wiiawiwb Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Whenever I am in the woods. I always have my Hill People Gear Original Kit Bag. It is a chest pack that can be worn alone, or under a backpack, and is the best piece of outdoor equipment I have ever owned. You can carry concealed with no one suspecting it is there. It also puts at your fingertips most of the gear you want to be readily available such as keys, compass, phone pouch, flashlight, ferrocerium rod, etc. It has three compartments and when unzipped literally provides a shelf to lay out a map or other item. A gun can be drawn quickly from it and the pack can be "docked" to your backpack's shoulder strap so it feels weightless. It can fit almost any handgun. My Ruger Super Redhawk Toklat 454 Casull fits in it as does a long-slide Glock. http://www.hillpeoplegear.com/Products/CategoryID/1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HPgY45Qz8A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktQTXZ71lE4 I recommend this chest pack to all of my friends. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norseman Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 I like the recon version with the molle! Very cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiiawiwb Posted August 27, 2018 Author Share Posted August 27, 2018 Their chest packs are the bomb! Just returned from introducing a life-long buddy to sasquatching and brought him to my honey hole. We got off trail and meandered around to areas where no one probably goes except a stray hunter now and then. As soon as we got off trail, he felt a little apprehensive and we were in day light! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIB Posted August 27, 2018 Moderator Share Posted August 27, 2018 Will a Marlin Guide Gun fit in one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Explorer Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Wiiawiwb, Neat pack! I usually put all those items on the top pocket of my backpack and is very inconvenient. I will definitely check it out. Have you tried it out with a full backpack on? Wonder if all those backstraps get in the way of the backpack. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norseman Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 3 hours ago, MIB said: Will a Marlin Guide Gun fit in one? Maybe the take down model? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiiawiwb Posted August 28, 2018 Author Share Posted August 28, 2018 Explorer...yes, I have used Original Kit Bag many, many times with a full-backpack on. My new backpack, a Seek Outside Revolution 6,300, works beautifully with it but so did my 8oz Zpacks Blast. I always recommend putting the chest pack on first then the backpack over it. Then, you'll dock the chest pack to the backpack's shoulder strap, as they always have a daisy chain loop or two by which to connect. Then all the weight is transferred to your backpack. I went out yesterday with my SO backpack and HPGOKB. I never enter the woods without it. To answer your question about the straps...no, I've never had any problems with that at all. No crossing or combining of straps between the two. In that regard, Seek Outside sells strapkeepers. They're awesome to help organize straps. As you know, with any backpack, there are straps dangling all over the place. You can tuck them in or you can get strapkeepers which I think is the best solution. You roll up the excess strap dangling down and attach a strapkeeper which keeps it rolled up and out of the way. It's not permanent so when you need to use the strap, you simply unstrap the keeper which connects by using velcro then unfurl the strap. I bought two sets of 6 strapkeepers for a grand total of $5.80. No shipping cost either. Try them, I think you like it. https://seekoutside.com/backpack-strapkeepers-set-of-6/ 15 hours ago, MIB said: Will a Marlin Guide Gun fit in one? No but it will fit beautifully attached to my Seek Outside backpack! As Norse mentioned, you can get a breakdown 45-70. For a mere $3,277+, you can have a Wild West Guns Co-Pilot. Talk about a sweet lever action! https://www.wildwestguns.com/custom-guns/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catmandoo Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 My chest packs carry cameras and other equipment. Years ago I found Kinesis Photo Gear as a provider of backpacks and chest packs. I call them chest packs and they call them 'holsters'. Over the years I have collected back pack accessories, utility pouches, holsters. Most of their products are padded. You can have any color that you want :black, black or black. I have the P450 Journeyman pack with heavy duty waistbelt. The waistbelt has attachments for pouches and holsters. I put A257 Body Pouches on the belt. Nice padding. Left side, right side. For those who like numbers, the back pack is a volume over 2,400 cubic inches. Two V092 medium front opening modules fit in the pack. Trail cameras go into the modules. The holster cases can be used as a back pack. I use them for chest packs. I cross-reeve the hanging straps When I want to inspect something on the ground, I release the right side buckle and the chest pack pivots to my left side. I am right handed. The good features of the holsters are padding, pockets, zippers and the top covers open away from your body. They have adapter harnesses for other brands. Takes a lot of time to search their products. Home grown in Utah. https://kgear.ecogear.