How to Assemble your ILCE

Fitting the Individual Belt
The individual belt helps to support the buttpack and carries the E-tool & carrier, ammunition pouches, canteens & covers and first aid compass pouch. The belt is issued in medium and large sizes so that it can be adjusted to fit over all layers of outer clothing including the armoured fragmentation vest. If you bare chest measures less than 30 inches wear the medium size. If you measure 30 inches or more wear the large size. To fit the belt, unfasten the hook on each end of the belt from the center eyelet in which it is engaged. Shorten or lengthen the belt so that it fits around your waist just loose enough not to constrict your clothing.

Fitting the Suspenders

The suspenders help to support the buttpack and equipment belt. Suspenders come in regular, long and extra-long size. If you are under 68 inches tall, without shoes, wear the regular size. If you are over 68 inches tall, without shoes, wear the long size. If you are tall or broad chested or you expect to wear your webbing over cold weather clothing and/or a fragmentation vest, wear the extra-long size. The shoulder pads should be centered on your shoulders to distribute the weight of the load evenly. The suspenders may be worn without the buttpack, so for this, attach the suspender straps directly to the belt. Adjust the straps so that the they place the belt evenly at your waist. To keep the load evenly on both shoulders, attach the rear suspender straps at even spaces from the center of the rear of the belt.

Attaching the Buttpack to the Belt

Lay the pack with the back facing up, the flap to the top, and the two slide keepers in an open position. Lay the belt out flat with the back facing up and the male belt buckle to your left. Locate the center of the belt, and insert the belt into the two open slide keepers so that the center of the belt matches the center of the pack. Close the two slide keepers, making sure that the tip of the sliding bar engages the hole in the bottom of the clip (Insert).

To avoid loosing equipment make sure all clips are attached properly.

Attaching the Suspenders to the Buttpack and Belt

Lay the suspenders out flat, above the pack, with the inside facing up and the back suspender straps to the bottom. Attach the back suspender straps to the pack by putting the hooks of these two straps into the center of the two webbed tabs of the pack. Attach the front suspender straps to the belt by first fastening to the belt fasteners. Fold the suspenders back on the pack so that they lay with the ouside of the suspenders facing up. Put the hook of the left front suspender strap into the top eyelet on the front of the belt, nearest the female belt fastener; put the hook of the right front suspenders into the top eyelet on the front of the belt, nearest the male belt fastner. The open part of each hook should be to the front of the belt and the loop to the side away from the center fasteners.

To prevent the equipment belt from “riding up” in front when the ammunition cases are empty or are partially filled, put the front suspender strap hooks in the top eyelets of the belt at the sides under your arms.

Adjusting the Front Suspender Straps

Unfasten the belt, put on the assembled equipment, and fasten the belt. Unfasten the buckles on the two front suspender straps. Center the shoulder pads of the suspenders outside shoulders, and adjust to the length of front suspender straps so that the belt is properly located on your waist. Fasten the buckles to hold the adjustment pressing each buckle firmly with the thumb to insure that it is fully closed.

Adjusting Suspender Straps

Remove the assembled equipment and place it on a flat surface. Fasten the belt. Unfasten the buckles on the two back suspenders straps. Locate the center of each shoulder pad of the suspenders. Fold the shoulder pads over at the center. Adjust the length of each back suspender straps so that the fastener hangs evenly at the front and back. Fasten the strap buckless to hold the adjustment. Make certain the buckles are properly fastened by pulling slightly on the suspenders.

Attaching the E-Tool Carrier & Canteens with Covers

Attach the E-Tool carrier to the belt on the left aide by means of the two slide keepers at the back of the carrier. Do not attempt to insert the clips over two thicknesses of the equipment belt webbing because the clips were designed to fit over only one thickness of webbing. Attach the two canteens with covers to the belt on either side of the buttpack Alternatively you can attach the cover to the sides of the Buttpack (Insert).

Attaching the Ammunition Cases

Attach the case to the belt on both the left and right sides, next to the front suspender straps. Unfasten the buckle of the supporting straps of the cases. Attach the snap of the supporting strap of the cases to the metal loops located at the bottom edge of each of the shoulder pads. Make sure the straps are not twisted. Adjust the length of the supporting straps so that the cases do not hang down. Fasten the buckle on the supporting straps to hold the adjustment.

Attaching the Compass Pouch/First Aid Case and Bayonet with Scabbard

Attach the compass pouch to either the belt in the front on the right side next to the ammunition case or to the web keeper on top of the padded portion of the suspenders. Attach the bayonet scabbard into the eyelets of the belt next to the left ammunition case. Alternatively you can attach it to the eyelets on the buttpack (Insert)