Okay, this product is actually designed to carry a sidearm...hopefully it's okay to discuss it here. Because this pack is such a great piece of kit, even if you don't CCW, that it really deserves some ink, er, pixels.

I got my HPG Runners Kit Bag yesterday. Initially I was going to get the Snubbie, but thanks to some input from a fellow HK P30 owner over at HPG Forum I opted for the larger version.

Upon unboxing I was very impressed with the quality of the product. The material is great and the construction is top notch; no loose threads or badly stitched seams. This truly looks and feels expensive, moreso than I would have expected at the (relatively) low price. The best comparison I can make is to Maxpedition. This bag is immaculate! I was also really impressed with the ingenuity of the design. It was obviously a well thought out design. Everything works just right.

Initially I had a little trouble figuring out how to draw from it. Grabbing the front pocket zippers was a bit problematic as it only really worked if the gun compartment was left unzipped for a good four inches. I'm gonna get killed before I can get my gun out,I thought. However, leaving about an inch unzipped and hooking my fingers inside turned out to work very well. In fact, I was surprised to find that I can actually draw from the RKB faster than I can draw from IWB if I have it tucked under a shirt. Nice!

I had also worried about carrying a sidearm loaded with no "holster" to protect the trigger. In fact I purchased an adjustable velcro holster from ITS Tactical to use inside. Since they arrived at the same time I did fiddle around with the holster and found it to work okay. But I found that the rig actually does indeed work better without a holster; in fact, the holster is just baggage. There really isn't any way for the safety or trigger to be affected inside the bag due to the construction and design used. I'm sure the Hills aren't surprised! Perhaps if I was carrying my Beretta Nano (a gun with no safety) I might try the holster again but with my cocked-and-locked HKs I had no problems at all.

At first I was a little worried when I noticed there were no instructions. Hey, don't get me wrong- I don't usually read instructions anyway! But I wasn't sure how to go about adjusting the harness. I quickly realized though that it was very intuitive, ingenious even. I got a very good fit within about five minutes. The best position for me turned out to be very high on my chest, high enough that the pistol didn't press on my solar plexus.

I tested it by heading out on the 3 mile route that I walk every night. During the first mile I did a bit of experimenting to figure out how tight to set the bungee cord. Seems like I changed it half a dozen times. If I was jogging it I'd probably cinch it down a little tighter but for a brisk walk it stayed put with the cord pretty loose. At any rate, the RKB was very, very comfortable! It got a little bit warm right under the gun but no more so than under the gun & gunbelt, it just moved the hot spot. It was much more comfortable to have the gun on my chest than riding on my hip, especially as I jogged to cross the intersections.

I really love this pack! If I was to tweak anything, I'd say for my own preference it could have a tiny bit more padding on the back, and maybe channels to stand it off the body a bit (like the back of a Maxpedition Kodiak). It wasn't super hot but after I got home I noticed a bit of sweat just beginning to show on the inside. I wouldn't mind some type of barrier to keep moisture off the gun. Sure, it would make me sweat more but I'm more concerned about the gun. And the front pouch just barely had enough room for my wallet, keys, gun and Surefire E1B...a tiny smidgen more space would be nice, but I understand that no matter what size you make it someone would want a little more room.

But those are very minor quibbles! Again, I love the rig! So much so that I think I'll pick up a Recon down the road and probably a full sized Kit Bag for camping and hiking. Ultimately, the Recon with the bungee cord system might be even better than the RKB for me simply because I could MOLLE my flashlight to the front.

Even if you don't carry a firearm this pack is an awesome way to carry EDC gear that you want to have on your person. Unlike a messenger bag or something like that, this can't be dropped of carried away if fall in a stream, etc. It's very comfortable, although like any pack it will be a little warm on you when it's hot out. It's not huge but if it was you wouldn't want to carry it in this manner anyway.

Thanks to HPG for an awesome bag! I can't wait to try it out on my next camping trip out to Palisades Park.

Here's a picture from the HPG web site:

BTW, for those who just want to carry gear (or a sidearm and more gear than a Runners Kit Bag can hold) the regular Kit Bag may be more up your alley. The overall dimensions are the same but the front pocket is 2" deep vs. the 1" pocket of the RKB and Recon versions.

This looks like a good way to keep GPS, map, or other gear accessible. I have used the Ribz front pack, and it is very practical and works well. I have also tried the Raid Light Trail front pack. This one I didn't like as much, but I also did not carry it very much. It is bigger, but rides lower. It does let more air move between your body and the pack though, so cooler. Both of these options are a good deal less expensive than Hill People Gear one, however the HPG one looks to be of higher quality than the Raidlight.

Thanks for the info Phaedrus.

interesting photo. i've never carried gear that way. but have to agree with Montanero that's it looks very useful for immediate-access kit.

Pete2

I have two Ribz packs, the original version and newer 'improved' version. It's a good piece of gear, but for my purposes the KB is better. Actually you could probably wear them together depending on how you adjusted them. The KB is optimized for carrying a sidearm but if you don't need to do so you could get a pretty good amount of stuff in it. It's very easy to get at everything; that's a key virtue of the pack.

They have a version of the Kit Bag called the Recon that has MOLLE all over the front. I plan to get one of those two, and probably the full sized KB. I'm just really really impressed by the product. When I need a new pack I may try the UTE, too.

And then there is Kifaru Koala. For both kit and gun. http://store.kifaru.net/koala-800ci131-liters-p54.aspx

The Koala is one I considered. It was actually designed for Kifaru by the guys that run Hill People Gear. Ultimately I decided against the Kifaru because of the added bulk and expense. It's considerably larger than the Kit Bag; that would be a bonus if you want to carry a lot of stuff, but I wanted a very minimalist setup to carry a sidearm, spare mag, flashlight and my ID and keys. And the Kifaru is a bit more expensive, too. Realistically the Koala Lite is closer to the Runners Kit Bag with the full Kit Bag being a little closer to the regular Koala. But Kifaru makes awesome stuff, and if you want something of that size it's almost certainly a great option.

Well, just to update a bit, I've been using the crap out of my Runners Kit Bag and really loving it. So much in fact that I just ordered the larger Original Kit Bag! It's the same except that the front pouch is 2" deep, and it still has a small pocket in front of that. It's a little bit smaller than the Kifaru Koala but big enough to carry some essentials. A bushcrafter & survival instructor that I know from another forum posted a nice video review of his, and he shows the gear he carries in it. Well, I knew I wanted one but that sold me! Plenty of room for my sidearm and spare mag, ID and keys, phone, and a small survival kit, too.

Should be awesome for camping and hiking. I will continue to use my Runners Kit Bag for my nightly walks and any time I only need to carry a gun and ID but don't have a belt.