The Tarahumara from Hill People Gear is a small pack that manages to reach an impressive equilibrium between simplicity and versatility. Originally envisioned as a hydration carrier, the Tarahumara grew during its development into a small pack and compression panel.

Design

The construction of the Tarahumara is similar to that of the Hill People Gear Kit Bag. It is sewn in the US by First Spear, made of 500 denier Cordura and available in Foliage, Ranger Green, and Coyote.

The bag is approximately 17″ tall and 9″ wide. The cut is tapered, resulting in a depth of about 6″ at the bottom and 3″ at the top. Hill People Gear claims that the volume of the pack is around 750 cubic inches. Based on my experience with other packs, that is a bit low. I would estimate it to be closer to 1,000 cubic inches.

The bag features a simple, clean design. There is a wand pocket on either side of the pack for storing water bottles, scopes, or baguettes. The bottom of the pack has four webbing loops with a piece of paracord threaded through, secured by a cordloc, which provides an attachment point for some bulky items. A single, beefy, vertical zipper runs along the center of the pack. Two compression straps run horizontally across the pack, both compressing the load and reinforcing the zipper. Both the compression straps and the sternum strap on the harness are closed with 1″ wide side-release buckles. This commonality of hardware speaks to one of the themes of Hill People Gear’s design: field serviceable simplicity. If one buckle breaks, you have two others to work with.

The compression straps can be easily removed from the bag when they are not needed. In addition to the two webbing loops where the compression straps attach and the lower attachment point of the harness, each side of the bag has two other webbing loops. Any combination of these loops can be used to attach the Tarahumara bag to a larger pack.

The back panel is padded with foam, horizontally stitched. This provides some structure and protection from awkward loads within the bag. Between the foam back and the actual bag is a slot pocket, which can be used to store anything from maps to lever action rifles.

Inside, the Tarahumara is simply a bare sack. The only concession to internal organization is a webbing loop at the center of the top of the bag. This can be used for hanging a water bladder, or for attaching a small pocket via a carabiner or Grimloc.

Harness

The Tarahumara includes Hill People Gear’s shoulder harness. Rather than having two separate shoulder straps, the Hill People opted for a single continuous piece. The harness is one of Hill People Gear’s more unique offerings, and a piece that I consider a significant achievement. To put it simply, the harness is the most comfortable shoulder-support system I’ve ever used on any pack.

The harness attaches at the top of the Tarahumara via two 1″ pieces of webbing. At the bottom, it ends with a 1″ ladderloc on either side that leads to the 1″ webbing that typically makes up the lower shoulder straps on any pack. It is easily removable — although it does take a couple minutes to do so — which is what allows the Tarahumara to be used as a simple pocket or compression panel on a larger pack. More importantly, the versatility of the harness allows it to replace the stock shoulder straps on many other packs.

At roughly 3.5″ inches, the Hill People Gear harness is significantly wider than most shoulder straps. This increased width results in increased comfort. Because the harness is a single piece, any load is also distributed across the back, rather than simply being placed at a single point on the top of either shoulder.

On a larger pack, the majority of the weight should be placed on the wearer’s hips via the pack waist belt. The shoulder straps exist more for stability than for bearing a load. With properly adjusted lifter straps, the shoulder straps should not even be in contact with the top of the shoulders. As a result, the shoulder straps on larger packs do not always receive the same design attention as, say, the waist belt.

When I first saw people replacing the shoulder straps on their Kifaru packs with the Hill People Gear harness, I thought it was neat that the harness was versatile enough to allow the switch, but, given the role of shoulder straps on a larger pack, I didn’t think that it would offer any practical improvement. Then I began to experiment with it.

The problem is that packs are not properly adjusted 100% of the time. This is not the pack’s fault — it is entirely due to user error — but the fact is that if you hump a pack long enough, eventually you’ll mis-adjust a few straps. This can result in additional weight being placed on the shoulders, and, when weight is placed on the shoulders, the Hill People Gear harness is much more comfortable than any shoulder straps that I’ve used. It is much more forgiving of error.

So last spring and summer I carried both the stock Kifaru shoulder straps and the Hill People Gear harness on every trip. I would use the stock shoulder straps one day, then switch to the Hill People Gear harness the next day, and continue to alternate for the length of the trip. The majority of the time I would notice little difference, but when I would accidentally misadjust the pack and place more of the weight on my shoulders, I found that the Hill People Gear harness would always remain more comfortable than the stock shoulder straps did when I made the same error.

By mid-August I decided that switching back and forth between the systems was a waste. There were no situations where normal shoulder straps were superior to the harness. Since then I haven’t used the normal shoulder straps on my larger packs once, and I don’t intend to use them in the future. I simply move the Hill People Gear harness to whichever pack I’m using.

The superiority of the Hill People Gear harness is immediately clear on smaller packs that place the weight of the load on the wearer’s shoulders. Unfortunately, shoulder straps on smaller packs tend to be permanently attached. I have two daypack-sized bags which I cannot attach the Hill People Gear harness to. I find myself very reluctant to use either of those packs, even when their larger volume is more appropriate than the volume of the Tarahumara, simply because I know that carrying them will be nowhere near as comfortable as carrying the Tarahumara. In that way the Hill People Gear harness has ruined me.

The only potential drawback of the Hill People Gear harness that I can find is for those with asymmetric shoulders. Two removable shoulder straps can be independently adjusted to suit the different height of either shoulder. A single-piece harness cannot. Those with asymmetric shoulders may not experience an increase in comfort with the Hill People Gear harness. For the rest of us, the harness alone is well worth the price of the Tarahumara.

Compression Panel

As a compressional panel, the Tarahumara (and its larger brother, the Highlander) is an integral part of the pack system that Hill People Gear is developing. To attach the Tarahumara bag to a larger pack, Hill People Gear offers a Compression Kit. They refer to this as “a very versatile system that will let you attach virtually anything to anything else” — a bold statement which is surprisingly apt.

