I use HPG a lot. I have an original Runners Kit bag from far enough back in the day that they were still making them in the most awesome color, Teal. This year, I decided I wanted their new medium sized SAR bag for my 50 miler through the southwestern back country at Yellowstone.


The Runners bag is simple, flat, and about as untactical as one can find in a slightly odd chest pack. On a bearded middle aged Dad on the trails, it has received absolutely no notice whatsoever in Arches, Yosemite, RMNP, Grand Teton, and a host of front country trails. It carries a G20 or a full sized 1911 with ease. Because it is not very deep, you can't stuff a bunch of other things in there, though I do carry a couple minimal survival/convenience items like bug wipes, bandaids, matches, and spare batteries.


I can also mount it to my pack as an admin pouch.


It excels at discretely carrying a gun and little else. Once you get the hang of drawing from it, it draws reasonably fast. You probably aren't going to draw fast enough to beat a bear charging at you, but it's definitely convenient if the bear is charging at someone else in your group and the spray has not worked.

As much as I deeply love my Runners bag, I bought the SAR bag for my big backpacking hikes because it isn't as wide as the full sized runners kit, which sometimes prevented me from positioning my hiking pack straps where they were most comfortable for the miles. This one is medium, and is much narrower than the Runners bag, though it will still hold a G20 or a full sized 1911 with ease. While it is narrower, it has the three pocket configuration, so it is much deeper. This lets me have a few more items that are nice to be able to access on the move when my hip belt is blocking my pants pockets. I usually keep my GPS, compass, and trail snacks in the larger middle pocket. Performatively, it also does a wonderful job of letting me open that middle pocket and take things in and out, which removes some of the mystery about what I might have in there. The one other nice thing is that I could clip my bear spray in there, which I like better than mounting to my pack belt because it means I am going to have the bear spray on me even when I set my pack down to fill a water bottle or water a tree. This feature alone made it an item of commentary and appreciation among multiple hikers and rangers while we were in the back country of Yellowstone.



For grins, I shoved the largest revolver I could fit into my Runners kit bag, which was a 6" barrel S&W 686. It fit if you positioned it just right, though it would not be my choice for my purposes.


I deeply love these bags, although again, they serve a specific purpose. That purpose being accessible but discrete concealed carry while wearing a backpack with a hip belt. If you were actually handgun hunting or carrying purely for solo hunting or the like, I'd probably want something I could draw from a bit faster.

If you want to try and test fit either of these to your gun or yourself, you are welcome to swing by and fiddle with either one.