Good review. I know Hill People Gear did some work with Kifaru on this type of bag. Their Kit Bag is a little smaller, however the Koala is a little more functional and versatile…for me, it was just a tad too big to wear on the chest. For me, the CCW access is one of the more functional areas when backpacking with a full pack.
I do like the lumbar option of the Koala. If you do any rock scrambling or bouldering, it would be nice to swing that pack to your backside; regardless, these would make great canoe/kayak kits to keep your essentials handy and secure.
HPG’s Kit Bag (cousin to the Kifaru Koala):
ROCK6