The kit consists of varying lengths of 1″ webbing, attached to a lot of G-Hooks and a couple side-release buckles. The simple kit presents a lot of opportunity — a sort of Legos for gear nerds. I’ve spent hours experimenting with the possibilities. If you can’t securely attach a smaller pack to a larger one using the Hill People Gear Compression Kit, you’re probably not trying hard enough.

Attaching the Tarahumara to a larger pack will take anywhere from two to four pieces of the kit, depending on your method. If you can accept the additional weight, I’ve found this to be an excellent addition to my larger packs. The Tarahumara increases the available volume of the system, and the Compression Kit both attaches the Tarahumara to the pack and also compresses the entire load.

Runner’s Harness

Initially the Tarahumara was envisioned as a small hydration carrier that would attach to the back of a Kit Bag. The Tarahumara grew from this original scope during development, but the original intent is still addressed with the Runner’s Harness.

The Runner’s Harness consists of a version of Hill People Gear’s standard harness. Instead of terminating in two 1″ ladderloc buckles to attach to the 1″ webbing of a pack, it cuts off the last 6″ of the harness and terminates in 2″ ladderlocs. This allows it to connect directly to the top of any Kit Bag, after the Kit Bag’s mesh harness is removed.

Two wings are also included. These attach to the bottom of the kit bag via Grimlocs, and then to the 1″ webbing on the bottom corners of the Tarahumara via ladderloc buckles. Each wing includes a piece of shock cord which is laced between the webbing where the Grimloc and ladderloc buckles connect. Adjusting this cord helps to keep the system snug on various body types and helps stabilize the system by absorbing the shock that running entails, while still allowing the chest to expand. I found that adding cordlocs to the shock cord allows me to better maintain my preferred adjustment.

When put together, the Runner’s Harness allows a Tarahumara and Kit Bag to be turned into a running “vest”. While I regularly run with a Kit Bag, I almost never want the extra capacity of the Tarahumara on my runs. I do bike with a Tarahumara and a Kit Bag almost every day. When I purchased the Runner’s Harness, it was to experiment with it for that use.

As it turns out, I very rarely use the Runner’s Harness. It takes a few minutes to switch out the normal harnesses of the Tarahumara and the Kit Bag for the Runner’s Harness, and I found that the Runner’s Harness did not provide much additional comfort when riding a bike.

The few times I have run with both the Kit Bag and the Tarahumara, I have appreciated the superiority of the Runner’s Harness. As a small day-hiking or peak-bagging setup, a Tarahumara and a Kit Bag connected with the Runner’s Harness is very comfortable. It’s one of the most comfortable ways I’ve found to carry smaller loads up to about 20 lbs. But it is not something I use often. Most of the time I am happy enough to just wear the Kit Bag with its mesh harness and throw the Tarahumara with its normal harness over the top of that. (When wearing the Kit Bag and the Tarahumara, I never mess with the Kit Bag’s Lifter Straps.)

Simple, Versatile, Modular

The Tarahumara is similar in ways to the Kifaru E&E Pouch. I had an E&E for about 4 years, but ended up selling it in part to fund my purchase of the Tarahumara. Both are similar in volume and in versatility. The difference is in their primary intended roles: the E&E is a pouch that can be used as a pack, and the Tarahumara is a pack that can be used as a pouch.

Since purchasing it a year ago, the Tarahumara has become my daily carry bag. Just about the only time that I’m not carrying the Tarahumara is when I’m out in the mountains with a larger pack, and then I have the Tarahumara’s harness on that pack — and perhaps even the Tarahumara itself compressed to the back. The simplicity, versatility and modularity of the Tarahumara makes it well worth considering as an addition to your pack collection.

The Hill People Gear Kit Bag is a platform for concealed carry of a handgun in the backcountry.

Carrying on the waist isn’t an option when you’re wearing a pack with a belt. In order to do its job, the pack belt needs to wrap tightly around the waist, which makes any bulky items between the waist and the pack belt inappropriate. A holster could be mounted to the pack belt itself, but then you drop your gun whenever you drop your pack. If you choose to carry a handgun in the backcountry, you probably want it with you and readily accessible at all times.

The Kit Bag addresses this problem by allowing the handgun to be carried on the chest. It’s supported by its own harness, worn underneath the pack, which allows the user to drop their pack without removing the Kit Bag.

When I first purchased the Kit Bag, I intended to use it only in the backcountry. After I received it, I discovered that not only is it great in its intended backcountry use, but it’s also the best platform I’ve found for carrying a handgun on a bike or while running. I’ve had a Kit Bag for over a year now. I run regularly and commute every day on my bicycle, which means I wear a Kit Bag for some period of time almost every day and have been doing so for as long as I’ve owned one.

Origin

Evan and Scott Hill developed their initial concept of a chest-mounted carry platform before Hill People Gear was born. They brought this idea to Kifaru, where Patrick Smith made some changes of his own and began selling the bag as the Kifaru Koala. Later on, the Hill brothers decided to sell their own version, closer to the ligher and smaller pack that they had originally envisioned. They worked a royalty deal with Kifaru and started Hill People Gear, with the Kit Bag being their first product.

Design

All Kit Bags are sewn in the US by First Spear. They are made of 500D cordura and available in Hill People Gear’s standard color offerings of Coyote, Ranger Green, and Foliage Green.

The Kit Bag features three zippered compartments. The frontmost compartment is a flat pocket that provides two internal pockets and two ribbon loops for dummy-cording gear. The rearmost compartment is the handgun pocket. This pocket includes a single ribbon loop on the bottom center, intended to be used to dummy-cord a Raven Concealment Systems Vanguard holster. Current Kit Bag models also include a 1.5″ wide strip of loop material running vertically down the center of the compartment. This allows someone with a small mouse-gun to affix a velcro holster in order to prevent the small gun from bouncing around in the large compartment. The middle compartment is the main organizational pocket. It features two internal pockets with two ribbon loops for dummy-cording gear, similar to the frontmost compartment.

