Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > Six Moon Designs Starlite > Andy Mytys > Initial Report

Six Moon Designs Starlite Backpack

Initial Review

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Six Moon Designs (http://www.sixmoondesigns.com) Item: Starlite Backpack Year of Manufacture: 2004 MSRP: $145 Size: Accommodates torsos from 18 to 24 inches (46 - 61 cm) and waists from approximately 30 to 50.5 inches (76cm to 128 cm). Listed Weight: 32 oz (907 g) Weight as Delivered: 30.1 oz (853 g), including:   . Pack, 21.8 oz (618 g)   . Back Stays, 4.9 oz (139 g)   . Padded Hip Belt, 3.4 oz (96 g) Rated Load Capacity: 35 lbs (16 kg) Rated Volume: 4100 cu/in (67 l):   . Main Bag, 2600 cu/in (42.6 l)   . Extension Collar, 450 cu/in (7.3l)   . Pad Pocket, 450 cu/in (7.3l)   . Left Mesh Pocket, 200 cu/in (3.2 l)   . Right Mesh Pocket, 120 cu/in (2 l)   . Front Mesh Pocket, 280 cu/in (4.5 l) Warranty: Lifetime, excluding abuse, damage due to prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light, product alteration, and normal wear and tear associated with usage.

Product Description:

The Six Moon Designs Starlite backpack is created with lightweight and ultralight hikers in mind - though it weighs a scant two pounds (0.9 kg), the Starlite is designed to comfortably carry up to 35 pounds (16 kg) and support the storage needs of outings extending beyond a week in duration. The Starlite incorporates features such as a full suspension system, adjustable torso sizing, and convenient external mesh pockets, amongst other attributes, in its quest to "strike the right balance between weight, durability, price, and features." The Starlite ships with an Owner's Manual that outlines the pack's features and highlights such topics as the suspension system and sleeping pads that are compatible with the Starlite, in addition to suggested methods to pack the Starlite, care and maintenance procedures, and product warranty information.

Designing the Perfect Pack:

The Starlite that I received for testing purposes is constructed of 420 denier pack cloth and has a padded hip belt and back stays installed. The pack can weigh anywhere from 21 to 34 oz (595 - 964 g) and range in price from $125 to $200. Customers can customize their pack by selecting from options such as 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) Spectra Gridstop pack cloth, back stays (included in my test pack), and one of three different harness configurations:

• Webbing Hip Belt - designed for use when carrying loads of 25 pounds (11 kg) or less, the webbing hip belt is the lightest of the harness options and is designed to provide for some weight transfer to the hips.
  
  
• Padded Hip Belt - designed for use when carrying loads up to 35 pounds (16 kg), the hip belt features 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) padding to cushion the hips.
  
  
• Vest Harness - instead of the typical shoulder strap and hip belt design, the vest harness incorporates the front half of a vest connected to each shoulder strap, and is designed to distribute the weight of the pack over the core of the wearer's body. Six Moon Designs claims that this design puts "no weight on your hips or shoulders." Unfortunately, the vest harness was not included in this test, so I will not be commenting on the effectiveness of this system. The "vest" also incorporates two large zippered mesh pockets and two smaller mesh Velcro pockets (100 cu/in or 1.6 l total), allowing for immediate access to items such as maps, snacks, camera, etc.

An Overview of the Starlite's Features:

The Starlite's suspension is surprisingly advanced considering the weight of the pack. It's a full-featured suspension, including all the trappings found on packs weighing three-times as much. Standard suspension components include contoured shoulder straps, a removable hip belt, sternum strap, delta straps, and load lifters. Additionally, two side compression straps and a center top compression strap to help keep the load rigid and stabilized are included in the design.

The Starlite is designed to enhance rigidity and transfer load to the hips via the use of an integrated sleeping pad pocket. This pocket is separate from the rest of the pack's storage areas and, with a pad stored inside, doubles as the pack's padding for the users back. The pad pocket is approximately 19.5 x 12 x 2 inches (50 x 30.5 x 5 cm) in size, and is designed to store a number of commonly found sleeping pads sold today. Personally, I have been able to fit a pre-2004 Therm-A-Rest Ultralight full length pad, a Cascade Designs Ridge Rest 3/4, and an Insul Mat Max-Thermo sleeping pad inside this area. The RidgeRest 3/4 barely squeezed in, and to close the zippers I had to physically hold the material together with one hand while I slowly pulled the zipper closed with the other. The inflating type pads I tried went in with room to spare, and I played around with partially inflating and folding the pads before stowing them, eventually getting the maximum amount of cushion out of the pad while avoiding putting undue stress on the zippered closure. I also attempted to fit a RidgeRest Deluxe Full Length pad into the pocket, but found the pad to be too substantial in volume to fit. Six Moon Designs claims that the Starlite's pad pocket can also accommodate a Cascade Designs Z-Rest, blue foam, and EVA foam pads... basically any closed cell pad that's up to 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) thick and 50 inches (127 cm) in length.

