Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > Six Moon Designs Comet > Jamie J. DeBenedetto > Long Term Report

Six Moon Designs Comet Backpack
(with optional frame stays)

Long Term Report - November 23rd, 2005

Reviewer's Information

Background/Experience

I've pretty much been what my husband refers to as a "tree hugger" since birth but my backpacking life started in earnest about seventeen years ago. These days I spend about 15 days a month in the outdoors either with the Canine Hiking Club of AZ or with my family. My backpacking style is lightweight but not ultralight. I sleep in a hammock most of the time and I keep my pack base weight (less food or water) below 15 lbs (7 kg) for three season outings of two to three days. I tend to gravitate toward multifunctional gear.

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Product Information

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Product Description

The Six Moon Designs Comet is a top entry, frameless backpack designed for ultralight backpacking up to 35 lbs (16 kg). For frame support the Comet makes use of the users sleeping pad and if desired, an optional set of Aluminum stays can be added for more ridged load support. A more detailed rundown of the Comet is available in my Initial Report.

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Testing Locations and Conditions

Since receiving the Comet in May of 2005 I have used it on over twelve day hikes mainly in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, elevation around 2,000 ft (600 m) give or take. Temperatures during these treks were usually above 90 F (32 C) and as high as 100 F (38 C) on a few occasions. I also used the Comet on three overnight trips and on one two-night excursion. It has accompanied me up two of Arizona's high points, Mt. Baldy at 11,420 ft (3,481 m) and Mt. Elden at 9,925 ft (3,025 m). The lowest overnight low during these outings was 38 F (3 C). I was fortunate to have mostly clear weather for all hikes with the exception of one where I encountered a major thunderstorm and subsequent down poor.

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Is There Enough Room For The Kitchen Sink?

Well not quite but I did find the Comet's 3,700 cu in (61 L) load capacity to be well suited for my three season needs. The large main compartment is roomy and even with a full length closed cell foam pad inserted in the Pad Pocket I had enough room for all my gear. I never had a need to strap any items to the outside of the pack but I did use the full extension collar on more than one trip. The outside mesh pockets held more than I was expecting and in my opinion add versatility to the pack. They work well for items I wanted quick access to throughout a long day of walking, like a jacket or gloves. Due to the full length of the mesh pockets, I either had to take the pack off to reach items inside the pockets or ask a hiking partner for help. I originally considered having to access my gear in this way a negative but I have since adapted to this process and I don't find it burdensome at all.

I used the pack with several different weight totals and various amounts of equipment. The lowest total weight was 15 lbs (7 kg) and the highest was 27 lbs (12 kg). Between the three horizontal load stabilization straps and the one vertical strap over the top of the pack, the Comet was easily and efficiently battened down regardless of what I tossed inside. Even with five quarts/liters of water I always felt like the Comet was stable and secure on my back. I could bend, stoop and rock hop with it at near capacity without worry or balance problems.

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Sometimes Being a Gear Tester is a Real Pain in the Hip

From a comfort perspective the Comet and I just did not completely mesh. During testing I took into account the whole harness system (shoulder straps, hip belt, back panel/lumbar pad and frame stays) when making judgments regarding personal overall comfort. Furthermore, I used the pack with several different weights, various gear configurations and pad types and with and without the frame stays. In all cases I found the shoulder straps to be sufficient, not overly cushy but enough to comfortably use the pack without stress or chafing. I also had good experiences with the lumbar pad despite my initial concerns about its comfort potential. Even though it doesn't cover the entire pack panel of the pack it was plenty supportive and provided just the right amount of coverage.

The hip belt on the other hand was problematic. There was just not enough padding for my boney girl hips, which resulted in some soreness and slight bruising when I used the pack with a weight above 20 lbs (9 kg). I also had a hard time keeping the belt in the right place. Despite my best cinching efforts, it would slip after a few minutes of walking and drop down just enough to put more load force onto my shoulders. With the frame stay in and a taller pad, this was marginalized but not completely resolved. Once the total pack weight dropped below 20 lbs (9 kg) it was quite a bit more comfortable all around and I did not notice the problem with the waist belt or accrue any hip discomfort. With 18 lbs (8 kg) or less I was able to contently use the Comet without the frame stays. The pad provided enough rigidity, the waist belt stayed in place and the pack conformed to my shape nicely.

