I was trying to come up w/ a gear scheme that will be modular for  different gear load-out scenarios & that will keep sidearm & magazines in the same place whether I am carrying concealed to hiking w/ a full ruck and anything in-between.  

To start with, I was gong to set up for day hikes/hunts w/ a butt-pack on a kidney belt w/ pals loops to which I would attach my pistol, magazines & knives in the same positions I always carry them.  This pack can be removed from the kidney belt & be replaced w/ a much larger pack in other scenarios.  Kirafu Omni Belt & Tail Gunner

In addition to this, I could wear a chest rig & a little camel back pack.  I like buttpacks or large fanny packs so I can keep as much load off my shoulders as possible.  Plus, I like to be able to loosen the belt  & spin it aroudn to access the pack w/o taking it off, especially if my pistol is on there.  

Hiking or hunting hogs, I don't know if I would wear the chest rig b/c I don't really need to have many mags on hand.  I would probably just wear the belt/butt pack & camel back (and rifle if hunting).  

if something went bump in the night I could just throw the chest rig on & grab the rifle

At a carbine class I could just rock the chest rig & hydration pack & rifle.

If it was like a zombie outbreak or whatever, I could then wear:
-the pack belt w/ side-arms mags on it
-the butt pack w/ a simple ditchable back pack resting on it, or just a larger pack
-hydration bladder in its own carrier or in large pack
-the chest rig
-the rifle

Point is, I could use any of these components by themselves or all together w/ the same basic layout & training.  

A properly fitted backpack should be supported primarily by your hips, not by your shoulders.  Waist belt should sit correctly, heaviest items should be loaded closest to your head (center of gravity and high), and the shoulder straps should simply pull the weight closer to your centerline.

Because of the importance of the hip belt on a pack, it's very difficult to arrange a one-size-fits-all belt carry method for anything.  You'll really have to get into drop leg holsters/pouches or a chest rig, or possibly a vest/plate carrier provided that it doesn't interfere with your pack.

Some chest rigs/vests/PC's can accomodate a pistol holster, simplifying things a little.  There's no way that'll be as light or as easy to put on as a drop leg holster, but it should be more comfortable when walking.

A pack with a waist belt which can be detached and which can accomodate standard duty belt accessories, including a pistol holster, would seem ideal, but I'm not aware of any such thing, and I'm not sure it's possible given the complexities it would require in the pack attachment method.

Your focus on buttpacks sort of makes sense, but a buttpack simply will not carry as much weight as, nor carry it as well as, even a small backpack.  The weight is just too low to pull in to your centerline.  The quasi-backpack buttpack you link to would probably be even worse on your shoulders than a basic camping backpack or a normal buttpack, as the weight would primarily be supported by your shoulders rather than hips.

Browse the picture thread in the Tactical Gear forum under Armory here, that'll give you some ideas on arranging a setup.

Um, one other thought.

This doesn't really solve your problem, as it actually puts all of the weight of the mags and pistol on just one of your shoulders, which is even worse than putting it on both.  Flaps around a little, too, if you don't cinch it down or snap it to your belt.

But:

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=6&f=10&t=299848&page=1

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=USP+P20305



Sorry about the fuckin' enormous pic, I couldn't find a medium sized one.

It has room for 4 steel 30-round magazines (or just 2 thicker ones like pmags), a radio or GPS or phone or whatever, a first aid kit or a couple books on juggling or whatever else you want to carry around in the main pouch, 2 or so pistol magazines, and a simple internal velcro strap holster for a pistol.  Drawing isn't lightning fast, but it holds it pretty tight and without losing structural integrity.  One "murse" I tried did that; leaving the pistol compartment open would cause the mag pouches on the exterior to flap out, almost totally unsupported.  Dumb arrangement.  This one's better.  In that pic, the lower zipper is a normal pouch, and the upper zipper is for the pistol compartment.  I think.  Don't have a pistol permit yet and I didn't have this in Texas so the pistol part is just theoretical for now.  But it feels better than the old murse did.

And, you can throw it on over a backpack (camelbak or full pack) or armor.  That's a handy solution to your one-size-fits-all problem.

If case it isn't clear, that belt detaches from that pack.  You take it off, pull up on some big velcro flaps & then pull the belt off the pack.  They then you can wear the belt w/o any pack, or attach the belt to another larger omni pack.  The largest pack is the zulu  at 3200 cu".  The tail gunner is the smallest at 900.  

The shoulder straps are optional & I would not use them w/ this pack.  I would basically be using this like large high quality fanny pack/utility belt.  

That would basically be just a day pack for day hikes or hunts where you don't plan on spendin the night but you need to have the 4-5lb survival kit, pistol & mags etc.  If I needed an larger pack for more serious loads I would get the zulu to attach to the belt.

Seems like you'd really have to cinch that thing down to keep it comfortable without shoulder straps pulling the load in to your centerline.  And with it that tight, I don't see how it'd be comfortable.







I'm suspicious that they've tried several different methods to supporting the bag in addition to simply the waist belt alone.

That suggests that the waist belt alone is a suboptimal solution.

I dunno.  You can give it a shot.  I wouldn't.