A mesh-backed harness is included to support the Kit Bag. The lower right strap of the harness features a 1.5″ side-release buckle, which allows the harness to be easily donned and doffed.

Access

The key feature of the Kit Bag is its quick access, tear-open gun compartment. This is achieved by aligning the gun compartment zippers in the middle of the right strap attachment point. The zippers for the main compartment are aligned in the same spot. The zipper pulls of the main compartment can then be yanked in the direction of the left hip, which causes the gun compartment to rip open, providing access to the handgun. The setup can be reversed for a left-handed draw.

This process is quick and simple. I don’t think that it will ever be as fast as drawing from the hip (I, at least, haven’t been able to train myself to that same speed), but considering that the Kit Bag is used when carrying on the hip is not an option, it’s an excellent compromise. As with any new holster, it takes some practice to get used to. The only trick to it is to remember to pull your support arm far enough back at the end of the ripping motion that you don’t sweep yourself on the draw.

It is also possible to open the gun compartment without yanking on the main compartment zipper. The gun compartment zippers can be aligned on the right side of the Kit Bag, but with a gap of a couple inches left between them. The user can then jam their hand into the gap, which opens the zippers wide enough to allow the gun to be drawn. This allows for a one-handed draw. When wearing gloves, this method can be a little easier, as you don’t need to grasp the zipper pulls of the main compartment with the support hand. It’s also a little easier to achive in the dark, as you don’t need to see the main compartment zipper pulls.

Lifter Kit

The Kit Bag includes a Lifter Kit which allows the bag to be docked to the shoulder straps of most backpacks. The straps attach to the pack shoulder straps via slik clips and attached to the Kit Bag via grimlocs.

When using the Lifter Kit, the Kit Bag is initially donned as normal with the included harness. The pack is then put on over the harness, and the docking straps are attached to the Kit Bag’s included grimlocs. When the docking straps are tightened, the Kit Bag is lifted off of its harness and all the weight of the bag is transferred to the pack’s shoulder straps — which, with a good pack, means that the weight is transferred to the hips via the pack frame and waist belt. This makes for a comfortable way to carry the Kit Bag and its contents. It does require that the two grimlocks be opened whenever the pack is dropped and closed whenever the pack is worn, which adds a few seconds to the pack donning and doffing procedure. I prefer to loosen all pack straps whenever I remove my pack, even if it is only for a short time, so unhooking the docking straps does not introduce much of an inconvenience for me.

Stabilizer

The Kit Bag remains stable with just the harness during activities like hiking and biking. When running, the bag has a tendency to bounce around annoyingly. Some sort of stabilizing strap is absolutely required.

Hill People Gear sells their own Stabilizer Strap for use when running with the Kit Bag. This attaches via two webbing loops on the bottom corners of the Kit Bag and runs around the user’s back. When I first bought the Kit Bag, the Hill People Gear Stabilizer Strap was not yet available. I opted to make my own out of some shock cord, a cordlock, and a side-release buckle salvaged from an old bicycle helmet. Having used both, I prefer my own stabilizer strap to the Hill People Gear strap. It maintains a lower profile and avoids the bulky 1″ hardware of the Hill People Gear strap. Both straps work to stabilize the Kit Bag equally well.

With the stabilizer strap, the Kit Bag itself remains stable on the body while running. I carry a Glock 19, which is significantly smaller than the Kit Bag gun compartment. The result is that, although the Kit Bag doesn’t bounce, the Glock does move around within the compartment while running. This is more of an annoyance than anything else, but it was annoying enough for me to decide to do something about it. My Kit Bag is one of the older models without the 1.5″ strip of loop material on the inside. I chose to sew in my own 4″ x 6″ piece of loop material onto the rear of the gun compartment. This allows me to take an ITS Holster Insert and affix it inside the Kit Bag. Carrying my Glock 19 in the ITS holster prevents all movement and makes for a completely stable, comfortable, and quiet running platform.

The ITS Holster Insert also provides a place for me to carry a spare mag. There is really no good place in the Kit Bag to carry a spare magazine. Any location within the front or middle pocket is difficult to access with the gun compartment hanging open (as it would be if you needed to reload). Affixing it in the gun compartment with ITS Holster Insert is the best compromise that I’ve found.

Models

The Kit Bag which has been discussed thus far is the original model. Hill People Gear has also produced three other models, all based off of the original. The Runner’s Kit Bag is like the original, but lacks the middle compartment. This makes for a bag that is thinner and lighter, but lacks the capacity of the original. The Recon Kit Bag is like the Runner’s, but features a PALS grid on the front. The Snubby Kit Bag is similar to the Runner’s, in that it lacks the large middle compartment, but has smaller overall dimensions. The original, Runner’s, and Recon are all 11.5″ wide and 7.5″ tall. The Snubby is only 8.5″ wide and 6″ tall.

Out of the three alternative models, the only one that I’ve purchased is the Snubby. It is just large enough to fit a Glock 19, my daily carry. When running or biking, the most I carry in the Kit Bag is my gun, wallet, keys, and cell phone. I can fit all of this in the Snubby and because it is sized to fit the Glock 19, I don’t need to use a velcro holster to stabilize the gun.