My test pack also shipped with two 24-inch (61 cm) stays, which were pre-bent to conform to the back's natural shape. The Starlite is the only sub 2-pound (< 907 g) pack that I know of in today's market that incorporates aluminum back stays in its design - most other packs either lack rigidity altogether, or use some sort of a flexible polyethylene framesheet in their construction. With the stays installed, the Starlite becomes a true internal frame pack. Users may find that a sleeping pad folded and stored in the pad pocket provides enough rigidity to transfer the pack's weight from the shoulders to the hips. Others may find the pack more comfortable when used with the optional stays.

Another feature that's scarce on such lightweight packs is that of real torso length adjustment. The Starlite has a set of daisy-chains that extend down from the top of the pack four inches (10 cm). The upper end of the shoulder straps mount onto any one of four positions, allowing for a custom fit to be realized. For example, I have a torso length that typically finds a size medium pack feeling awkwardly "short" on my torso, with large sized packs tending to have their bottoms resting on my butt. With the Starlite, I was able to get a "perfect" fit that I am, at this stage of my reporting, extremely happy with.

The image to the left illustrates how this torso fitting system works. At the tip of the shoulder strap there is a plastic clip. At the center of the clip is a small gap. This gap is used to slide the clip behind whichever section of the daisy-chain ladder the user has targeted. The image shows the clip with its right half behind the loop, and the left half over the loop. By taking in the material, the edge of the daisy-chain can be navigated through the gap in the clip, completing the installation.

Continuing with the external features of the pack, the Starlite has three external mesh pockets, with 600 cu/in (10 l) of combined storage space. There's a large front-facing pocket, measuring approximately 10 inches across by 13 inches high (25.5 x 33 cm), and two side pockets, one measuring 16 x 7.5 inches (40.5 x 19 cm) and the other measuring 9 x 7.5 inches (23 x 19 cm). Looking over these numbers carefully, it's clear that the right side mesh pocket is much shorter than the left side pocket. The reason for this, I believe, is to provide unobstructed access to one pocket. I've found that, while wearing the pack, I can reach into the right side pocket with my right hand and pull things out of it without ever removing the pack from my back. Most importantly, this action doesn't result in a feeling that my shoulder is about to become dislocated.

At the top is each mesh pocket is a hem with a length of elastic sewn inside. The elastic is stretched out to the width of the pocket before being sewn on, resulting in a finished design that has the pocket's top section constricting itself closed, giving a measure of security to the contents of the pocket. This is actually the fifth backpack I've owned that has incorporated such mesh pockets in its design, and I can confidently state that there's no way I'd consider purchasing a pack without them. Not only do the pockets allow for quick access to gear, but also their mesh construction allows for a place to dry wet items such as a tent fly, tarp, or clothes. Their utility just can't be underscored enough. What I really like about the Starlite's mesh pockets is that they have considerable depth to them, ensuring that, when the main bag is filled to capacity, there will still be room to stow gear in these pockets.

In terms of volume, the mesh pockets seem to swallow gear. In the right side pocket - the smallest of the three mesh pockets - I inserted a 32 oz (1 l) Nalgene wide-mouth bottle, a 16 oz (0.5 l) GSI lexan flask, and an 8 oz (0.25 l) fuel container. This experiment was done with the lower region of the main bag filled to capacity, having my Bearvault BV100 black bear resistant food canister set horizontally at the bottom of the pack, and the pocket still had room to spare - suffice it to say that these pockets can hold a LOT of gear. In general, my packing style has adjusted over the years to take full advantage of such pockets, and I now place items that I won't need quick or frequent access to in the main bag, reserving the outside mesh pockets for dirty, wet, and frequently accessed gear. This translates into hats, gloves, snacks, tarps, stakes, ground sheets, rain gear, first aid kit, and toiletries all being stored on the outside of the pack, with my food, water, cook kit, spare clothes, and sleeping pad being stored inside the pack itself.

Connected over the top of the front mesh pocket is a length of shock-cord laced and crossed over itself. A cordlock is installed along the shock-cord so that its length can easily be adjusted. This system provides compression to items stored in the front-facing mesh pocket, and could also be used to wedge items down to the outside of the pocket. The Starlite also has a single ice axe loop and a haul loop attached to its outside, in addition to a hydration port that lines up with the wearer's right shoulder. The hydration port is simply an opening to the inside of the pack that can be used to pass a drinking tube through it, giving the user access to water stored inside the pack. The slot is large enough to accommodate an insulated foam cover around a drinking tube, and it has a length of material over it that effectively protects the opening from the rain.

The main bag (2600 cu/in or 42.6 l) of the Starlite is top loading, with a generous extension skirt over it allowing for plenty (450 cu/in or 7.3l) of spillover storage. The top of the extension collar closes with the aid of a length of Velcro across almost its entire width, creating a solid seal. Attached at the top of the closure are two small pull-tabs that are designed for use as leverage when opening the main bag. Once opened, the extension collar can easily be turned inside out and folded down along the outside of the pack. This allows a lot of light to enter the pack, and as a result I find it very easy to find things inside. The Starlite's extension collar doubles as a dry bag closure. Once the Velcro has been secured, the top should be rolled over a few times and the two ends of the collar secured together using the integrated quick-release buckle.

