Kifaru MEx adds another small summit

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Before leaving to Iraq I need to waste a little vacation since I'm about maxed out so I decided to load up the MEx and head out to a near by trail head. It Grandeur Peak in Mill Creek Canyon, just outside of Salt Lake City Utah, about a 20 minute drive from my place. Summit is 8,299ft and about 2340ft above the trailhead. round trip is 6.2 miles but I parked on the road since there were no spots by the trail head so add another mile roundtrip and 200 or so feet elevation. Pack weight was 44lbs. My usual summer overnight loadout with food/ water, supertarp/ annex/ stakes/ groundcloth, woobie, exped syn7, poss pouch, stove, bladder, nalgeen/ cup, IFAK, and a few other little things. The wilderness safepacker holds the XDm40 and extra magazine.

Hike went well took about 3.5 hours to complete including the snack/ rest/ photos at the summit. On the way down just a few hundred feet I about ate it come down one of the scrambles and felt my knee fold up under me, hurt bad, but I was still able to walk on, I was worried however. Thus the little piece of mind with the SPOT you see on the MEx. Anyways here are a few photos, hope no one minds me sharing.

Trail head signage.

Nice shot showing great color this time of year

Where I started

Where I still need to go...

Nice outcropping and moon shot

Mountain and Little Dell Reservoir

The Summit and pack

 

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Random shots of the valley and surrounding peaks from the summit

 

[Erasmus]

Nice trip.

 

[ROCK6]

Looks like it was a beautiful hike! How did you carry the Safe Packer?...I'm still trying different techniques.

Stay safe on the deployment to Iraq...a few more hikes like that and you'll be ready for the elevation differences in Afghanistan

ROCK6

 

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I use the Kifaru handgun bearer, and just loop the 3" strap thru it. Ill take a photo in a second.

 

[ROCK6]

I use the Kifaru handgun bearer, and just loop the 3" strap thru it. Ill take a photo in a second.

Sounds good...I need to pick one of those up (I've got an EMR, Scout, Zulu Pointman and E&E). I've been carrying the Safe Packer with the shoulder sling, but it's a pain with a pack.

ROCK6

 

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Here you go

Here is the handgun bearer installed on the waistbelt... and yup that is how it is suppose to go, not weaved like standard molle straps. Good luck weaving the rigid handgun bearer, I want 3 more for my other packs as well, but right now I just get to transfer this one around as needed.

This is the center strapped opened up, just feed it between the handgun bearer and the waistbelt

Viola!

Here is the XDm40 and spare 16rd mag, 33 rds of 40S&W easily hidden. I have held everything from a 357 to 9mm, 40, and 45, upto 5" slides, and then this below.

Wait, what is in there now?

Sneak peak

Ruger Alaskan 454Casull next to the 40.... I call it the handcannon. Funny story, I was in upper big cottonwood canyon and some guy came tromping thru with a little 357 snubbie on his hip in a nice leather holster, carrying a school style backpack, thus guy standing next to me says... Why do people feel the need to carry, I get nervous when people carry near me, little did he know the hand cannon was even in my safepacker. I didn't say anything to him, just started walking.

Another route is the Koala, I used it during memorial day with the lifter straps. The front easily holds a large pullout, and with a little skill with a needle and thread, I extended the "universal handgun holster" deals and was able to mount the 454 in the Koala. NICE indeed, makes a good sized day pack at camp, easily accessible, does not bother me to ride quads or the Rhino, I can even easily jump into a vehicle and zip on the canyon without having to doff and store a pack.