Despite the smaller dimensions of the Snubby Kit Bag, the harness is identical to the other models. This means that the corners of the Snubby are less rounded, which alters the draw slightly. I’ve also found that the small size of the bag causes the zipper that runs along the width of the bag to occasionally run into the rear sight and get stuck. Overall, my draw from the Snubby is a bit slower than with the original Kit Bag. Despite this, the convenience of the smaller platform is such that I’ve barely ran or biked with the original Kit Bag since I purchased the Snubby last August. I appreciate having a more svelte bag. I don’t use the Snubby in the backcountry. In that setting, I appreciate the ability to carry more items in the Kit Bag, such as my compass, GPS, fire gear, and camera. That requires the larger capacity of the original Kit Bag.

Comfort

Wearing something on your chest will never be as comfortable as wearing nothing on your chest. That said, I think the Kit Bag is about as comfortable as any chest pack can ever be. In hot temperatures it will cause a damp spot to form on the front of your shirt, but I think that’s an acceptable trade-off for being able to carry a concealed handgun with a pack. Between hiking, biking and running I wear a Kit Bag almost every day and am happy to do so. If you don’t intend to carry a handgun and are only considering the Kit Bag for use as a chest-mounted possibles pouch, I would avoid it. Stick with a few pouches attached to your pack’s waist belt for quick access items, and your pant pockets for items that you want attached to your body. The Kit Bag only really becomes appropriate when you wish to carry a handgun and can’t do so on your waist.

Hill People Gear Kit Bag Photo Gallery 

I’ve been fortunate to have had the chance to seriously beat up Triple Aught Design’s newest edition of their FAST Pack EDC and am here to say that it’s performed nothing short of extraordinary.

In this review, I’ll highlight the features, functionality and even compare it to a previous version of their FAST Pack EDC that I’ve owned for many years. The FAST Pack EDC has been my go-to pack and with the upgrades, TAD has managed to make a great pack even better!

That’s not to say you’re only going to read a 100% positive review here, while I love the pack, I still feel there’s room to improve. One of these improvements was something I didn’t realize until after a 33 mile / 18 hour one-day hump during the Carry The Load event I participated in.

FAST Pack EDC

Triple Aught Design built the FAST Pack EDC with not only a high-capacity day pack in mind, but one that borrows features found more in mountaineering packs, such as the ergonomics and even ice axe loops. The FAST Pack EDC also features the modularity of tactical packs, utilizing PALS webbing throughout the exterior and allowing you endless possibilities for expansion with MOLLE-compatible pockets and accessories.

Sewn out of 1000 Denier Invista Cordura fabric right here in America, the FAST Pack EDC is virtually bombproof. The MultiCam version shown in this review also utilizes MultiCam loop Velcro and Murdock Jacquard MultiCam webbing that outshines the printed MultiCam webbing. A fantastic upgrade over previous FAST Pack EDC’s is the use of Hypalon at stress points and areas prone to wear.

Hypalon is the material used in Zodiac boats for abrasion resistance and all around ruggedness. The areas it’s located at on the EDC are on the bottom-most attachment for the shoulder straps, top carry handle, hydration port, waistbelt pad and framesheet pocket.

As an aside, I say day pack throughout this article, but the FAST Pack EDC is 1800 cubic inches and more like a 3-day pack in size. I’m just shortening it to day pack. The 3-day packs I’m commonly familiar with are right around 2000 cubic inches, so the FAST Pack EDC is just under that. It also measures 12″ wide x 22″ tall x 7″ deep and weighs 72 ounces empty.

Video Review

Transporter Tail and Flashlight Cave

Unique to the FAST Pack EDC are the Transporter Tail and Flashlight Cave. The Transporter Tail is by far is my favorite feature of the pack, although I don’t get as much of a chance to use it as I’d like, considering it’s not every day that I need to carry a long gun on my back. Joking aside, the transporter tail truly does enable you to carry oversize objects that would normally be awkward to facilitate with a day pack, such as helmets, skis, snowboards and even fishing poles.

TAD describes this feature as “what happens when you take a beaver tail and apply the versatility, modularity and sophistication of tactical gear to it.” By simply unbuckling the four Auto-Lok buckles, the tail drops down and exposes an internal pocket to set the buttstock of a rifle (or other items) into. By then re-buckling the straps you can securely hold the objects in place.

One major upgrade from the old FAST Pack EDC I have is that you can now completely remove the Transporter Tail. This was a much needed upgrade and one that’s made something interesting possible.

While it takes some reconfiguration and you lose the ability to strap down oversize items, you can turn the Transporter Tail into a makeshift chest rig by moving the side-release buckles around. As the exterior is MOLLE-compatible, you could realistically put anything from the OP1 admin pouch (shown below,) to rifle mag pouches.

The Flashlight Cave is also a unique feature of the FAST Pack EDC and one I’ve highlighted before in an article on creating a Hasty Webbing Harness. In that article I showed how the cave on the EDC is perfect for quick access to the webbing harness if needed. While originally designed as a pocket for quick-access to a flashlight, the Flashlight Cave is quite versatile and can hold any small EDC item you might desire.

It’s located on the bottom right-hand side of the pack as you’re wearing it, enabling you to access it with the pack on and retrieve what’s inside. There’s also a small loop of webbing and a D-ring inside, allowing you to hook on a retractor so that there’s no chance you’ll drop the object you’re retrieving.

Pockets and Features

The FAST Pack EDC is certainly chocked full of pockets, externally featuring a 10″ wide x 10″ deep zippered admin pocket with internal organizational/accessory compartments, dual zippered side accessory pockets measuring around 8″ wide x 8″ deep and another 10.5″ wide x 8″ deep external zippered pocket behind the Transporter Tail. It’s important to note that all the external zippers on the FAST Pack EDC are reverse zippers, which better help dirt and debris stay out of your pockets.

On the backside of the pack, there’s a large zippered compartment for a hydration bladder that also contains the pocket for the removable HDPE frame sheet (with removable T6061 aluminum stay.) The hydration bladder pocket also features two types of hangers to accommodate different brands of bladders. There’s a webbing loop for the Camelbak type of bladder that has an internal hook and a snap hook that’s perfect for Source bladders, which are my preference.

