Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Tell me about the HPG Kit Bags

Just got my Tarahumara bag from HPG and it is absolutely excellent. Getting it broken in a bit this weekend and the quality of the construction and design has got me thinking I need to check out one of HPG's Kit Bags. Read through all the threads over on the HPG forum and found a lot of great info, but I'm always interested in what the 'fire has to say

So, if you've got one, how do you use it and how do you like it? Is there any interference when shouldering a rifle?

Let you know in about a week. I have a Kit Bag and the smaller Snubbie enroute, along with a Tarahumara and a compression kit and their SM25 packbag to fit my ancient Cabelas Longhunter frame.

I'm pondering getting the runner's harness and mating a Kit Bag to a Tara as an EDC set up. That would give your handgun a "home" off of your body if that became necessary, or another place to discretely carry a second handgun.

I have to travel a bit and I'm getting a tad paranoid about being in a strange town when everything goes south.

I use mine year round as either a hunting bag, a hiking bag + pistol pouch, or as a really great fly fishing pouch that I can carry all my essentials and a Ruger SP101. Very nice bit of kit. Mine is the original kit bag and I've convinced several friends of its necessity and they've bought various models. I still think that I like the original best for my uses.

No issues with shouldering a rifle, but it makes me a little nervous about string interference on a bow.

I didn't get it until this week when I borrowed one to hang stands. Ordered one as soon as I got home. I've shot a recurve a little with one on with no issues.

I absolutely LOVE mine. I haven't even used it much, as I just picked one up. But there's no issues shooting a bow or rifle with one on.

I love mine. I've used it hiking and use it while carrying a backpack with no issues. Can't imagine it would interfere with a rifle.
It is very comfortable and handy, it causes no neck strain, no swaying, swinging or banging around when hiking steep uphill, downhill or rugged terrain.
I cannot overstate how handy it is for maps, compass, digital camera, snacks, gels, reading glasses, sheath knife, bandaids, ammo, etc., etc., etc.

There is no end to doo-dads you can keep handy which otherwise would be stuffed in pockets or inaccessable in a pack...not to mention a handgun, AND you can open and access all your gear without exposing the gun compartment or otherwise handling the firearm. Yet if needed it is accessible with a quick yank.

Now that I have one I can't imagine going out without it. It is an essential piece of gear that is versatile. Even on a short day hike with a day pack I carry the kit bag. I intend to carry turkey calls in it next spring. Someone above mentioned fishing gear, an assortment of flyboxes and tippets could be carried comfortably.

Got mine back in June and used it a few times before competing in the 24hr Sniper Adventure Challenge. 36 miles race through the mountains with a 30 hr time limit. 60 lbs in my EB Gunslinger II and about 8 lbs in my HPG Kit bag. Rules would not allow us to carry my 1911 in the bag so I put a 20 oz bottle of Hammer Gel there. Knife, Surefire, map, compass, markers, gun, snacks, Hi E tabs, etc Awesome and very comfortable. I'll use if from now on out. Here I am only at mile 4 getting ready to turn right and go up into the mountains to 7,000'.



Topped out @ 7,000' about 4 am. Tired but still ready to go.



Alan

Thanks for the pics Alan, looks like just what I need. I'm leaning toward the snubby model as I won't be using it to carry a pistol. Just need space for a (small) knife, compact camera, GPS, phone, flashlight, etc.

I put on all my hunting gear last night and flung a few, just to quadruple check that everything is groovy....

Dan-

is the bow a Schafer or a Bearspaw- or neither?

Sure looks like one of the ones I mentioned above.

It's a silvertip...he hasn't seen the Light yet. Someday he'll figure out Toelke is always the right answer.

On the Kit Bag, love mine. No problem shooting a rifle. Haven't tried a bow, but if Dan says it is so...

Actually just tested mine yesterday shooting a rifle. No problems whatsoever. Also used it for the first time Saturday morning on a little 5 mile hike. Absolutely loved having little things out of my pocket and on my chest as well as binoculars and pistol. I'm completely sold.

+1

Dan, that picture makes me happy. I just bought some appropriate arrows for my recurve from a local shop. Red Rock archery... didn't know that places like that still existed. Nearly a religious experience. "Here, give me your bow" -- as the proprietor proceeds to tune it by hand, install string silencers, and give me technique pointers as I'm testing arrow weights without comment or additional charge. I've been shooting at least 50 arrows a day since. By the time next season rolls around, I should be ready. I've shot hundreds of rounds with a rifle and probably hundreds of arrows with a recurve while wearing a Kit Bag. Wearing a Kit Bag stabilizes the prone shooting position by providing another point of contact.

Anybody carrying a large frame revolver in their Kit Bag?

Large frame shouldn't be a problem with appropriate barrel length; 6" might be too much. My 5" 1911 fits nicely.

Alan

My kit bag fits a S&W 696 like a glove. A 4" barreled N frame Mountain Gun is a little tighter. A 5" N frame pretty much sucks, but could happen with some custom Kydex.

Laffin... Yeah, but me and my Silvertip are going bowhunting for our 7th season this weekend. I don't miss a lot of [bleep] with that bow (which explains all the hardware on my wall )

How fast does your Toelke shoot a 538 grain arrow at a 27" draw?
that fast?

We'll settle this in about 2 days