Another area of contention for me was the back panel where the frame stays are inserted. Like the hip belt, I believe the two vertical shafts that house the stays could use a little more padding. On more than one occasion, and especially while bending, twisting or sitting, I could really feel the ridged aluminum against my upper back. The manufacture suggested to me via an email that the stays could and should be bent for the user's personal comfort. I tried this a few times but unfortunately was not able to improve the fit. Realistically though, even if I could bend the stays into a "more comfortable" position I would still have unpadded metal strips right up against my back, which is still unappealing as far as I'm concerned. My suggestion would be to modify the tubes that hold the stays so socks or other small clothing items could be used in front of each stay as a make shift cushion. Just food for thought.

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Wasps, Dogs and Cat-Claw, Oh Why?

In my Initial Report I wrote about my concerns regarding how well the Comet's silconized nylon fabric would hold up to pressure from the inside and out. I was also interested to see how the outer mesh pockets stood up to Arizona's often unforgiving terrain. I am happy to report the Comet has survived two bushwacks involving countless encounters with Cat-Claw, various cacti, Palo Verde trees and several other nasty and prickly bushes. It has also weathered campground time with a few traildogs who have absolutely no regard for delicate fabric or personal space. Furthermore, both the main compartment and the mesh pockets have been very fully loaded on a couple of occasions without any noticeable ill affects. It has so far proved to be a pretty tough little pack.

Kind of a weird issue I never thought I would be commenting on in my report is the color. I love yellow and black together on most things and ordinarily a trivial cosmetic feature like color wouldn't even cross my mind to comment on but in this case I felt it might be worthy of noting. While wearing the Comet, I noticed and increase in wasp and bee encounters. They truly appeared attracted to the pack as usually I was the only hiker in my group who was getting the extra attention. Now of course I cannot prove this but I did think it strange and interesting enough to include.

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This Feature Presentation Left Me Wanting More

The Six Moon Designs Comet has several extra features I think really add to the usefulness of the pack, however, it also has some traits that I could have done without. Since there are several components to review I have listed them separately and explained why I liked or disliked each.

Harness System Components

I wrote a little about the Harness System pieces in an above section of this report but I also wanted to elaborate on the system's performance beyond the scope of comfort. The Tri-Glide system located on the back panel that adjusts the torso length for the pack was fairly easy to use. The main strap was a little short and made threading the last little bit back through the buckle difficult but I did manage and it hasn't come loose or needed further adjustment since the first set up. This action would have been nearly impossible with gloves on or cold fingers, however, and I mused about the possibility of this when I was trying to get the last section through the buckle.

Since I'm on the topic of straps, I'll also add that the ones on the shoulder straps ended up working fine despite my earlier concern that they would be too short. I wore the Comet with more than one layer of clothing on and the length was just right. I did not have much to spare though and I wonder if someone with a deeper chest than mine might have less success. The bottom of the strap is also very tricky to grab once it is pulled up under the buckle. This was the case for the vertical cinch strap that goes over the dry bag closure too. If the loop at the tip of the straps was large enough to get a finger into that would have helped immensely. I also think this vertical strap could be a few inches longer. When the extension collar is fully extended this strap is not long enough to buckle.

The lumbar pad also worked well for me. The hook-and-loop fasteners on the back of the pad held like glue and I haven't had to make any lumbar adjustments since the original set up. The pad doesn't do much in the way of ventilation but it did a fine job cushioning my lower back from the pack contents and from the frame stays. Once wet, it does dry quickly and I haven't noticed it retaining odors or sweat marks.

Dry Bag Closure

This is the most undesirable feature I encountered with the Comet. I found the process of unbuckling, unrolling, then tearing apart the hook-and-loop strip just to have to repeat the process in reverse far too painstaking for my liking. The most tedious of which is the hook-and-loop strip. It is of course very easy to separate but putting it back together completely lined up was near impossible and forget about attempting either operation while wearing fleece gloves. My gloves and all other fleece clothing, as well as the open cell foam I use with my hammock caught on this strip virtually every time I loaded or unloaded these items into the pack. Moreover, because of all the "snags" the hook section of the hook-and-loop has many stray fibers imbedded in it and that's reducing its grab power.
The picture on the right shows a small unsealed section of the strip despite my efforts to line up both sides evenly.