One thing I feel is a downside of the FAST Pack EDC is that the main zippered opening to the pack’s interior doesn’t fully clamshell open, it’s more of a 3/4 zip. This isn’t really a problem unless you’re having difficulty digging for something deep in the depths of the pack or spreading it out to pack it. I also see this as a benefit in some situations as there’s no chance your pack could accidentally clamshell open on you and dump all your contents into the dirt.

I also understand why it’s only a 3/4 zip, as making it a full zip might interfere with the functionality of the side zippered pockets and the Flashlight Cave on the right-hand side. All that said, It would be nice to clamshell the pack open to pack it.

Throughout the front and sides of the FAST Pack EDC, you’ll find both 1″ webbing creating PALS channels and also 2″ webbing creating channels. While the 1″ channels are standard for PALS webbing and MOLLE-compatability, the 2″ channels are specifically designed to better hold TAD’s pouches that utilize their velcro tabs like the BC4 battery case pouch.

The bottom of the FAST Pack EDC features additional six columns by five rows for mounting even more pouches. There are also two compression straps perfect for holding a sleeping pad or sleeping bag. You’ll also spot the two drainage grommets that allow the main pack compartment to drain if water does find its way in. Just in front of these are the two 1″ webbing ice axe loops for carrying ice axes or any other tools you see fit.

OP1 Admin Pouch

The OP1 should really be renamed to the mother of all organizational pouches! Shown mounted to the Transporter Tail in this review, the OP1 can literally store every admin accessory you might need. With internal 1″ and 2″ elastic slots, pockets, zippers, flaps and clamshell accessibility, the OP1 is certainly beyond versatile.

This was one of the accessories I purchased for my original FAST Pack EDC and have really come to appreciate the kind of organization it affords. Especially for someone like me who’s anal retentive when it comes to organization, just ask my employees.

Carrying the Load

Before I get into the specific wear notes on the FAST Pack EDC, I’d like to explain what I’ve put the pack through in the six months or so I’ve had it.

While not only using it to transport daily items to and from work everyday, I’ve hiked multiple trails spanning at least 30 miles, gone on two weighted runs with 20-30 lbs. and completed an 18-hour Carry The Load event where I walked 33 miles on a trail in Dallas for 18 hours with 35 lbs. and two flags.

Well, one flag for the first few hours Kelly was with me and then both after I walked thru the night and into the next day proudly carrying old glory and the U.S. Navy flag.

Comfort and Wearability

To again highlight the modularity of the pack, the first thing I’d like to mention in terms of comfort and wearability is the 2″ webbing waistbelt. The adjustment feature of the waistbelt and the fact that TAD has provided elastic keepers to retain the tails is a huge plus in my book. To adjust the waistbelt you simply pull the tails straight out, which pulls them in the direction needed to tighten the 2″ buckle by way of the routing hardware.

There are also 1″ adjustment straps that help pull the load into your waist on each side of the waistbelt. However, these have to be undone to use the next feature of the waistbelt. By undoing those side adjustment straps and breaking the Velcro that helps keep the waistbelt in place, it can be completely removed and utilized as a MOLLE-compatible battle belt! How cool is that? Check out the video above for details on the waistbelt removal.

What I’d love to see in a future generation is the ability to dock the pack back onto the battle belt if needed without having to take it off and feed it back through the cave in the pack. Perhaps that’s wishful thinking on my part and might not even be a necessary or achievable feature, but I can see it being beneficial from the aspect of ditching a pack and retaining the battle belt with your first line gear still attached.

Up from the waistbelt are the shoulder straps and as mentioned earlier, the base of each strap is reinforced by hypalon for added durability. Each of the contoured shoulder straps are completely removable if necessary and also feature a 1″ ITW side release buckle for quick disconnect. The straps also feature a 3/4″ sternum strap with a slide release buckle and the ability to mount in various positions on a 1″ webbing strip running up each strap.

These channels are also great for clipping and routing anything necessary, including a hydration tube. They also each feature a D-ring for accessories too. Each of the 1″ webbing strips that’s sewn in channels on the shoulder straps terminates into a 1″ male side release buckle and connects to its female counterpart on the front of the pack. These are designed to be load lifting straps to further pull the load into your back.

While I love that these load lifting straps are integrated into the FAST Pack EDC, they can be a pain to unclip each time you need to get into the pack. They definitely work as advertised, but I find myself leaving them undone.

A couple of quick notes regarding the sternum strap and shoulder straps. The sternum strap uses an elastic section to increase the flexibility you have in the chest while wearing it.  I’ve found on that both on this pack and my previous FAST Pack EDC, that the elastic wears out quickly. This has long been my complaint with elastic for retention in pouches, etc. it just wears out too quickly. It’s not a huge deal, but I wanted to mention it.

On the shoulder straps, I feel that for common everyday wear with a light load the padding in the shoulder straps is perfect, but the 18 hour Carry The Load event I participated in while carrying weight, left a bit to be desired in the shoulder padding area. It’s a tough call though, as I really like the profile of the current shoulder straps and if they were any more bulky it might play counter to what makes this a great all-around pack.

The shoulder straps also feature a wicking-like material on the backside that helps with airflow. This same material is used on the inside of the waistbelt and the side of the pack against your back. In that same area on your back, this is also supplemented with spacer mesh and aerated closed cell foam padding for shock protection, comfort and ventilation. It certainly works as advertised too.

Notes

One last thing to mention from my wear notes are that during the long weighted carry with the pack, I wore PT shorts and had an issue with a swatch of hypalon on the back waist area rubbing a hot spot. I haven’t noticed this issue wearing shorts or pants with a belt, but for some reason the edge of the lower swatch of hypalon rubbed me the wrong way; literally. Perhaps if it extended further down on the bottom it wouldn’t have been an issue, but I feel it’s worth mentioning.

