Six Moon Designs
Essence Pack
TEST SERIES BY RICK ALLNUTT
LONG-TERM REPORT
August 22, 2006

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TESTER INFORMATION

NAME:	Rick Allnutt
EMAIL:	rick@backpackgeartest.org
AGE:	53
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

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FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

The main use the pack received in the Field Test period was a week long, 100-mile section hike of the Appalachian Trail in Southern Pennsylvania. This hike included 5 nights and 6 days of hiking in mild April weather. Most days were sunny, however we did have three episodes of rain that lasted several hours each. Temperatures ranged from a little below freezing to about 60 F (15 C) - tee shirt weather. Altitudes were consistent with the northern Appalachians and ranged from river valleys to about 4500 ft (1400 m).

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

I packed the bag as described in the initial report with a couple exceptions. Because it was frequently cold, I carried a waterproof jacket. This was sometimes packed in the main compartment, but often was pushed between the front flap and the pack body. The clips held it firmly in this position and stuffing the coat in this location kept me from having to open the pack when the weather became warmer as a hiking morning progressed.

I found that it was much more useful to put my two-liter Platypus (2 quarts) in the longer mesh pocket on the other side of the pack from the two small pockets which are visible in the photo accompanying the report.

The folded pad in the pack has worked well to stiffen the pack. I have noticed a tendency for the pad to ride upward and over the pack's contents, but this has not made the pack less comfortable. It is not something that I would notice except that at the end of the day, the folded ends of the pad have usually worked themselves to the top front of the main compartment and the pad is an upside-down L shape when viewed from the side.

Midway through the walk I began to carry a package of GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts) in one of the two compartments in the waist belt. I carried my camera/cell phone in the other.

I found it reasonably easy to open the compartments, but that it was easier to do this with two hands than with one. When I tried to open or close the compartment with one hand, the zipper pull folded the cloth instead of unzipping the zipper. But getting the second hand over to the zipper was somewhat awkward because it is so far over on my hip. I think this might end up being easier if I attach a small cord to each of the zipper pulls.

This pack is more comfortable than other packs I have carried as the day becomes long. I believe this is due to the weight being carried closer to my center of gravity, with less pull backwards by the top of the pack's straps. In addition, the hip straps give me options for carrying weight on my hips instead of my shoulders. Even with a very light pack, I have found the hip straps are useful when hiking for more than 10 hours a day. Because of these factors, at the end of a long hiking day I find myself more refreshed carrying the Essence than I might otherwise expect with other ultralight packs I have used.

SUMMARY

Here is the field test set of results thus far:
- Does the arrangement of the pack's compartments help me to find a more organized approach to packing? It is easier to get to each of the stuff sacks in my pack with an opening more in the middle of the pack instead of the top.
- Is the pack rugged enough for many weeks and many miles of hiking? After a week, it is going strong.
- In rain, does water pool inside the bottom of the pack? (I put all the contents inside a silnylon stuff sack, but there was no accumulation of water outside the stuff sack after several hours walking in the rain.
- Are there times when I would prefer to carry my water inside the pack instead of outside? -I have not found any such time yet.
- How comfortable is the pack when hiking 15 mi (25 km) days? -Very, Very Comfortable. This pack pulls back on my shoulders less than other packs.
- What are the best items to put in the pockets on the belt and in the top compartment? -camera and food

TESTING STRATEGY

The next two months will allow a considerable durability test. I should get a total of 400 miles and 4 weeks of hiking in during that period. I will continue to use the pack for all my hiking during the interim.

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LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

The pack was set up for the "100-Mile Wilderness" along the Maine Appalachian Trail. I carried it for a day and a half, including a wild night of thunderstorms. The conditions included rain, drizzle, and wet understory vegetation. Temperatures were mild shirt sleeve weather and altitude was very moderate. Unfortunately, the trip was cut short by an injury and I had to return to my home. The injury precluded any further testing during the long term test period. In addition to carrying the pack while backpacking, I carried it while riding a motorcycle from one end of the wilderness to the other and then back for a round trip of 180 mi (290 km).

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

This is a very satisfying pack to carry a lightweight backpacking load. I loaded the pack with 6 days of food and measured its weight. It was just an ounce under 20 lb (9 kg). The pack felt good against my back on the "heavy day" before any of the food had been consumed.

I was glad to have the additional silnylon stuff sack in the pack. By the time I reached my campsite I had ridden a motorcycle in a downpour for an hour and then walked for 4 hours in the rain. There was a small amount of wetness that had managed to get into the space between the pack and the liner. Without the liner I would have been more concerned about my down sleeping bag and hammock insulation.

Unfortunately, only about 4 miles into the second day of the trip, I fell down a very slick 8 foot boulder and twisted my leg until my fibula broke. That was the end of the hike except for the thrill of walking out of the woods for about 5 miles. I was glad that the pack was light and that it felt comfortable.

Owing to the injury, the planned two weeks of hiking was cut short.

SUMMARY

A great pack for ultralight and lighweight hiking. It performs well up to a tested 20 lb (9 kg) load. This pack has become my favorite pack for three season camping. A great design with no flaws.

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