs. Range walking comes easy to me, but it may not for you due to genetics. Every bit of "gaming" gives you an edge.
Don't ruck run trying to get that highest speed. Game your rig to reduce your drag. Average speed and low, low drag will beat high speed and average drag almost every time. People don't perform well when they're tired, so reduce fatigue where you can. Reducing your chances of injury is the most important thing like
@chasnojm and
@Grizzly mentioned. Take care of yourself and avoid bad knees, spinal compression, shoulder nerve damage and blisters from the hip straps. It'll help you enjoy rucking so much more.