In all I’m very impressed with the quality of the FAST Pack EDC, it’s come a long way since the previous model I purchased and my feeling is that it’s only going to continue to improve. Triple Aught Design’s focus on functionality, modularity and ruggedness set the FAST Pack EDC well apart from the competition in the 3-day pack arena. The versatility of the Transporter Tail is a unique feature that only serves to increase its value in any terrain and objective, hopefully even more so in the future as a field-expedient chest rig!

Check out all the specs on the FAST Pack EDC here on TAD’s Website, where you’ll find them in Black, Coyote Khaki, Foliage Green and MultiCam as shown here.

We’ve been using Battle Systems Coyote Brown Vinyl Tape around ITS for the past few months and are happy to say we’ve found our replacement for duct tape when it comes to tidying up loose webbing on gear.

While this is far from the only use for this fantastic product from Battle Systems, what really sets this tape apart from duct tape and electrical tape (which this product is very similar to) is that it leaves NO sticky residue behind. Even in the back of a vehicle in Texas summer, which we can assure you gets pretty hot.

One of the issues with taping up loose straps and other gear is that if you ever need to remove the tape, you’re left with a sticky mess that discourages you from removing the tape and tweaking the adjustment of straps if needed.

Battle Systems Vinyl Tape

Another great benefit of Battle Systems tape is the strength. It’s much stronger than the traditional vinyl electrical tape you’re used to, but again doesn’t leave sticky residue and comes in a nice coyote brown color. The coyote brown color of the Battle Systems tape goes nicely with just about any camouflage pattern and is great for covering shine on metal buckles, or anything that needs it.

This stuff can also take the cold too. While we haven’t extensively tested the cold here in Texas (hasn’t even snowed this winter), what we have seen with the cold temps we’ve had is that it doesn’t harden up like electrical tape does.

Something interesting about this tape is that it’s actually flame retardant. You can put a flame up to it without it catching on fire, but it does eventually burn. It also seems to not turn into napalm like most tape does when melted.

Available direct from Battle Systems at $4.99 for a 3/4″ x 60′ roll. Help support a Veteran owned business and pick up a roll today!

If you’ve been following our progression as we get closer to the GORUCK Ascent, you’re probably wondering what gear we’ve decided to take.

When Bryan and I first committed to the Ascent, we knew almost nothing other than everything we’d be taking would have to be carried in or on a GORUCK GR2 and that we’d be climbing 14′ers. We didn’t receive the packing list until about a month after signing up.

Though the packing list set in place by GORUCK is strict, we have the freedom to choose exactly what pieces of gear we will be taking. Everything from what base layers to a tent (if you even want a tent). They were also adamant that if it wasn’t on the list, we wouldn’t need it; including food other than lickies and chewies.

Before getting too far in this article we’d like to extend a HUGE thank you to Todd and Julie at Tactical Distributors for working with us as a liaison between many of the companies you’ll read about that are providing gear for our adventure to allow us to tell you all about how it performs for us.

Not your Average Pack

I heard that most hikers will recommend a pack with 2,500 to 3,000 cubic inches of space for a day hike, the GR2 holds roughly 2,900 cubic inches. This isn’t to show how much we plan to do without and “rough it,” or that we’ll be ill equipped. Instead it caused us to ask ourselves, what’s truly necessary? If it’s necessary, how can it be made lighter? Is there an alternative? All of these are excellent questions when you are trying to simplify your life and especially useful when attempting to lighten your load for backpacking.

Another feature of this bag people will ask about is why doesn’t there appear to be a sternum strap or waist belt. To quote Jason, the founder of GORUCK and designer of their bags:

A couple questions we’ve consistently gotten deal with both the sternum strap and the waist belt. Or, in our case, the lack thereof. We approach our design with the philosophy that simpler is better, less is more. Whenever possible, we like to let people add on as they see fit. … A bag should not look like a gypsy camp, not ever. I prefer cleaner, simpler, and more functional, so that was our focus.

The entire Ascent is planned to last 100 hours and we need to be self-sufficient with no planned resupply. Since details aren’t forthcoming, we don’t know how much time we will be spending actually reaching summits, moving between cities, or learning land navigation and survival skills. This means we need to pack so that we’re as fast and light as possible.

Bryan and I both believe that two is one and one is none, but in this case, we’re having to do with just one or even none. What can we really do without? Do I ‘need’ a six inch survival knife or will my Benchmade Mini Griptilian do well enough?

While an endless supply of money would help to better answer the question of what gear is best. Before we get into what’s in our personal loadouts, here’s the packing list we were working with from GORUCK.

