A lot of decent packs will meet your criteria.
CURT said:
frameless with a large main compartment and and plenty of molle on the sides and back for pouches.
The LF RAID and Kifaru Marauder would both do that well. I have a RAID, and IMO, the internal pockets can get annoying, the shoulderstraps are too thin, and could be sewed on to the pack in a more durable manner. It is also a little small for my taste. I believe the Marauder would address most of what I precieve as the RAID's shortcomings. However, for me, its not worth an additional $200 to upgrade.
Not too sure, but ATS might stil be offering their special on off-colour Coyote Brown RAIDs. ($99.00)
I'll second Wonderbread on Camelbak. I have a CB Talon which I lug around on a daily basis. While it is not completely innondated in Pals (or "molle"), it has a decent sized grid on the sides and back to put a few GP pouches. Its also a pretty good compromise between a top-loader and a clamshell pack. It also had fantastic shoulder straps. I would class this one as a 3 day more then an assault pack though.
Do you have any other specific deciding features?
-toploader or clamshell?
-appx volume?
-internal/external fixed pouches?
-price point?
-how much Pals real-estate are you looking for?
Just curious... In order to really justify blowing money your own assault pack, you have to ask yourself if you're buying it to address a deficiency in your issued kit, or if its just for LCF.
While I think that the modularity of the Small Pack is a joke (who uses daisy chains? :
) it suits most people for most uses, and because of the way it is designed, (no load-bearing zippers for example) it is extremely durable, and parts prone to failure (the buckles) can be repaired expediently in the field. Plus, if you really want PALS on it, you could opt for an aftermarket beavertail like CP Gear offers.
Cheers,
Eric