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SIX MOON DESIGNS
STARLITE
PACK - FIELD REPORT
Background
Information:
Name: Karen Ross
Age:
24
Gender: Female
Height: 5'0" (1.5 m)
Weight: 103 lb (47
kg)
Email address: karen ross AT tufts DOT
edu
City, State, Country:
Metropolitan
Boston area, MA
Date: May 19, 2004
Backpacking Background
I have been hiking and camping for as long as I can remember. I'm
an avid
runner and day hiker, ski occasionally, kayak, car camp, and generally
like to
spend as much time outdoors as possible. I've spent time hiking
and
orienteering with scout groups, as well as while doing my military
service in Israel.
I travel frequently and try to use every opportunity to explore. I
started
backpacking a few years ago and my trips have been mostly limited so
far to
shorter ones, although I’m slowly working my way up to longer trips
(including
trail maintenance work). Being small, I tend toward lightweight
gear,
although I’m not one to hit the digital scales with every item – it’s
more of a
philosophy than a science for me. I like to think of my style as
light,
but not without a couple luxuries.
Product Description
Manufacturer: Six Moon
Designs.
Manufacturer website: www.sixmoondesigns.com
Year of manufacture: 2004
Configuration: 420 Dernier Pack Cloth, padded hip belt
Listed weight (without stays): 27 oz (765 g)
Received weight (without stays): 24.8 oz (703 g)
Listed weight (with stays): 32 oz (907 g)
Measured weight (with stays): 28.8 oz (816 g)
Capacity: 4100 c.i. (67 L), 2600 c.i. (42.6 L) in the main bag
Size: Adjustable torso length from 18 to 24 in (46 to 61 cm)
Color: Dark Green
MSRP (based on configuration): $145.00
Selected Features (from the website):
- Zippered Pad Case on the back of the
pack allows your sleeping pad to work for you both day and night. The
zipper allows quick access to remove the pad for use during breaks
without unpacking your pack. The case is sized to accommodate a variety
of pads, including: Z Rest or Therm-a-Rest
- Advanced Suspension System keeps your
sleeping pad rigid, thus allowing it to transfer weight off your
shoulders and onto your hips.
- Three exterior mesh pockets for quick
access to gear.
- Contoured Cut of pack conforms to the
shape of your back providing a more comfortable carry.
- Choice of fabrics gives you the option
of selecting the right combination of weight, strength and cost to fit
your needs. High strength 1/8” Spectra Gridstop provides the greatest
strength to weight ration of any pack cloth used today. Also available
is a 420 Denier pack cloth to provide a cost effective pack.
- Removable Harness allows complete
flexibility in configuring the pack to suit your needs. When traveling
on planes, buses or trains, simply remove the harness altogether. This
keeps your straps from getting hung up.
- Two Stay pockets allow easy upgrade of
pack to a full internal frame pack with the addition of two 24"(61 cm)
stays.
Additional Product Information:
I received the Starlite Pack in 420 Dernier pack cloth and with a
padded hip
belt. The pack is a handsome dark green, not too conspicuous (in
my
opinion), but easy enough for my young eyes to spot in the dusk.
The
three mesh pockets are huge, and in addition to the storage space they
provide,
the pack is equipped with a bungee cord (placed strategically over the
front
mesh pocket) which allows the user to cinch the pack down and reduce
pack
volume considerably. The Starlite is also equipped with an
extension
collar which can be filled to capacity or folded down in order to close
the
pack. For a full description of the pack, see my Initial Report.
Field Testing:
Testing Conditions:
Over the past two months, the Starlite has functioned primarily as
a
day pack. Due to the extended winter, I've done less hiking than
I would
like to; nevertheless, I've been able to get out and about a number of
times
since receiving the Starlite. Most of the hikes took place near
my home,
with elevations under 1500 feet (457 meters) and in temperatures
ranging from
30-70 F (-1 - 21 C). When day hiking, I used the Starlite without
the
aluminum stays.
The Starlite also accompanied me on a 3-day backpacking trip in the
Palisades
Park System in New York. Temperatures on just that trip ranged
from 30 to
70 F (-1 to 21 C), and elevation gains ran up to 3500 feet (1067
meters).
On this trip the pack was full, and I inserted the aluminum stays for
the
duration of the hike.
Finally, I've been using the Starlite to carry laundry to and from the
laundromat around the corner. This has been done both with and
without
the aluminum stays inserted; mostly I've been doing this to get a sense
of how
the pack feels loaded up or, alternately, only half full. I've
done
several loads of laundry since the Starlite arrived, and the poor pack
has had
more than its share of dirty hiking clothes stuffed inside it.
Testing observations:
I used the Starlite on several day hikes near my home in
Boston and while visiting family in New York.
