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: March 14, 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.

Arrival
The Starlite arrived via USPS in a plain brown box. Several days previously I received a tracking email from USPS, sent when the package was shipped from Six Moon Designs, so I knew to expect it. Inside the box was the Starlite pack, to which was attached a small booklet describing the pack's features, care, warranty, sleeping pads compatible with the pack, and information on adjusting the harness and loading the pack. Also included in the box was a packing slip/sales receipt.

Product Description
Upon receiving the pack I immediately set out to inspect it thoroughly. The bag seemed somewhat small to me for one that has a volume of 4100 c.i. (67 L). After loosening the bungee cord and side compression straps, though, I realized that my impression was just a manifestation of the bag's versatility - with the compression straps cinched tight and the bungee cord cinched, it almost is small enough to pass for a day pack!

Amazed, I decided to measure the pack to check the dimensions:
- Height: 23 in(58 cm) (with another 11 in (28 cm) of height added using the extension collar)
- Width: 13 in (33 cm) at the bottom of the pack, 12 in (30.5 cm) at the top
- Depth: 10 in (25 cm) with sleeping pad inserted and with compression straps completely loosened

The Starlite pack has three outside mesh pockets, with dimensions as follows (pack as viewed facing the back, i.e. shoulder straps out of sight):
- Front pocket: 13 in (33cm) high x 12 in (30.5 cm) wide
- Left pocket: 15 in (38 cm) high x 10 in (25 cm) deep
- Right pocket: 10 in (25 cm) high x 10 in (25 cm) deep

The Starlite as I received it is made from a very elegant, dark green-colored 420 Dernier pack cloth (this is the heavier and cheaper of the two fabric options listed for the pack - the other option being 1/8" (.3 cm) Spectra Gridstop). The extension collar is made of black 1.9 oz silicon coated nylon; the mesh used for the three outside pockets and the zippered pad pocket (including the DriGlide Back Material) is also black. The pack's hip belt, straps, and all buckles are all black. Providing a bit of color is the Six Moon Designs logo, embroidered in yellow just under the front mesh pocket. The webbing used on various straps and buckles on the pack is all 0.75 in (2 cm) wide, except the webbing on the hip belt and attaching the shoulder straps, which is 1.5 in (4 cm) wide.

Six Moon Designs clearly put a lot of thought into the use of this pack, and its details reflect the thought investment. In addition to the two side compression straps, the Starlite is equipped with a bungee cord placed strategically over the front mesh pocket, so that one can cinch the bag down and reduce its volume capacity in more ways than one. The extension collar extends upwards from the main body of the pack and ends in a Dry Bag hook and loop closure and buckle. Personally, I think this is a great feature. On other bags I have used, the extension collar must be extended all the way or not at all - the way the Starlite is constructed, however, allows one to fill the collar as needed, purge excess air from the bag, pinch the hook and loop closure together, and then fold down all excess material before closing the buckle.

Approximately 3 in (8 cm) below the bottom edge of the extension collar are two compression straps, one on each side of the Starlite pack, and an additional third strap and buckle located in the middle-front of the pack. This buckle serves as a compression/closure strap for the top of the pack, attaching to the back of the Starlite immediately above the haul loop.

At the bottom of the pack is another loop, this one for ice picks or possibly hiking poles. Additionally, located on the outer side of each of the side mesh pockets, approximately 8 in (20 cm) from the bottom of the pack, are two black plastic 'tie down' buckles large enough to hold 0.75 (2 cm) inch webbing straps.

On the front (i.e. making contact with the wearer's back) of the Starlite pack is a big black rectangle. This is the zippered pad case, 20 in (51 cm) high x 10 in (25 cm) wide, which extends all the way down to the bottom of the pack. The outer part of the pad case is made out of black DriGlide material; the interior is made of black 210 Dernier coated nylon. The pad case uses two zippers (each with pull tabs): one across the top of the pad case, the other along the left side. Over the left upper corner of the pad pocket is an additional triangle of material which, after some thinking, I realized is there to cover the zippers when the pad case is closed and prevent discomfort for the wearer. (See, I said a lot of thought was put into this!). At the very top back corner of the pack is another extra triangle of material, made of the green Dernier pack cloth and reinforced with black. This material covers the pack's hydration port.

