PALS consists of webbing sewn onto the load-bearing equipment and corresponding webbing and straps on the attachment. The straps are interwoven between the webbing on each of two pieces and finally snapped into place, making for a very secure fit which can be detached with moderate effort. New types are laser cut out of single piece fabric rather than webbing straps sewn onto fabric. This is common on many new tactical items from backpacks to chest rigs. The spacing is the same standard so new lasercut ladders are 100% backwards compatible with older pouches made for webbing strap construction rigs.
Specifications
The PALS grid consists of horizontal rows of 25 mm (1 in) commercial item descriptions (CID) A-A-55301A (replacing Mil-W-43668[4]) Type III nylon webbing (most commercial vendors use Type IIIa), spaced 25 mm apart, and reattached to the backing at 38 mm (1.5 in) intervals.[5]
The stitchings are spaced 38 mm (1.5 in) apart, with a range of 35ā40 mm (1.4ā1.6 in) considered acceptable in practice.[citation needed]
Newer styles come in various laser cut fabric, most commonly 1000D cordura nylon (some vendors use 500Dā600D). The benefits often quoted for laser cut single piece style is significant weight saving especially on plate carriers/rigs and items with large amount of ladder area as well as less bulk. Another consideration is fabrics can be made in new popular patterns without need to source webbing in compatible shades including viewing conditions under night vision devices. Many of these specialist patterns are also available in NIR treated forms for optimal camouflage viewed through such night vision devices.
Gallery
A man in 1975 modelling an early ERDL-patterned prototype of the PASGT vest, with two PALS webbing strips on the front.