On all trips, the pack was packed with the bare minimum needed
for a day
hike: extra layers, food, a first aid kit, water, etc. Because I tend
to carry
very little on day hikes, I found that the Starlite was overkill for
these
trips. Even used without the aluminum stays and with the
compression straps
cinched down, there was slightly too much room in the Starlite. Thus, my gear bounced around quite a
bit. On the other hand, the lightness of
the pack and my ability to cinch it down further with the bungee cord
meant
that it was very comfortable to wear. I
don’t think I will continue to use the Starlite for day hiking, however
– it is
simply too large a pack for my day hiking needs.
On the backpacking trip, however, the Starlite was
full. My sleeping bag
was placed at the bottom of the pack. Above it (in order) were my
clothing
stuff sack, kitchen/bear bag, tent body and fly, and a small stuff sack
containing first aid supplies and assorted small items. I was
using a
Platypus 1L (34 oz.) water bladder as well as a Nalgene 1L (34 oz.)
water
bottle; the Platypus was placed inside the Starlite with the hose
coming
through the hydration opening in the pack. My Nalgene as well as
maps and
guide book were placed in the left pocket of the Starlite. In the
right-hand
pocket I placed my fuel bottle and snacks for the day. A fleece
and rain
jacket were placed in the middle pocket. I was using a Thermarest
Ultralite 3/4 sleeping pad, which I deflated, folded into quarters, and
placed
in the pad compartment. I then zipped the pad case shut, leaving
a small
opening for the nozzle of the pad. After loading the rest of my
pack, I
opened the nozzle of the sleeping pad to allow for it to inflate a bit
(thus
providing more back padding), then closed the nozzle and zipped the pad
case
shut entirely.
I would estimate that I was using approximately 3
inches (7.6 cm) of the
Starlite’s extension collar. Once the
pack was full, I purged excess air from the remainder of the extension
collar,
pinched shut the hook and loop closure, folded the excess extension
collar
material over and clipped shut the buckle.
This way the pack had no extra room, allowing for a sturdier
carry.
Sure enough, carrying the Starlite – even as full as it was
– was a breeze. I had attempted to make
sure anything I might need during the day was stashed in one of the
exterior
pockets rather than inside the pack: although it was a bit difficult to
reach
into the pockets for snacks, maps, etc., I found this infinitely
preferable to
stopping, removing the pack, opening it and digging around for whatever
item
was necessary every time I wanted a bite to eat or needed to check my
location.
The one problem I had with the pack
while wearing it on this
trip was using the hydration bladder.
The port on the pack has a rather small diameter, thus the clip
provided with the hydration bladder did not fit through the port and
ended up
on the inside of the pack. As a result,
the hydration tube kept slipping further and further out of the pack,
so that
several miles into my hike each day a long, snake-like tube would be
extending
out of the Starlite. This wasn’t
problematic as far as drinking from the hydration bladder was
concerned. However,
it was inconvenient in terms of having to push the tube back into the
pack
periodically. Next time I will try to
find a way to place the clip on the outside of the hydration port so
that I can
clip the tube to the pack and prevent it from sliding out.
The Starlite proved fairly comfortable on this
3-day
trip. I’m not quite sure how much it
weighed; although the pack was full, most of my gear is fairly
lightweight, and
I was sharing several items with my hiking partner, which kept the
weight
down. In any case, the Starlite sat
comfortably on my back at first. The hip
belt was cinched tight and I wore the sternum strap as well.
Nonetheless, after
a while my shoulders began to hurt, as though the weight was not being
transferred properly to my hips. I
wonder if my torso really might be a bit too short for this pack:
despite doing
everything possible to make it fit, including adjusting the load lifter
straps
periodically, by the end of the day my shoulders really hurt. This is a problem I’ve had with other packs
as well, which makes me wonder if it is the pack that’s the problem or
possibly
just how I wear it.
Other than the shoulder issue, however, I was very
comfortable wearing the pack for the duration of this three-day trip. The hip belt sat comfortably, and the
DriGlide material on the sleeping pad case (as well as the gorgeous
weather)
ensured that my back stayed nice and dry.
I also discovered that the Starlite is really well suited to
someone my
size – previously I was using a significantly larger pack which
extended up to
and occasionally over my head when full.
The Starlite is large enough to accommodate my packing
needs. However,
it is short enough that I can easily move my head back and forth while
wearing
it (even when using part of the extension collar).
Although I was comfortable, I’m not sure about the durability of the
pack itself. Upon inspection at the end of the hike, I found that
the seams at the point
where the shoulder straps attach to the pack looked a little loose. The straps are still securely attached, but
the stitches look as though they are beginning to come out. This is a bit disturbing: after all, other
than a few day hikes and laundry trips, this backpacking trip was the
first
true test of the Starlite.
Continued Testing:
I will be leaving for South Africa shortly to spend the
summer working there, and the Starlite will be coming with me. I intend to use it as luggage on the trip
over as well as my main pack while traveling and hiking in South Africa
(which
I intend to do as much as possible of).
The trip will allow me to test the Starlite’s performance as
airline
luggage when the harness is removed.
Furthermore, I will be closely inspecting the shoulder straps to
see how
they hold up over the next six months of testing.
Read more reviews of Six Moon Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Karen Ross
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