Pad Pocket

I know the concept of using a pad as part of the pack frame is not unique to Six Moon Designs but that does not take anything away from the genius of the idea. That said the Comet's pad compartment had some positives and negatives. I attempted to use three different types of pads in the partition; a 72 in (183 cm) full length closed cell foam (CCF), which is 27 in (69 cm) wide, a ¾ length CCF, which is also 27 in (69 cm) wide, and an Oware CCF, which is 60 in by 30 in (152 cm by 76 cm). The ¾ length pad fit the best but did take some creative folding. It left plenty of room in the rest of the pack for my gear and I was able to fasten the hook-and-loop strap on the top of the pad pocket down over the CCF without too much trouble. This set up did not give as much frame support, however, as the taller full length CCF. The 72 in (183 cm) pad was more difficult to fit into the pocket and because it was much taller I needed to use the extension collar and could not fasten the pocket's strap. Although the taller pad did make a better frame sheet it also took up more room inside the main pack body but with the addition of the space in the extension collar I was able to fit everything I wanted in the pack. The pocket was too short and too narrow to accommodate the wider Oware pad so I skipped the pad pocket all together and just folded the pad into a U shape and put it up against the back panel inside the pack. Once all my other gear was loaded it certainly wasn't moving and it worked fine as a frame sheet. The drawback of this option is a definite decrease in gear space inside the main pack body.

Mesh Exterior Pockets

I have absolutely nothing but kudos to give for the exterior mesh pockets. They have held up amazingly well regardless of over filling and an abundance of snags on abusive plant life. The simple elastic "closures" have worked well to keep my gear safe and sound and they allow for easy access to items without the bother of unzipping or unbuckling. The fact that I can easily locate items and store wet things in these compartments are two huge brownie points as far as I'm concerned.

Small Interior Gear Pocket

I like the small "secret pocket" for things I don't want to dig for like my car key or money. The hook-and-loop strip seals the opening very tightly so I didn't have to worry about loosing the very important cargo. The strip was very difficult to open with gloved hands; I had the same snagging problems as I did with the other hook-and-loop strip on the main bag but since I was not getting into the interior pocket on a regular basis this really wasn't a big deal.

Ice Axe Loops

Since the Comet was only tested during the summer and fall months I did not have a chance to use the ice axe loops for actual ice axes. I did use them to hold my MSR Overland Carbon Trekking Poles on several occasions though. They worked great in this capacity and since the loops are essentially just hook-and-loop straps they were very easy to secure around the poles. Detaching was equally as simple.

Dual Hydration Tube Ports

Given that I'm a regular hydration bladder user, usually the Platypus Big Zip 3, I used one of these ports on every trip with the Comet. While I was thankful for the opening, as it is much more convenient than trying to thread the hose out of the top of the pack, it would have been useful if the opening was slightly larger. I struggled to get the Big Zip's mouth piece in and out of the hole every time.

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Summary

The Comet was a fun test for me and for the most part I enjoyed using the pack. It employs several great ideas like using the pad for support, the optional frame stays and detachable harness components, which I'm sure all give the Comet its trim weight total. Ultimately, however, I did feel like I traded some comfort for the weight savings. Below 20 lbs (9 kg) the pack is fantastic and quite comfortable. For shorter treks with some ultralight gear I'm sure I would be happy but for longer excursions or four season use, I'm not sure the Comet would be my pack of choice.

The fabric held up well to everything yucky I subjected it to and I found the load capacity to be adequate for my summer and autumn backpacking needs. The various features the pack offers where hit or miss with me. I found the outside mesh pockets, the interior pocket and the ice axe loops completely useful and wonderful additions to the Comet, whereas I was unsatisfied with the small size of the hydration ports and the dry bag style closure. I'm very much on the fence about the Pad Pocket because I found it helpful with some pads but too narrow for a larger one. This lack of versatility made stowing my equipment in the main compartment a little awkward.

Thank you BGT and Six Moon Designs for the opportunity to be part of this test series.

Jamie J. DeBenedetto
November 29rd, 2005

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Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > Six Moon Designs Comet > Jamie J. DeBenedetto > Long Term Report