Six Moon Designs "Essence" Pack
Long Term Report by André Corterier
Date: August 2006
Personal Biographical Information:
Name: André Corterier
Gender: M
Age: 34
Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight: 80 kg (175 lb)
Email: andreDOTcorterierATfreenetDOTde
Home: Bonn, Germany
Backpacking Background:
I have started out with backpacking slowly – single-day 24 km (15 mi) jaunts
by myself or even shorter hikes in the company of my little daughter. I am getting started on longer
hikes, as a lightweight packer and hammock-camper. I’ve begun upgrading my old gear and am now shooting for a
dry FSO weight (everything carried From the Skin Out except food, fuel and water)
of about 10 kg (22 lb) for three-season camping. I am getting there.
Regarding this test of what most people would call an "ultralight" pack, I feel obliged to say that I do *not*
consider myself an ultralight hiker. Without wishing to start a flame war, my own feeling on this is that the
ultralight hiker is quite willing to sacrifice some (or even a lot of) convenience in the pursuit of a lighter
pack (presumably in the interest of higher mileage per days or some other goal). My view as a "lightweight" hiker
(some ultralighters might just leave it at "lightweight") is that I wish to reduce my pack weight solely as a means of
increasing my comfort. I have carried a hammock instead of a tarp at a weight "penalty" of nearly two pounds not
because I am unable to use a tarp, but because I like a comfortable night's sleep. If you are as interested as I
was to find out whether I have found it possible to adapt this pack to that kind of an outlook, read on.
Year of manufacture: 2006
Manufacturer: Six Moon Designs
URL: http://www.sixmoondesigns.com
MSRP: 120 USD
Listed Weight: 13 oz (369 g)
Measured Weight: 384 g (13.5 oz)
Introduction:
The Essence Pack is a frameless backpack featuring a hip belt with integral pockets and
the usual assortment of outside mesh pockets, is front-loading for easy access and even features a separate top
pocket, which the manufacturer mourned as "one of the early casualties in reducing pack weight". As did I. For a more
detailed discussion of the pack's features, see my
Initial Report.
Field Experience:
I have worn this pack for a few overnighters and a lot of dayhikes. Temperatures were
between just below 10 C/50 F and 30 C/85 F. Elevations
ranged from 100 m/330 ft to 300 m/1000 ft. The weather was mostly sunny except for a small sprinkle of short duration. I was usually carrying only my
own gear, but have once carried a short overnight's load for my daughter and myself.
I have been carrying loads between 6 and just shy of 11 kg (13 and 24 lb) in the pack.
Load Transfer:
I have discussed my experience with varying pads in the pack at some length in my
Field Report.
During the Long Term Report phase, I have used three pads: the Exped Down Air Mat, the German Army Surplus Folding ccf pad, and a self-made folding pad made
from Evazote.
I used the Down Air Mat as a pad only when ground camping - which was often during the testing period, because I was also testing a ground shelter. The weight
of the DAM is such that I was loathe to carry yet another superfluous pad just to stiffen up the pack - and I also did not feel it was warranted. With pack
weights below 10 kg (22 lb), I could transfer some of the weight to my hips and let the remainder stay on my shoulders, which was quite comfortable.
The Army folding pad was used when I had to carry a lot of weight - for example, when overnighting with my daughter. Its ability to transfer virtually all
of the weight to my hips was much appreciated. It also provided less hassle than the DAM when the time came to use it as a pad and to pack it up again in
the morning. Its only downside is a comparably heavy weight for what insulation (little) and comfort (less) it provides.
The self-made ccf pad is my favourite - its use is for lightweight hammock-camping trips. It weighs the least of these pads, while still allowing for some
weight transfer in the weight range between 6 and 9 kg (13 and 20 lb). This is the area in which weight transer seemed to become a bit of an issue, though
only just. At the low end of this spectrum, the weight on the shoulders felt negligible anyway, so no weight transfer appeared necessary. At the higher end
it was nice to have, though not a necessity. So it was just right to allow for some weight transfer at the beginning of a trip, when still loaded down with
some food and water, without adding unnecessary weight later on.