GORUCK Ascent Packing List

Mike’s Gear List

• Waterproof Shell
• Outdoor Research Mentor
• 488 g / 17.20 oz
• Insulating Layer Top
• Outdoor Research Radiant Hybrid Pullover
• 372.8 g / 13.15 oz
• Synthetic/Dry Fit T-Shirt
• Under Armour Compression Short Sleeve / Nike Dri-Fit
• 144 g / 5.10 oz – 186 g / 6.60 oz
• Cold Weather Base Layer
• Outdoor Research Sequence Long Sleeve Zip Tee & Radiant Hybrid Tights
• 207 g / 7.30 oz – 368.5 g / 13.00 oz
• Underwear
• Under Armour O Series (2 pairs)
• 184 g / 6.4 oz
• Knit Cap
• Outdoor Research Winter Trek Hat
• 53 g / 1.9 oz
• Hiking Boots
• Lowa Renegade II GTX
• 1110 g / 39.15 oz
• I checked these boots out based on a recommendation from our Managing Editor and I couldn’t be more happy with them. Flexible but tough, these boots feel very capable and during my test on Old Rag mountain, they performed extremely well. I opted for the GoreTex variant.
• Socks
• SmartWool PhD (2 pair total)
• 252 g / 8.80 oz
• I plan on alternating the same pairs of sock for the duration of the Ascent. One pair will be worn while the other dry out.
• Lightweight Pants
• Outdoor Research Furio
• 584 g / 20.60 oz
• Lightweight, Durable Gloves
• Louis Garneau Ergo Air (mountain biking gloves)
• 78 g / 2.80 oz
• Sleeping Pad
• NEMO Zor Short
• 283.5 g / 10.00 oz
• Camera
• iPhone 4 in waterproof case.
• 160 g / 5.64 oz
• Emergency Blanket
• Adventure Medical Kits Emergency Bivvy
• 112 g / 4.00 oz
• Survival Kit
• Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak Plus
• 166 g / 5.80 oz
• Tent
• NEMO Meta 1P
• 878 g / 31.00 oz
• This tent is fast and lightweight. It uses no poles for support except one trekking pole to form a sort of teepee design. It only sleeps one but has a decent amount of room as well as decent ventilation and a vestibule.
• Personalize GR2
• UCP Camoform on top handle of bag and various morale patches.
• Hydration Bladder
• Source WXP 3L Helix
• 381 g / 13.40 oz
• Constant hydration is key at altitude and having three liters is a good start.
• Water Purification
• Katadyn Micropur MP 1 Tablets (8)
• 6 g / 0.20 oz
• Headlamp
• SureFire Saint Minimus
• 93.6 g / 3.3 oz
• Small, bright, waterproof… this is just about everything I was looking for in a headlamp. It offers a truly variable beam and enables you to go anywhere from 0 lumens to 100 with a simple twist. Also, I used this in my GORUCK Challenge and it passed with flying colors.
• Flashlight
• SureFire G2X Pro
• 125 g / 4.4 oz
• While I’ll probably have the Saint Minimus on most of the time, this light could easily be the primary light source due to it’s size, weight and light output. It’s variable and outputs 15 or 200 lumens.
• Batteries
• SureFire 123A‘s in micro Nalgene container
• 140 g / 5.0 oz
• Pocket Knife
• Benchmade Mini-Griptilian
• 72.57 g / 2.56 oz
• Compass
• Suunto
• Sunglasses
• Suncloud Polarized Wrap Around Sunglasses
• 35 g / 1.20 oz
• Semi lightweight and I dont really mind if they get lost or broken.
• Medication / Medical
• Bayer Asprin, Ginkgo Biloba, Ibuprofen (repackaged)
• 31 g / 1.10 oz
• Water Bottle
• 32 oz. wide mouth Nalgene
• 186 g / 6.60 oz
• Can fill with hot water and place in my sleeping bag at night if it gets cold.
• Pens/Pencils
• Fisher AG7 and mini pencil
• Notebook
• Field Notes brand notebook
• Sunscreen / Insect Repellent
• Small one time use SPF 30+ packets / Repel micro squirt
• Lickies and Chewies (2 lb. Limit)
• Trail Mix, Clif Bars, Sport Beans, GU Gel
• Personal Hygiene
• Toothpaste dots, Deodorant, Body Glide (all repackaged)
• 42.5g / 1.5 oz
• Fire Makers
• REI Storm Matches, Spark-Lite Flint, Tinder-quiks
• Bungee Cords
• Tactical Tailor
• Sleeping Bag / Compression Sack
• Marmot Plasma 15 / Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Compression Sack
• 906 g / 31.96 oz / 66 g / 2.3 oz
• Outside magazines Gear of the Year award winner. This bag is rated to 15 degrees, weighs under 2 pounds, and can be packed down to almost the size of a standard Nalgene. This was an early Christmas gift from my parents and I’m super stoked to test it out during the Ascent.
• 550 Cord
• 50 ft. OD
• 122 g / 4.30 oz
• Waterproofing
• Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil 50L Pack Liner
• 74 g / 2.60 oz
• Duct Tape
• A few feet wrapped around Nalgene and more in survival kit.
• Misc. Equipment
• Snow Peak Ti spork, Snow Peak 600 Ti single wall mug, Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork trekking poles, Suunto Core Extreme Edition Everest, HeadSweats Race Hat, Gossamer Gear Polycryo Ground Cloth.

Maximum Pack Weight at Start: 28.62 lbs.

Note: While focusing on the main items, some ‘odds & ends’ were excluded from the above list. If you are interested in viewing a full breakdown of every item with notes, check out this Google Doc. I’d like to thank Brian Green for the idea and template.

