In Praise of the HLT

[mtymouse9]

My HLT just arrived yesterday. I can't overstate how much I love this bag! I got the Blue Logic because it was the only one in stock when I ordered, and I couldn't wait. It is beautiful! Pictures cannot do it justice. The incredible amount of organization gives me so many options. It holds so much! I can make 2 small transfers from my EDC Pilot and take this as my only bag as long as I don't need my laptop or Amazon Fire. It also fits perfectly in the front pocket of my Pilot. I saw the Double Pouchkin in a forum. It is perfect for my HLT size 2. I think they should add this as an option when purchasing. I love this as an addition. If you were thinking about getting an HLT, I would strongly recommend it.

[MidwestMafia]

Is your HLT a size 1 or 2? The pictures are a big help. I have a Pilot as well.

thank you

[kemote]

Is your HLT a size 1 or 2? The pictures are a big help. I have a Pilot as well.

thank you

This is a size 2 per mytmouse9's post

[bchaplin]

Beautiful!
Logic Blue is a really striking color. It can be a little overwhelming, but I think it would be great for the HLT's (kind of like Solaris) because it makes the contents so easy to see.

[father_dawg]

Wow; that looks really great. I'm wondering if I want a small bag for carrying around my iPad when I'm just going places with it (but also keeping it in my regular bag, too). I've got a couple of little knick-knacks for mobile filming that need a home, too.

Thanks for posting this; might be one more thing to look into!

[Chicagoan]

My first TB bag, period, was a Side Kick. It can fit an iPad Mini. Trouble was, it was a little too large to "marsupialize" and nest into other bags.

Recently I picked up the HLT1 to use as my EDC and camera (point-and-shoot, not like I fit a DSLR in there!) bag. While it can't fit the Mini, it's a great bag with a LOT of internal organization - the small L and R interior zippered pockets are especially handy for keeping track of small items like SD camera cards, batteries, etc. and I love the loops for holding my favorite 4-color BIC pens. I prefer built-in organization over the option to create my own (via pouches, etc.). The only downside to that? Since built-in isn't modular, it either works well or doesn't at all.

EDC for me comes down to 2 main points: 1.) an easily-accessible pocket to stash my keys that I can access without taking the bag off (I live in an apartment so coming home means unlocking multiple doors to get into my unit), and 2.) an equally convenient location for my wallet.

I've also learned over time that I prefer a top-loading zippered main compartment that can be closed off in the event of weather (or the annual trip down Splash Mountain). EDC works so much better when I don't have to take the bag off to access the contents - although I compromise on this because the S19's and L15's side pockets are as convenient to access if you just take off a strap and swing it in front of your chest.

The most divisive feature of the HLT: the full clamshell zipper. It makes it much easier to pack (and access) the contents, but if you're not careful, you could dump them out on the ground. Best solution for this, though, is to just keep mindful of it. I've found it more helpful than hurtful, and I've been able to pack a lot more in this small bag than I could in a Travel Cubelet, since it's not solely a top-loader.

It's a great standalone bag, and while it is positioned as an internal organizer, it's totally worth purchasing a Gatekeeper shoulder strap so this can be used independently.

In short?

+1 for the HLT.

[Skirata44]

My HLT was absolutely an impulse purchase. I'd made a few jokes on here about how if they made a Solaris HLT 2 then I'd instabuy it. Well, Darcy had to go and call my bluff and I actually did end up instantly buying one as soon as they first went up. Had no idea what I'd use it for, but I figured I'd cross that bridge when I got there. I got it on the very first day of quarantine, and it sat in my bedroom for a few months because I had nowhere to go, and no idea what it'd be good for anyways.

So currently I'm trying to get everything here in order so that hopefully some time in the next few months I can move from New York to Scotland for grad school, and a big part of that is clearing out my stuff from my bedroom at my parents' house. As I'm doing that, I keep finding various electronic stuff-cords, chargers, memory sticks, etc-that I should probably take with me. So my HLT has become a kind of catch-all for small bits and bobs that I really don't want to forget. It's shocking how much stuff this thing fits. I probably sound like a broken record because I know I've said this before about both my Synapse and Pilot, but it just never seems to actually fill up. There's always room for just one more thing, and it still fits perfectly into my Pilot's front pocket. It's going to be a fantastic electronics pouch once I start going places, I think. I'm super impressed with it so far, and I'm sure I'll continue to be impressed by it. Sometimes impulse purchases really work out...

[Ali]

Any thoughts on attaching this to the exterior of a bag? I have a western flyer and would like to somehow attach to the outside for when the bag is full.

[moriond]

Any thoughts on attaching this to the exterior of a bag? I have a western flyer and would like to somehow attach to the outside for when the bag is full.

