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Fanatic Fringe
Thompson Peak Pack
Field Report by Rick Allnutt
"A lot of gear fits in this Pack!" Risk
PERSONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Rick Allnutt
51 Year old male
6' 0'' (183 cm) in height
198 lb (90 kg) in weight
Email address: rick (at) BackpackGearTest (dot) org
I live in Dayton, Ohio
BACKPACKING BACKGROUND
Over the last several years, I have become an ultralight camper with a three-season base pack weight of about 11 lb (5 kg) and skin out weight of 20 lb (9 kg). I have completed many section hikes on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in all four seasons, with a total mileage of nearly 450 miles (725 km). I am a gearhead, a hammock camper, and make much of my own equipment.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Fanatic Fringe
Year Manufactured: 2004
Manufacturer's Link: http://www.fanaticfringe.com/
MSRP: $69
Size: Large
Listed Weight: 9.5 oz (269 g)
Measured Weight: 9.2 oz (260 g)
Listed Volume: 2400 cu in (39 L) for the main body
400 cu in (6.5 L) mesh pockets
800 cu in (13 L) more with the extension collar
up
Review Date: 2 July 2004
TEST CONDITIONS
This pack has gone hiking! I carried it, folded up in my luggage, for use as a
daypack during a trip to Alaska in early May. There, conditions varied
from rain to sunshine, with temperatures ranging from 40 F to 70 F (4 C to 21 C).
Significantly, It was my pack for a long section hike of 185 mi (300 km) on the AT
later in May. During that hike, conditions included sun, rain, dense fog, cold
and sticky heat. Temperatures ranged from night time lows of about 40 F (4
C) to above 90 F (32 C).
REVIEW
This is the second of three reviews I am writing about the Fanatic Fringe
Pack. The Initial
Report is full of technical specifications. This report is about my
use of the pack in the field over the first two months of use.
 Daypack:
A pack this light and small is a natural daypack. I stuffed the whole pack into
one of its side pockets (it easily fits, straps and all) and put that in my
carry-on luggage for a weeklong trip to Alaska.
In the pack, I carried a set of rain gear, lunch, and a coat. I also had
my wife's similar gear for our day hikes. The small amount of weight was
certainly not uncomfortable in the pack. I was not bothered by any bumps
protruding into my back, despite the lack of support or padding. The
straps did not slip from my shoulders and I found no need to adjust the straps
from the length I usually wear when backpacking with the pack.
Backpack:
However, my main interest in the Fanatic Fringe Pack is for ultralight
backpacking. From my first reading of the on-line description of the pack, I
believed it would make a superior backpack for a long hike.
Absolutely the best quality of this pack is its light weight. At about the
same weight as a lightweight pair of pants, the Thompson Peak Pack is one
of the lightest packs available on the commercial market.
As I work my way into ultralight backpacking, one of the primary components of
the backpacking system that I need to keep under strict control is the weight
of the bag everything else is carried in. This pack meets that requirement.
 So
it was with great anticipation that I began planning a long (for me) trip that
would encompass the southern Appalachian Trail. I conceived a plan that would
start at Springer Mountain in Georgia and end in the middle of the Smoky
Mountains.
I believed I could cover about 100 mi (160 km) a week with ultralight gear,
determination, and good fortune. The two weeks of vacation I had in May should
get me about as far as Bill Bryson got in his failed thru hike described in Walk
in the Woods in about 4 weeks.
In this photograph, I was standing on that rocky bluff at the top of Springer
Mountain, facing north. The first white blaze of the AT called me to pick up the
ultralight pack and start down (up?) the path toward Clingman's Dome, 185 mi
(300 km) away.
I use a series of stuff sacks in the pack to organize my gear. My packing plan
on this trip was just about the same from the beginning to the end.
- First in the pack was my closed cell pad, it is loosely rolled around the
inside of the pack and forms the padding and support of the pack
- In the bottom of the drum like pack, I placed my food bag and cook-kit.
