I have been looking for a compact daypack that is compatible with my Mystery Ranch NICE Frame. Ideally, it would be something like the Load Sling/Day Pack concept created by FHF Gear. However, Mystery Ranch is no longer selling the Load Sling separate from the NICE Frame and, as far as I know, FHF Gear never put the daypack in production. I’ve looked online but mostly struck out which is what had me raiding my gear stash to see if I had anything that would work.
It turns out, the answer was right under my nose. The Fight and Flight LLAMA pack is a great pack with several very useful features. The feature that is germane to this article is the LLAMA Pack’s use of modular compression panels/beavertails called Tailgates. The LLAMA comes standard with a basic panel Tailgate but Fight and Flight Tactical has offered several variations that serve different purposes and serve to expand the capabilities and capacity of the LLAMA.
It turns out that the buckles on those Tailgates match closely to the buckles on the NICE Frame. I was able to bolt a Cargo Tailgate directly to the frame without modification. The bag stands off the frame a bit but settles down with a load in the bag. The standoff also allows you to use the pack as a compression panel for carrying gear or game bags between the frame and pack. In the picture above, there is a small Mystery Ranch Load Cell compressed behind the Cargo Tailgate (it works with a large Load Cell too).
I know I am not the only one who has been looking for a compact and relatively lightweight daypack option for the NICE Frame so, hopefully, this is helpful information. Fight and Flight Tactical hasn’t added all of their Tail Gate options back to their website since they migrated to the new site. If you want a Tailgate like the one shown, you will have to contact them directly.
