HPG Highlander on a Duplex frame

[Scotto]

Anyone have any pics of a Highlander on a duplex frame that they can share?
Looking at occasionally swapping it with my Nomad. Here's a pic from our trip in Sept.

 

[SHTF]

You bet here you go.

 

[SHTF]

Also thats with the HPG Prairie belt you see in the photos.

 

[luke moffat]

Yup, here ya go:


And some of it bloody the next day:



Personally, I don't think either the Kifaru Nomad or this pack would ever get much use for me. Just not what I am looking for in a packbag. But hopefully this helps.

 

[inupiat1]

Nice SHTF is that a Small Forest Axe I see or a Wildlife Hatchet?

 

[SHTF]

Wildlife if I remember. I no longer have it anymore. Went with a Busse knife to split my wood and an esee 6 =-) Batoning works better for me using the knives instead of the small axe.


if you notice in Lukes Photos hes got his load against the Duplex with the Highlander over the load to compress it. This works really well especially if you get HPG's strap kit and load shelf. Always love your photos Luke. always outdoing my carpet reviews.

 

[mt100gr.]

My pics look like the others....it ends up being a pretty slick daypack setup. The only additional piece I use with it is the Kifaru meat shelf extension. It connects the bottom of the Highlander to the bottom of the frame with solid material. Really makes compressing a load easy and nothing can squirt out the bottom gap.

 

[luke moffat]

if you notice in Lukes Photos hes got his load against the Duplex with the Highlander over the load to compress it. This works really well especially if you get HPG's strap kit and load shelf. Always love your photos Luke. always outdoing my carpet reviews.

In my one and only experience of doing this to pack out an animal I can't say it works "really well". It certainly works, but its way more involved than the load it up and strap it down on the outside of the pack of the EMR 2.....would have been a half mile ahead of where I was when I left with this. It works no doubt, but I think there are better systems out there for my uses. Doesn't mean its not the answer for you though.

 

[SHTF]

I actually use the highlander with my exo 3500 and find it works well for me. I attach the highlander to the frame fill it with my daypack gear then throw the 3500 bag over it. Once I get to my camp I drop the 3500 bag at camp then hunt or in my case hike with just the exo frame and highlander. I used it for the 9 + days I was out this year.

 

[luke moffat]

Gotcha...I thought you meant you thought it worked really well for hauling meat....and I'd have to disagree and say there are better options out there. But for day hunting and not having ot haul animals with it, its a pretty good option for sure, I agree with you there.

 

[SHTF]

Wouldn't know. Still working on that part. Closer this year and learned a lot more then the previous. Still had a blast though.

 

[luke moffat]

Gotcha....well I am glad you have a setup that is working great for you now. Just sucks cause the rest of us can't take advantage of you swapping your pack ideas every week and pounce on the deals. I am sure it'll come together for ya sooner than later man! Best of luck to you!

 

[Scotto]

The Highlander as a day pack option is exactly why I am interested in it. It looks very clean on the back of the Duplex and will haul meat when asked to as Luke's photos confirm. Thanks for the photos and info.

 

[SHTF]

Gotcha....well I am glad you have a setup that is working great for you now. Just sucks cause the rest of us can't take advantage of you swapping your pack ideas every week and pounce on the deals. I am sure it'll come together for ya sooner than later man! Best of luck to you!

Actually Soon as I got my exo3500 I havent touched another pack. Super happy with it. For a long time I tried out many packs on the market. ended up with Exo and sticking with it. Highlander fits on the exo frame also like it was made for it.

 

[luke moffat]

Good to hear man! I hear great things about the Exo. Would like to give one a whirl at some point, just to see if it works for me too. Doubt I'd get away from Kifaru just cause I know it works and is the most comfortable pack I've used with triple digit weights and the EMR 2 bag layout is way better for me than any other packbag I've used. Its all about finding what works for you. Hopefully you'll get yours bloody soon and give it a good test with some serious weight.

 

[LostArra]

This whole topic has me scratching my head. I asked HPG if the Highlander would attach to my old G1 Duplex frame.

This is their reply:

>>>Bob, both generations of Duplex frames are sorely lacking in usable lash points. When we were making generic pack bags, they provided suspension side lash points on whatever frame you put them on. We no longer sell those. So I think you're out of luck on mounting a Highlander on it.<<

I think I'll stay away from the mix and match and either get some K bag or sell the duplex/MMR and start over.
I want a good size daypack (3000ish) as comfortable as my duplex with the ability to haul a quarter or a game bag of boned meat. Daypack is more important and Luke's EMR II is just a little big for what I'm wanting and the Nomad doesn't appear to have the access ergonomics I like.

 

[bbrown]

LostArra - try the MR Longbow on that duplex. I have mine set up for the bikini and it makes one hell of a day pack with the ability to haul meat if needed. Sent you a PM

 

[SHTF]

Bob, I assure you it works flawlessly I've done it on a g1 g2 and now the exo

 

[mt100gr.]

Just had my Highlander on my Duplex for a day hunt. The grimlocks on the top and the g hooks on the bottom fit perfectly with the Kifaru attachment loop layout. I usually compress a dry sack of other items behind the Highlander and put my spotting scope and tripod in the small bottle pockets on the Highlander. The lash straps connect to the frame loops on the side and suck it all in perfectly. When I run a dry sack in between I use a grab-it to hold the bottom of everything.

But to say the Highlander and Kifaru frame are not compatible is downright false.

 

[gil_wy]

I really liked the HPG Highlander when I was packing out my bull... It worked perfectly with the SG Krux load shelf... Carried it much higher than the pics Luke posted. I however didn't like the capacity so now I'm trying the Mystery Ranch Hitchhiker for a bag... So far so good!