Every once in awhile during the FirstSpear Friday Focus, they like to concentrate in their OEM partners. This time, it’s Hill People Gear and the Aston House Pack. The name of the pack has a rather interesting history. Also known as ‘Station 12’ Aston House was the development lab for World War Two’s British Special Operations Executive. Although the pack has a great historical name as inspiration, it is fully modern, making use of FirstSpear’s 6/12 technology.
According the HPG, the overall size is 11″x8″x21″ with two compartments and a removable compression pocket/panel.
Removable load compartment
This is a 4″ deep compartment that can be accessed via zippers at both the top and bottom of the pack. It is meant for the heavier elements of your load. Additional features include:
-Slick interior to make removal of load cells (such as AstonInsert, Palspocket, Tarapocket, etc.) quick and easy.
-Dual hypalon load hangers at the top, one on each side of the compartment
-Top and bottom compression straps have two different tab sets they can be attached to for a standard or extra wide strap placement. Extra wide is meant to clear anything you might want to carry in the removable load compartment that needs to stick out of the top of the pack.
-The outer sides of this compartment have First Spear 6/12 slot pockets with a 2 channel PALS grid cut into them.
-There is a plastic insert between this compartment and the next to help support load elements suspended from the hypalon load hangers.
Organizer compartment
This is a contoured 4″ deep compartment that is accessed via a generous zippered panel. It includes:
-Fully lined with 6/12 PALS cut fabric, velcro loop side out. This lets you use either PALS or velcro backed pouches to organize this pocket.
-Hypalon load hanger array at the top
-Aston Pocket
This is a removable compression pocket / panel that comes with the pack. It has the following features:
-Full zipper panel access
-3 vertically stacked slot pockets on inner surface
-Single mesh pocket on rear surface
-Scalloped hypalon load control detail that terminate in compression strap attachment slots
-External loop cord attachment points
Tags: FirstSpear, Hill People Gear
Very well thought out pack. I like it.
Not bad at 3.8 lbs, well done HPG.
Awesome design guys.
Now, if it only came in black!
Seriously, this.
HPG’s use of the 6/12 loop PALS inside the packs and bags is the shizzle for carrying all matter of gear discreetly but the outer colors still scare children and pacifists.
Hopefully a Black/Manatee (both used by First Spear) test run is under consideration…
We also have foliage/manatee if you want other colors email us at info@hillpeoplegear.com and let us know. If there is enough interest we will do it. Black historically is a mediocre seller for us.
Maybe we see two different sets of pictures, but I see a pack in earth colors. Just what the hippies love. I don’t feel like I’ll stick out too much carrying this onto the plane.
when will these be available to the market?
They are in stock now
I’ve been using and testing an Aston House a lot over the past year, both in the US and OCONUS. Outstanding pack for many different activities. It is currently available here: http://hillpeoplegear.com/Products/tabid/762/CategoryID/3/ProductID/41/Default.aspx