I received the Starlite with the padded hip belt, which consists of two 1.5 in (4 cm) webbing straps attached to padded wings just under 4 in (10 cm) high. The padded wings are actually one piece of material running across the bottom of the zippered pad case (under the DriGlide material) and attached to the pack with a hook and loop closure. This allows for removal of the padded hip belt in situations where pack weight is light and it is unnecessary.
Running along the back interior of the Starlite are two 1 in wide black stay pockets in which one can place the included aluminum stays (.5 in (1 cm) wide each). These stay pockets close using a hook and loop closure so as to prevent the stays from sliding out of the pockets.

The Starlite is advertised as having an adjustable torso length, from 18 to 24 in (46 to 61 cm). Being small (with an 18 in (46 cm) torso), I have no need to make the adjustment. However, I was curious as to how this adjustment is made, since at first glance I didn't see anything that intuitively struck me as, "Ahhh! This is how I adjust the torso!" A quick glance at the booklet provided with the Starlite pack helped me out. According to the booklet, "The shoulder straps...are attached to the upper portion of the pack with some clips. These clips have a center groove that allows them to be removed from the webbing connector. Slide the clip so the groove is at the edge of the webbing then slip the webbing through the groove."

Sure enough, once I figured out where to look, I immediately understood what this meant. The clips attaching the shoulder straps connect to a 1.5 in (4 cm) webbing connector located just inward from the load lifter straps on the pack. This webbing is attached to the back of the pack from the bottom of the extension collar to the top of the zippered pad case at 1-in intervals, so that it looks almost like a daisy chain. The clip attaching the shoulder strap can be moved up and down this 'daisy chain' at the same 1-in intervals. After a few unsuccessful attempts, I finally was able to remove the clip. Slipping the clip back into place took a few tries as well, but after a minute or two I was able to slide the webbing through the groove in the clip. The difficulty in removing/reinserting the clip is a good thing, in my opinion - it prevents the shoulder straps from being removed from the pack too easily.

Initial Impressions
After spending several awed minutes inspecting the pack, I put it on to see how it fit. Torso length was fine, and I was thrilled that the pack did not extend high enough to block head movement (a problem I've definitely had with other packs I've used). I dragged out my Therm-a-Rest® 3/4 pad and, after looking at it and the pad case in confusion for a bit, decided that the best way to place it in the pack would be by folding it into thirds...Nope, that didn't work. Folding it into fourths worked much better.

Sleeping pad inserted, it was time to gear up for some testing! Coincidentally, it was laundry time...so I loaded the Starlite up with (dirty) clothes and headed over to the laundromat. The pack felt great! Granted, laundry makes for a light load; however, I was testing for general comfort rather than anything else (testing with a full pack will come during field and long term testing.)

In any case, my first impressions of the pack are very favorable. It was snowing when I left my apartment with the laundry - a good chance to see how well the Dry Bag closure worked. In the 10 minutes or so of walking I did, no snow managed to get in the bag. Even more impressive, I noticed that the snow just beaded up on the pack itself -nice! Six Moon Designs didn't say anything about a DWR (durable water resistant) finish on the pack cloth.

After putting my laundry in the machines I headed over to the post office to weigh the pack. The Starlite was still on my back (empty). I cinched the bungee cord and the compression straps and was pleased to see that cinched up, even with the aluminum stays in, the pack is small enough that I can probably use it as a day pack. When I took the aluminum stays out at the post office I realized that it can be cinched even smaller. Great! I'm looking forward to testing the Starlite in all its configurations.

Testing Plan
I will be using the Starlite pack throughout the testing period, on day hikes as well as weekend and (hopefully) extended trips. Among the questions I hope to answer over the next six months are:

- How well does my gear fit in this pack, which is significantly smaller than my previous frame pack?
- How much should the sleeping pad be inflated/deflated to provide maximum comfort when wearing the pack for extended time periods? Does this change based on pack weight?
- At what weight does the frameless pack become uncomfortable and require insertion of the aluminum stays?
- Does the DriGlide back material keep me comfortable when it's hot and sweaty?

I have several trips planned for this spring and will also be using the pack regularly this summer working in Sub-Saharan Africa (which will give me a GREAT opportunity to test the DriGlide material!!).

Initial Likes/Dislikes
So far the Six Moon Designs Starlite pack seems like an excellent and versatile as well as lightweight pack. It seems well made and well-suited for its purposes. Nothing to dislike so far.

Read more reviews of Six Moon Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Karen Ross

Initial Report

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