If I’m being honest, I got off the Hill People Gear train for a bit this past summer. I was trying new packs, as I tend to do, and for some inexplicable reason… I sold my HPG Connor. A friend of mine laughed at that because he knew that was a mistake and that I’d re-acquire the pack at some point. He was right. I bought another Connor, this time in ranger green, about a month ago. Before I was running an Aston Pocket on my old Connor and I liked that combination. But this time, I wanted to try the Hill People Gear Capture Flap.
Hill People Gear Capture Flap attached to the Connor.
The Capture Flap is a PALS-cut beaver tail accessory that can be mounted to a variety of packs if they have the right mount points (more on that in a minute). At 11″ H x 6″ W, the Capture Flap pairs best with the small to mid-sized packs in the Hill People Gear lineup including the Tarahumara, Umlindi and Connor. Hill People Gear offers another beaver tail, called the Aston Panel, that’s designed to be used with some of their larger packs. The exterior face of the Capture Flap features Hypalon. Hypalon is a high-performance synthetic rubber that is rugged and highly UV resistant. The interior has loop material, which can be used to mount a variety of hook and loop accessory pouches.
If I’m being honest, I wish the Capture Flap didn’t have as much as taper top to bottom. Most square-ish pouches mounted to the backside will not be fully covered and therefore exposed to the elements. One that works really well in the HPG line-up is the Tool Roll.
The Hill People Gear Tool Roll mounted to the backside of the Capture Flap.
The Tool Rool is long and skinny and so it fits almost perfectly behind the flap and is very secure. In the pouch, I store what I’d call a “boo-boo kit plus”, which contains band-aids, tape, Combat Gauze, a SWAT-T tourniquet, and various meds.
I like storing my FAK outside my pack for easy access and so this setup works perfect.
The Hill People Gear Capture Flap can be mounted to packs via four G-Hooks. Two on the bottom, which on the Connor, attach to the bottom compression strap loops.
And two on the top, which attach to the side loops just above the Connor’s Hypalon wings.
There’s enough strap length that I had to clean it up with Web Dominators (because I’m OCD that way). But that’s good because the straps can be adjusted and lengthened to secure bulkier items like an outer layer or even a helmet if needed.
The G-Hooks were a good choice by Hill People Gear. They’re secure, relatively easy to remove, and generic enough that the Capture Flap can be added to any manufacturer’s pack as long as you can attach it in a similar way.
WRAP-UP
Overall, I like the Capture Flap. This time I wanted something that added external volume to the Connor but kept things sleek and lightweight. Weighing in at just 4-ounces, this definitely fits that bill.
The Capture Flap doesn’t add much bulk to the outside of the already low profile Connor.
I liked the organization that the Aston Pocket provided, but the way it mounted partially blocked the top of the main compartment zipper of the Connor, and so this definitely allows me better access the rest of the pack.
PROS
- Durable
- Sleek and Lightweight
- Cost Effective
- Can be mounted to different packs using the G-Hooks
- Supports PALS and hook & loop accessories
- Straps can be extended to secure larger items
CONS
- Small and tapered
- No strap management included
The Hill People Capture flap retails for $35 and comes in coyote, black, ranger green and manatee. It’s only available from their website here. Some colors go in and out of stock. Subscribe to Hill People Gear’s newsletter for re-stock notifications.
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