Hill People Gear Kit Bag Loadout - Pictures

In my previous post (q.v.), I listed the contents of each pocket of my Hill People Gear Original Kit Bag. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, this post should be worth about 6,000 and change.

First, the zipped up Kit Bag and then the back compartment with my S&W M&P Shield 9 and a spare magazine. When worn, the pistol doesn't move at all, but I will probably buy a kydex holster that covers the trigger guard.

If you click on each pic you should get a full sized version.

Next we have the middle compartment with an assortment of survival gear.

Finally, the outer compartment with a few more items. This is where I stow my keys and iPhone. It provides easy access to the phone without having to worry about everything falling out when I'm consulting the phone's GPS.

Hill People Gear Kit Bag Loadout

A couple years ago I bought a Hill People Gear Original Kit Bag. This is the gear that lives in it 24x7. I use the bag on day hikes and overnighters. I have found the Kit Bag to be the most comfortable way to carry a pistol while hiking when carrying a pack. It also provides a very convenient and comfortable means of carrying a basic survival kit, and an easily accessible but secure way to carry my car keys and phone when off-pavement.

I augment the contents as dictated by the particular trip. E.g., add a Cliff bar or two.

Rear compartment:

• Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9 with 8 round magazine
• One spare 8 round magazine, held in place with a Maxpedition Universal Holster

(The gun and spare magazine are loaded with Federal XM9001 9mm 115 grain JHP. In PA, I'm not worried about wild animals larger than dogs. The gun is there for defense against people. I've also carried a Beretta M9 and a CZ P-09 but switched to the Shield to reduce weight.)

Middle compartment:

• Princeton Tec Remix LED headlamp
• Adventure Medical Kits SOL Heatsheet survival blanket
• USGI olive drab triangular bandage, with edges hemmed to prevent fraying
• Safety pin on one of the sewn-in loops
• Woodsknife Reindeer Puukko knife in homemade LH sheath
• GI type match safe with strike-anywhere matches, and some sandpaper taped to the outside
• Three Esbit hexamine fuel tablets (Great fire starters.)
• BIC lighter in Exotac fireSLEEVE
• 0.5L Platypus water bag (Empty. Stole this idea from the Hill brothers.)
• Potable Aqua iodine-based water purification tablets

Outside compartment:

• Three AAA batteries in a small Ziploc bag
• Map of where I'm hiking
• Fox 40 micro whistle*
• REI zipper pull compass*
• Nitecore T0 flashlight* (This may get replaced with a single-AA Cree light, which has a button switch rather than a twist switch.)
• REI zipper pull thermometer*
• About ten feet of 550 cord

Items marked with an asterisk are dummy corded to light aluminum caribiners with bank line. I replaced the Slick Clips that came with the KB with the 'biners because they are easier for me to open and close.

Once I get to the trail, I'll stow my car keys and iPhone 6 in the outside compartment. Depending on the trip I may also bring a larger compass and a Garmin GPSMAP 62 GPS unit, but not necessarily in the KB.

Also, I removed the Grimlocks from the outside of the KB, since I don't use them.