As a long-time provider of protective solutions for government and military forces all over the world, Peli has become quite familiar with the endless military acronyms that describe equipment and processes used by its personnel. One of those acronyms is MOLLE. In this post, we take a brief look at just what MOLLE is and how you can set it up for yourself for outdoor and tactical equipment.
MOLLE is an acronym that stands for Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. It is pronounced like the first name “Molly”.
To put it simply, MOLLE describes a type of gear that is layered with rows and/or columns of webbing that allows for the attachment of pouches and other compatible accessories for an entirely customisable arrangement of gear. This is often associated with backpacks, used heavily in the military and law enforcement, but can be applied to any load-bearing equipment.
When one hears the term MOLLE, it is often associated with another acronym, PALS. This stands for Pouch Attachment Ladder System. As mentioned previously, MOLLE is the load-carrying equipment that allows for attachment of pouches and other accessories, due to the use of the Pouch Attachment Ladder System, otherwise known as PALS. This is the webbing arranged in rows and columns that line backpacks and other load-bearing equipment. PALS is the defining feature of the MOLLE system; thus, they are not one and the same. Nevertheless, they are often used interchangeably.
In most cases, when referring to MOLLE, we are talking about backpacks fit with a PALS system. This PALS system is interwoven to that of the attachment, e.g. the side of the backpack, and secured into place. Usually, this is a nylon-based webbing, which allows for the user to loop straps through the webbing and secure pouches and other attachments that are equipped with these straps. The system prevents loss because the MOLLE attachments are designed to not easily detach from the PALS webbing system.
MOLLE originated for use by NATO armed forces, especially the U.S. and British armed forces, but it can now be found globally in use on a massive variety of gear and equipment, even on civilian-facing offerings, especially for equipment used for outdoor recreation, such as hiking, hunting, mountain climbing and much more. This also includes Peli’s EZ-Click MOLLE Panels, which is Peli’s proprietary “Molle” style lid organiser system, designed to fit the lids of various popular Peli cases such as the 1510 Protector and the 1535 Air cases.
The EZ-Click MOLLE Panel is a durable panel that uses twist-cam locks to attach and detach from a Peli case lid for swift and efficient changeout. The MOLLE panel utilizing the PALS-like system allows for the attachment of an unlimited combination of user-supplied MOLLE compatible pouches and Velcro straps to the inside of the case lid.
As we have seen many of our loyal Peli users innovate their Peli cases with various DIY MOLLE attachment solutions, we were inspired to engineer our own reliable quick-release MOLLE system so users can switch out their kit according to their next mission or adventure. If you are interested in learning more about the EZ-Click MOLLE Panel, click on the button to speak to a Peli expert today!
Image courtesy of Everyday Carry.