These items could get damp without disaster, and I already knew from my initial
tests that a little water does leak into the bottom of the pack.
- Next layer, I put the sleeping quilt in its waterproof stuff sack and a small
toiletry bag.
- Against my back for the next layer, I put a sausage like stuff sack containing
rain gear. Away from my back, I wedged my hammock and its tarp.
- The next layer, against my back was my small bag of extra clothing and away
from my back was the Pocket Bucket, rolled up and containing headlamp,
PocketMail Composer, a mouse proof pack hanger, and a cell phone.
- Between the inside of the pack and the foam pad, I stuffed a homemade pack
cover and an extra (empty) water bladder.
- Into the pockets on the outside of the pack, I put the water bladder (right
side above), water cup and sitting pad (left side above), and in the back pocket
my lunch for the day and any electronics I wanted to carry outside the pack in
good weather (PocketMail, camera, etc.)
 I
closed the pack by snugging up the drawstring at the top of the expansion
collar, twisting it several times, and then passing the end through the opening
between the pack and the cord lock for the top of the main pack
compartment. It turned out that this location was an excellent place to
hang anything that needed to dry. Socks, bandannas, even rain gear dried much
more quickly hanging and swinging than they did in the mesh pockets.
While using the pad inside the pack, I found little conventional use for
compression straps on the sides. I did slip a key-ring thermometer over
one to measure field temperatures. In addition, the straps have been of some use
when putting long objects in the side pockets. Sometimes this has been
hiking poles, or an umbrella, or a musical instrument such as a Native American
flute.
The Question List:
I had a number of questions listed in my initial report of interest
to me. Of those items not already covered, this is what I have found out
so far:
- How comfortable is the pack?
I have carried the pack up to (and 10 percent over) the maximum recommended load
of 20 lb (9 kg). It is very comfortable in this range and I have not felt any
need for a waist belt during the entire time I have used the pack.
- How well is the pack constructed? How carefully were the seams sewn?
No seam has ripped, no failed section of cloth. The only physical problem with
the pack is the grommet through which the draw cord for the main pack
compartment passes. This grommet has come apart many times and seems to be
of little use. It does snap back together each time, but does little to
protect the pack from the draw cord.
- Does the pack shed water reasonably well?
All the pack's seams leak. They are not taped and I did not expect them to
actually shed water. The pack works well with a minimal pack cover. A
small amount (perhaps a teaspoon full / 5 ml) of water works its way through the
side seams near my back and
this water collects in the bottom of the pack during long hard rains.
- How well do the straps work? Are the straps comfortable? No failures,
no slipping, very comfortable, no problems.
- How well does the top closure work? The extension collar? As reported
above, this has proved to be a very good way to close the pack. The
grommet is a problem.
- How well do the mesh pockets hold gear, how much do they catch on brush? I
have had no loss of anything out of the mesh pockets. Their tops are
tighter than the pocket and this acts as functional closure. The mesh has
been sturdy and not prone to catching on brush or deadfalls.
- How compatible is the pack with an ultralight load? Wonderfully
compatible!
TEST PLAN
For the long term test period, I will use the Thompson Peak Pack for several more section
hikes on the AT. I have become quite comfortable with the pack and believe it
needs no modification or other adjustment to be just what I need for these
backpacking trips. I will continue to evaluate the fit and feel of the pack, its bells and whistles, the utility of the
side compression straps, the function of the exterior pockets, and the usefulness of the extension collar.
PROSPECTIVE TEST CONDITIONS
In July I will use the pack as a daypack during a week in the Adirondacks. In the remaining months of
summer and early fall,
further trips on the AT will refine my opinion of the pack for ultralight
hiking. Daytime temperatures may not rise above 40 F (4 C) some days and
can go as high as 100 F (38 C). Rain, heat, and even the possibility of
snow exist through most of the Long Term testing period.
Read more reviews of Fanatic Fringe gear
Read more gear reviews by Rick Allnutt
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