Six Moon Designs
Essence Pack
TEST SERIES BY RICK ALLNUTT
INITIAL REPORT
April 07, 2006

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME:	Rick Allnutt
EMAIL:	rick@backpackgeartest.org
AGE:	52
LOCATION:	Beavercreek, Ohio
GENDER:	M
HEIGHT:	6 0" (1.83 m)
WEIGHT:	170 lbs (77 kg)
WAIST:	35 in (89 cm)
TORSO:	20 in (51 cm)

Over the last several years, I have become an ultralight camper with a three-season base pack weight of about 17 lb (8 kg) and skin out weight of 25 lb (11 kg). I have completed many section hikes on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in all four seasons, with a total mileage of about 1100 miles (1770 km). I am a gearhead, a hammock camper, and I make much of my own equipment.

Trail Name: Risk
Risk's Ultralite Hiking Page: www.imrisk.com

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INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Six Moon Designs Essence Pack

Manufacturer: Six Moon Designs
Year of Manufacture: 2006
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.sixmoondesigns.com
MSRP: US$120
Listed Weight: 13 ounces (369 grams)
Measured Weight: 13.6 ounces (386 grams)

I received the pack on April 7th, complete, and in new condition. It was exactly what I expected from the website, with the exceptions noted in the report as follows.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The pack came in a very small envelope with a useful hang tag including four pages of instructions. The pack is made from four materials. These include lightweight (210D ripstop) and middle weight (420D) polyurethane (PU) coated nylon and two weights/colors of silnylon. The color of both PU coated nylon cloths is black. The heavier silnylon (70D) is black and light weight silnylon (30D) is gray. The straps and back are from the 210D cloth, and bottom is made from 420D coated cloth. The top, flap, and sides are black silnylon. The strap pockets are made partly of the 210D and 70D materials.

The construction appears to be robust, with no hanging threads or seams done in anything less than a professional manner. The seams of the pack are not taped, and I will presume they are not waterproof. For that reason, I will be using a silnylon inner pack bag for waterproofness.

My initial reaction to the pack was one of a little confusion. I could not see how it opened. Being used to ultralight packs that open at the top, I was somewhat surprised to find the drawstring opening on the front of the pack, under a flap and about 1/3 of the distance from the top to the bottom. It is accessed by releasing 5 lightweight strap clips which hold the flap down against the front of the pack.

(For clarity: the the front of the pack is the portion the person behind me is looking at when I have it on. The back of the pack is the side against my back. The right side is on my right side, and the left on my left.)

The pack has two padded shoulder straps and an unpadded waist belt - each half of which is provided with a zippered compartment.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

From reading the instructions, I began to see how this little pack needs to be loaded up. I read about using my pad to act as a frame sheet and how the pad is an integral part of the suspension system. So I loosely rolled up my 36 inch (91 cm) pad and used the provided three straps to hold it against the inside of the back of the pack.

I saw the hydration port provided at the point where the right side of the pack meets the top of the back of the pack. It is overlapped like a little tent, presumably to make it harder for water to leak through the port when it is raining. The instructions say that internal water storage is provided to keep the water cool. I am more concerned about the possibility of water systems leaking, so I will often carry my water in an exterior pocket (as can be seen in the photo above.)

The instructions are a helpful reminder that heavy objects should be as close to the back of my pack as possible. This tends to limit the rearward pull of the straps on my shoulders.

The instructions carefully point out the care of materials in the pack. Nothing in those instructions prohibit the cleaning of the pack by hand washing with mild soap or detergent, which is how I will be cleaning the pack when it becomes soiled. There is a prohibition against drying the pack in a dryer.

TRYING IT OUT

I grabbed the camping gear which I have set out for a week-long section hike of the Appalachian Trail.

I put my waterproof silnylon bag into the pack and then loaded the bag as follows: I put my food bag in the bottom of the pack, with a hammock tarp next to it. Next up, I put my bag of extra clothing and my bag of pills and toiletries. At the top of the compartment I put my hammock and my quilt, each in their own stuff sacks.

Then I pulled the draw cord shut and covered the opening by fastening the five strap clips.

There is a roomy sack on top of pack. Into it I put my waterproof bucket rolled up with those things which absolutely must be kept dry. I also put my rain coat and my cup in that compartment.

There is a long mesh pocket on the left side of the pack and two short ones on the right side. Into the bottom short pocket I placed a half full Platypus bladder of water and into the right side I stuffed my alcohol fuel and my sandals.

I put the pack up on the scale and it reads 18 lb (8 kg.) When I take the sandals out, it weighs 16 lb (7 kg) - and that is with 2 days of food and several hours worth of water.

TESTING STRATEGY

Things I will be looking for during the testing phase include the following:
- Does the arrangement of the pack's compartments help me to find a more organized approach to packing?
- Is the pack rugged enough for many weeks and many miles of hiking?
- In rain, does water pool inside the bottom of the pack?
- Are there times when I would prefer to carry my water inside the pack instead of outside?
- How comfortable is the pack when hiking 15 mi (25 km) days?
- What are the best items to put in the pockets on the belt and in the top compartment?

SUMMARY

Things I really like so far:
- Very lightweight
- Nice way to organize my equipment
- Interesting way to close the pack and keep it water resistant

This report was created with the BGT Report Generator. Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.