Comfort:
The pack has remained very comfortable, as long as I packed it right. Due to the amount of space close to my back taken up by whatever pad I strapped into
the pack, I have to be careful to distribute the heavy items as close to the pad as possible. As long as I do, the pack rides quite comfortably. The maximum
weight I carried with the pack was 10605 g (23 lb 6 oz), measured on a grocery store scale on my way out of town. I was packing an overnight load for myself
and my daughter (though using a very lightweight shelter, the
Gatewood Cape by the same manufacturer).
At this weight, the ability to transfer weight to the hips was appreciated. I had initially hoped to test the pack closer to the max weight of 30 lb (13.6 kg)
given by the manufacturer, but am at a loss how this might be achieved. The pack was pretty darn full when I set out that day, including a superfluous fleece
jacket stuffed under the Weather Flap for added weight. Maybe by loading it down with water...
Going by what weights I have carried with it, I am guessing that carrying 30 lb (13.6 kg) with it is possible, but won't be comfortable for long. Looking at
the lengths to which one would have to go to load it down like that, I guess that's alright. I could see myself doing it if I had to cover a dry stretch on
a long hike - but it should then quickly move out of that weight range again and become as comfortable again as I'm used to. My two cents (two and a half
cents USD).
Pockets:
I am still very happy with the pockets. I have found that by making judicious use of the outside mesh pockets, I was able to pack 2 pads and two sleeping
bags and food and water and cook gear and what have you for two people into the bag to carry it along. It did not ride as comfortably as when I pack it
for myself, but it also wasn't remarkably uncomfortable. So I am satisfied that it has enough space for my own things even for a longer trip. Of course, this
is helped by the fact that I now use a lightweight, low-bulk down sleeping bag and do not carry a tent. But I would also suggest that the kind of people who
still carry high-weight large-bulk items inside their packs would do better to save weight and bulk elsewhere before moving to this type of pack. Once they've
done that, I would recommend trying this pack on.
When restricting myself to the lower end of the weight spectrum, I guess I would not even need the hip strap. And it seems to be a knee-jerk reflex of most
ultralighters to cut these off once their total pack weight allows them to do so. I have thought about this for a while and find that I would definitely
want to keep it. Not only because it offers the choice of using it for a bit of weight transfer should the occasion arise, but because it is a very
lightweight way of offering two hip belt pockets. It also reduces pack "bounce" whenever I feel like running or jumping with it.
Durability:
The pack shows no obvious signs of wear. I still have not been able to remove the very last traces of flour from one of the hip belt pockets (where I stored a few
"flour bombs" during an outdoor "hit-and-run" game) and now keep
my camera in the other pocket to keep the fine flour dust out of it. Having made sure that the clasps are fully inserted and tugging on them with a bit of care, they have never popped out of
their counterparts. The cord which serves to compress the Weather Flap also shows no signs of wear.
Front Loading Issues:
I am still not certain whether having the pack front-loading rather than top-loading is a benefit. Yes, once I have access to the main compartment, I have
equal access to all the gear stored in there. But it appears as though it takes slightly less long to access the gear at the top of the main compartment in
a top-loader (which is where I would put the stuff I need more often if I packed right). It also seemed easier to open a top-loader while holding it up by
a strap - the front-loading Essence pack seemed to require a place to put it down (though my thigh, with the foot propped up on a log, did the job in a
pinch). But it appears that the top pocket's existence is tied to the front-loading opening, and I would not wish to let go of this. So there's no need to
change this. I do have to remember not to pick up the open pack by its haul strap, however: When I did that, the entire contents of the Essence pack's main
compartment fell out. My fault entirely.
Summary:
I am very, very pleased with this pack. With a couple of light-weight things in there (particularly sleeping bag and shelter), I feel that I have finally
arrived in the lightweight area at which I was aiming for a few years now. Yet, even though this pack shaves over a pound off the weight of my old pack, it
does more to make my hiking more enjoyable by placing its varied, easily accessible pockets at my disposal. As far as my goal of "reducing weight while
increasing comfort" is concerned it's not quite the quantum leap that going from a tent to a hammock was, but it's close.
Read more reviews of Six Moon Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Andre Corterier
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