…

Bryan’s GR2 Gear List

• Waterproof Shell
• Arc’Teryx Alpha LT Jacket
• 357 g / 12.6 oz
• Insulating Layer Top
• Arc’Teryx Atom LT Jacket
• 330 g / 11.6 oz
• Synthetic/Dry Fit T-Shirt
• Under Armour Heat Gear Long Sleeve and Short Sleeve T’s
• 144 g / 5.10 oz – 186 g / 6.60 oz
• Cold Weather Base Layer
• Outdoor Research Sequence Long Sleeve Zip Tee & Radiant Hybrid Tights
• 243 g / 8.6 oz – 386 g / 13.6 oz
• Underwear
• Under Armour O Series (2 pairs)
• 184 g / 6.4 oz
• Knit Cap
• Outdoor Research Winter Trek Hat
• 53 g / 1.9 oz
• Hiking Boots
• Lowa Renegade II (Leather Lined)
• 1313 g / 46.3 oz
• Socks
• SmartWool PhD (2 pair total)
• 252 g / 8.8 oz
• Lightweight Pants
• Arc’Teryx Sphinx
• 618 g / 21.8 oz
• Lightweight, Durable Gloves
• Kuiu Guide Gloves (Review coming soon from Peter on ITS Tactical)
• 76 g / 2.7 oz
• GPS
• eTrex Vista HcX
• 199 g / 7 oz (w/ batteries)
• Sleeping Pad
• Therm-a-Rest Z Lite
• 317 g / 11.2 oz
• Camera
• Contour GPS w/ extra battery
• iPhone 4 in waterproof case
• 163 g / 5.7 oz – 160 g / 5.64 oz
• Emergency Blanket
• Adventure Medical Kits Emergency Bivvy
• 112 g / 4.00 oz
• Survival Kit
• Custom Mini Survival Kit (As seen in articles on ITS)
• 141 g / 5 oz
• Tent
• NEMO Gogo LE (w/ stuff sack and stakes)
• 1227 g / 43.3 oz
• Personalize GR2
• Paracord wrapped grab handle
• Hydration Bladder
• Source WXP 3L Helix
• 381 g / 13.40 oz
• Water Purification
• Katadyn Micropur MP 1 Tablets (8)
• 6 g / 0.20 oz
• Headlamp
• Princeton Tec Remix Pro
• 67 g / 2.4 oz
• Flashlight
• SureFire A2 Aviator
• 115 g / 4.1 oz
• Batteries
• Surefire 123As and AAs in CountyComm Battery Holders and LOKSAK
• 210 g / 7.4 oz
• Pocket Knife
• Emerson SOCFK-1A
• 128 g / 4.5 oz
• Compass
• Silva Ranger
• 72 g / 2.5 oz.
• Sunglasses
• Gatorz Wraptor
• 24 g / 1 oz
• Medication / Medical
• Bayer Asprin, Ginkgo Biloba, Ibuprofen (repackaged)
• 31 g / 1.10 oz
• Water Bottle
• Liberty Bottle
• 184 g / 6.5 oz
• Pens/Pencils
• Fisher Military Space Pen and 2 ITS mini pencils in LOKSAK
• 26 g / .8 oz
• Notebook
• Rite-in-the-Rain notebook
• 72 g / 2.5 oz
• Sunscreen / Insect Repellent
• Kinesys
• Dermatone
• DEET
• Lickies and Chewies (2 lb. Limit)
• Trail Mix, Clif Bars, Sport Beans, GU Gel
• Personal Hygiene
• Toothpaste, Deodorant, Body Glide (all repackaged), Cut down toothbrush
• 42.5g / 1.5 oz
• Fire Makers
• Lighter (Plus TAD Survival Spark and Lifeboat Matches in Mini Survival Kit)
• Bungee Cords
• Brigade Quartermasters
• Sleeping Bag
  
• Mountain Hardware Phantom 32
• 652 g / 23 oz
• 550 Cord
• 50 ft. of Paracord tied in two Paracord Deployment Lanyards (Article coming soon to the Knot of the Week!)
• 122 g / 4.30 oz
• Waterproofing
• ALOKSAK Bags (see weights above)
• Integral Tactical Backpack Cover
• 216g / 7.6 oz
• Duct Tape
• Six feet wrapped around Liberty Bottle and more in survival kit.
• Misc. Equipment
• Jetboil Flash Cooking System, Eureka! Ground Cloth, Snow Peak Ti Spork, OSOE Trouser Belt, Crocs, Trecking Poles

Maximum Pack Weight at Start: 31.65 lbs.

Notes

By the time you read this we’ll be heading out to Colorado to start our acclimating and getting ready to shake the heavens with GORUCK and our Ascent teammates!

We’d like to again thank Tactical Distributors, Arc’Teryx, Outdoor Research, Under Armor, NEMO, Jetboil, Smart Wool, Princeton Tec and Contour for getting us some great gear to evaluate on the Ascent!

Stay tuned for our after action report with details on all of the gear we’ll be carrying and our honest evaluation of how it performed.

I wanted to draw your attention today to a new pack that Mystery Ranch is unveiling at next year’s Winter OR (Outdoor Retailer) called the Blackjack.

The Blackjack features a removable airbag system to protect you in the event of an avalanche. While this is a specialized product and not the first avalanche airbag system to hit the market, Mystery Ranch has approached their design with the end-user in mind.

The theory behind an avalanche airbag is to keep the victim at the top by increasing their overall volume, thus equalizing volume and density (Law of Inverse Particles). Meaning that larger objects will “float” to the surface in an avalanche due to the larger signature, decreasing your chance of becoming buried.

Features

Mystery Ranch has integrated AVI Vest airbag system technology into the Blackjack and thrown their hand into the airbag backpack market with the first removable airbag pack that we know of. Currently several European companies manufacture these packs along with BCA (Back Country Access) and their Float 30 pack they unveiled at the 2009 OR.

Here’s what the Blackjack is bringing into the mix:

• Top-loading 2600 cubic inch pack
• Full side zip access
• 150 liter removable airbag
• Refillable compressed air canister
• Custom fit through MR Futura yoke
• Release set for righty or lefty
• (ATP) Avalanche Tool Pocket
• Ski Carry: A frame or Diagonal
• Snowboard Carry: Vertical
• Ice Axe Loops
• Leg Loops built into waistband

The Blackjack’s weight is approximately 8 lbs. overall, with the airbag system taking up about 3.5 lbs. of that. Retail will be around $900 when it’s released next year.

I’m not sure of the exact cylinder refilling method that the Blackjack will incorporate, but according to AVI their cylinders require being sent in to refill. I’d hope that the Blackjack will integrate a user-refillable cartridge system. Either that or an inexpensive CO2 cartridge system like life vests use, although honestly I’m not sure if those would provide the volume needed to fill the Blackjack’s airbag.

The Blackjack is meant to augment other avalanche tools at your disposal, not replace them. This isn’t a substitute for a shovel, avalanche probe, beacon or a good helmet. It’s been proven that these airbag systems save lives and should definitely be considered if you’re back country hiking, climbing, skiing or around any avalanche conditions period.