Welcome to the forums, @Ali . You'd have to get a pair of the Large Size Swivel Double Carabiners (in the color of your choice), and attach these to the two ends of the handle for the Western Flyer. Instead of hooking the top loop of the Swivel Double Carabiner into an O-ring or through a webbing loop, you pass the entire top swivel loop of the Double Carabiner around each end of the Western Flyer handle. You need the Large Size Double Carabiners because by default (unless you bought one of the very first batch of HLTs in either size), you'll get a pair of the Medium Double Carabiners, which works better for most uses (e.g., attaching to O-rings, hanging the HLT as a seat-pocket bag on the back of an airline seat, etc.), but which won't be large enough to go around the handle of a Western Flyer, because these are much wider at the base where. they connect to the bag.



This is one of the pictures on the HLT product page. Instead of hooking the plastic portion of the top loop through an O-ring, you need to hook the entire loop around the base of the Western Flyer handle.

HTH

moriond

[Ali]

Thanks for that information very helpful. I often switch between backpack and shoulder mode and seems like that method may also work on the side grab handles? That way in backpack mode it will not be swinging around.

[moriond]

Thanks for that information very helpful. I often switch between backpack and shoulder mode and seems like that method may also work on the side grab handles? That way in backpack mode it will not be swinging around.

Yes, you can use the same method to attach the HLT (either size, but I showed the HLT 2 in Nebulous Grey) to the side grab handles. Since the side grab handles are smaller, either the Medium or Large Size Double Swivel Carabiner Clips will work there. If you prefer to wear the HLT cross body while carrying the Western Flyer in backpack mode (see the way @Chicagoan carries his Coyote HLT 1 in the HLT1 [Me Over] thread -- I think he already had the Side Kick Shoulder Strap, but there are Shoulder Strap options on the HLT product page), that's another option.

Forum users who have traveled with both HLT and Western Flyer in the way that you envision may have other suggestions.

moriond

[nsh]

I wanted to echo praise for the HLT1! It clips in perfectly to the PU. Right now it is serving as my book edits pouch. I’m in the home stretch (maybe?!) to finishing edits and HLT1 has been holding: my pens, my little Doodads like earbuds and charger cords, my portable keyboard, and my all important notecards that contain my ideas in the correct order.

I imagine once edits are complete and I take a brief break from writing a book that HLT1 will morph into something else equally useful I have loved reading how other folks use their pouches






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[Chicagoan]

Yes, you can use the same method to attach the HLT (either size, but I showed the HLT 2 in Nebulous Grey) to the side grab handles. Since the side grab handles are smaller, either the Medium or Large Size Double Swivel Carabiner Clips will work there. If you prefer to wear the HLT cross body while carrying the Western Flyer in backpack mode (see the way @Chicagoan carries his Coyote HLT 1 in the HLT1 [Me Over] thread -- I think he already had the Side Kick Shoulder Strap, but there are Shoulder Strap options on the HLT product page), that's another option.

Forum users who have traveled with both HLT and Western Flyer in the way that you envision may have other suggestions.

moriond

I would second @moriond with the suggestion to pair a small crossbody bag with a larger backpack for travel. It allows you to keep all your quick/easy access items on your front side and everything else can ride in the backpack. Clipping the HLT1 to the backpack will still mean taking off a strap or the bag entirely, and I’m not sure if that makes things more or less convenient.

I use an HLT1 and L15 together when I take day hikes now and it works well.
@moriond can you tell me if a fully packed HLT1 can fit into the the water bottle pocket on the WF? For security’s sake, this might be a better place to store the HLT when traveling through crowded areas. That would be another concern. At your front side, it will always be in your field of vision and well-protected.

Everyone packs and carries their items differently, so it may not be the perfect solution for you, but the two-bag combination works well for a lot of people and might be a different solution to the same problem.

The shoulder strap compatible with the HLT bags is a $6.00 Side Kick shoulder strap. Heck - you could probably use a spare Gatekeeper waist strap from a backpack if you have one lying around. The waist strap differs from the shoulder straps because it has a buckle, but if you have one and don’t mind that, it’s saves some money and allows you to try using an HLT as a shoulder bag until you determine whether or not it’s worth purchasing a dedicated shoulder strap.


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[Ali]

Yes, you can use the same method to attach the HLT (either size, but I showed the HLT 2 in Nebulous Grey) to the side grab handles. Since the side grab handles are smaller, either the Medium or Large Size Double Swivel Carabiner Clips will work there. If you prefer to wear the HLT cross body while carrying the Western Flyer in backpack mode (see the way @Chicagoan carries his Coyote HLT 1 in the HLT1 [Me Over] thread -- I think he already had the Side Kick Shoulder Strap, but there are Shoulder Strap options on the HLT product page), that's another option.

Forum users who have traveled with both HLT and Western Flyer in the way that you envision may have other suggestions.

moriond

Thanks, I will try it out. Now just have to wait for Black 210 HLT2 to get in stock