I'd also like to mention the fact that the entire harness system is removable - the hip belt and shoulder straps can be completely disconnected from the pack. This allows loose straps to be kept inside the pack while traveling, minimizing the chances of having them catch inside overhead cargo bins and the like.

Materials and Construction:

The Starlite received for testing has its main bag constructed of 420 denier pack cloth. As mentioned above, there is a 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) Spectra Gridstop pack cloth option available, which shaves three oz (85 g) off of the pack's weight. The extension collar is made of 1.9 oz silicone coated nylon. The material used on the inside of the pad pocket is 210 denier coated nylon, with the outside of the pad pocket - the part the wearer's back comes into contact with - and the inside of the hip belt covered in a DriGlide material that's designed to keep the wearer cool and comfortable in hot climates.

In terms of construction, I found a few irregularities upon casual inspection.

• The seam along the inside of the shoulder strap does not catch the material covering the inner padding in all areas around its perimeter. The result is that the inner padding is exposed in one small area. My concern is that, over time, stress along this material will case it to rip down the seam, further increasing the padding's exposure. I will be contacting Six Moon Designs and inquiring about the possibility of having a replacement shoulder strap sent to me.
  
  
• The pull-tabs on the extension collar are made of small loops of nylon. One pull-tab has both of its ends secured between the Velcro and the collar material it's sewed to, protecting any loose ends. The other pull-tab has one of its ends sewn under the Velcro, and the other sewn to the outside of the extension collar, exposing its ends. The image, above, displays how one tab is protected and the other tab, with the exposed end, has already had its material begin to fray.
  
  
• The Starlite uses quick-release buckles to secure the ends of the sternum strap, the top compression strap, and the extension collar's dry bag style closure. Two of the quick-release buckles can lock together with their respective parts connecting in any direction - that is to say that there's no pre-defined "top" or "bottom" to the male and female segments, and they can join in opposing directions and still lock securely. The buckle used for the dry bag closure does not work in this way, however, and more often than not, chance is working against me and I'm finding myself having to flip one buckle around in order to form a secure connection. Based on my past exposure to such devices, I feel this is simply a defective part.

Six Moon Designs Starlite Website Feedback:

I found the Starlite website gave a clear representation of the pack and its features. Weeks after my initial discovery of the pack, however, I found myself reviewing a hardcopy of the Starlite's base information, and comparing it with printouts describing competing packs on the market. I had to go back to the Six Moon Designs site in order to answer questions with respect to weight and volume, as this information was not supplied on the main page. Adding them to the base page would provide a complete picture of the Starlite's basic specifications.

Test Plan:

The Starlite will be my primary backpack used over the course of the next six months. I will travel with it both as a casual tourist and as a backpacker. I plan to test all facets of this pack, and look forward to analyzing how its features, particularly the suspension, perform throughout the test cycle. I also like a pack that I can put on and forget about - I don't like to constantly have to fidget with straps while I hike in order to be comfortable carrying my load. While I will test the pack from the perspective of a lightweight hiker, I will also expect it to accommodate a wide range of gear and load. Venturing into the backcountry with my wife and dog will definitely increase my load to a point that will test the upper limits of the Starlite's rated load capacity.

Having had a week to kick around the pack a little, there are a few additional characteristics that I will be evaluating:

• How effective is the compression system at maintaining a rigid and well balanced load?
  
  
• How well do various sleeping pads placed into the pad pocket perform, in terms of enhancing the natural rigidity of the pack, effectively transferring load to the hips, and providing adequate padding to the user's back?
  
  
• How effective is the dry bag closure at keeping the main compartment's contents dry?
  
  
• What noticeable changes in comfort does the DriGlide back material give to the user during excessively hot conditions?
  
  
• How well does the pad pocket's zipper function over the course of the test period, particularly after being exposed to sandy or muddy areas of trail?
  
  
• At what weights do I feel that stays need to be installed into the Starlite in order to maintain a comfortable backpacking experience? Is the weight at which stays are preferable constant, or do additional factors, such as the selection of pad stored in the pad pocket, the distribution of load within the pack, or the types of items stored in the pack, factor into the equation?

I'm also interested in reporting on the removable harness, as it pertains to the traveler.

Lastly, ease of maintenance and durability will be evaluated.

Personal Biographical Information:

Reviewer: Andrew Mytys Email: amytys (at) backpacker (dot) com Homepage: Andy's Lightweight Backpacking Site Location: Michigan Age: 33 Gender: Male Height: 6'1" (183 cm) Torso Length: 21" (53 cm) Waist Size: 34.5" (88 cm) Weight: 165 lbs (75 kg)

     Backpacking Background:

I live in Michigan and have been hiking seriously for 15 years, although I've camped since I was 6 years old. I consider myself a lightweight hiker. I carry the lightest gear I can get my hands on which will provide a comfortable wilderness experience and adequately support the goals of my trip. Unless my goals are time/distance oriented, my pace is always slow. I rarely exceed 1.5 miles (2.4 km)/hour. I rest frequently, hike long days, and enjoy whatever nature throws my way.

Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > Six Moon Designs Starlite > Andy Mytys > Initial Report