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiiawiwb Posted August 29, 2018 Author Share Posted August 29, 2018 (edited) With all due respect, the P450 Journeyman is a backpack. It is not a chest pack. If you wish to discuss the virtues of a backpack, it's not what this is about, but that's great. The P450 is a 2,400cu pack that weighs 4lbs 9z.. My SO 6,300ci pack weighs 7oz less, is completely waterproof, and carries nearly three times the volume. It will carry 150lbs of elk meat (or as much as you can add). There is no right or wrong here; just what is right for you. I was floored when I was looking for a backpacking backpack and found it in a hunting forum. I've been through backpacks like Amelda Marcos went through shoes. I'm comfortable saying there is no equivalent to Seek Outside packs. Whether you are hiking or hunting, it is the best one out there. Edited August 29, 2018 by wiiawiwb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catmandoo Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 True, the P450 is a back pack. It is what I attach my chest packs too. I have several different capacities of chest packs. I did not list the item #'s. I am off trail so I like Cordura material for abrasion resistance and the foam padding to protect my electronics.. I do not have any experience with a fabric that is bonded to a sheet of Mylar. I made my own rain cover. Many years ago, I wasted a lot of hours looking for chest packs. I learned that the sporting goods fashion industry sub contracts out pack design. The designers are typically teams of 3 people who design, build a prototype, and sell the concept to industry. The packs are expensive, made offshore and have questionable durability. I have not seen SO equipment. SO and Kinesis use good materials, are made in the USA and the models are around for many years ---- opposite of camping fashions. Zippers. I forget to list the importance of zippers. Many times, zippers are the deal breakers. Small details can be frustrating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiiawiwb Posted August 29, 2018 Author Share Posted August 29, 2018 Yes, both Seek Outside backpacks and Hill People Gear chest packs are made in the USA. Both companies are the classic cottage industry company who design and field test their own equipment. Seek Outside listens to the users of their products who make requests for new designs. In the past year alone, they added several backpacks which were specifically requested by users. The Brooks, Peregrine, and Saker are examples of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiiawiwb Posted August 29, 2018 Author Share Posted August 29, 2018 Here is an excellent review of the Seek Outside Peregrine backpack posted today by Rokslide Prostaff, Matt Cashell. It is a 3,500ci pack. If I want the Peregrine (as compared to my Fortress 6,300ci) I don't have to buy another pack. I simply buy the Peregrine bag, remove the Fortress 6,300 bag and put on the Peregrine bag. 10 minutes, tops. It is an excellent approach to backpacking as you can use the same frame, shoulder harness, and belt but swap out different bags. http://www.rokslide.com/seek-outside-peregrine-review/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norseman Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 Kifaru is modular as well. http://kifaru.net/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiiawiwb Posted August 29, 2018 Author Share Posted August 29, 2018 No question about it, Kirafu makes excellent backpacks and has a very loyal following. They are modular as well but are substantially heavier than Seek Outside packs. Kirafu has more molle webbing choices and pockets here, there, and everywhere but that comes with a significant weight penalty. I think Kirafu has the Muskeg which uses X-Pac and I believe it is their only backpack that is waterproof. All of SO packs use X-Pac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norseman Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 Good to know. As a mule skinner..... I think about weight as well. But its on a whole different scale from a backpacker. I have one camelback day back I use when hunting. Everything else goes in panniers or manties. I found a guy now who is making molle panniers so you can have external pouches so you dont have to dig for something while on the trail. Tough with regular panniers and impossible with mantied loads, unless you unpack everything on the side of the trail. https://www.mountainridgegear.com/collections/hunting-panniers/products/hunting-pannier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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