Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > Six Moon Designs Starlite > Todd Martin > Initial Report

Initial Report - Six Moon Designs Starlite Ultralight Backpack

Other ultralight backpacks owned: GVP G4

Pack Overview:
The Six Moon Designs Starlite pack is geared towards ultralight backpackers who want more comfort and features than the formless sacks with shoulder straps that make up some of the lightweight pack market. When ordered the buyer can specify several options of the pack design including:
1) Choice of either 1/8” Spectra Gridstop or 420 denier pack cloth (the Spectra cloth is extra).
2) Choice of a no hip belt, webbing belt, padded hip belt harness or vest harness.
The specific pack configuration for this test features the padded hip belt harness and pack cloth construction.

Pack Features:
For gear storage, the pack has a single, undivided, main storage compartment topped with an extension collar and three external mesh pockets. The right mesh pocket (on the right as if you were wearing the pack), is about half as tall as the other two, presumably to provide easy access to frequently used items (camera or snacks perhaps) without removing the pack. The rear mesh pocket has a bungee cord crisscrossed on the outside which provides a bit of compression to the pack, but also allows additional items to be lashed to the back of the pack. Compression straps on each side of the pack are available to add rigidity to the load by keeping the contents firmly in place.

A few minor features include a hydration port in the upper right corner of the pack, just below this extension collar, through which you can feed a drinking tube (though there is no bladder pocket inside the pack) and an ice axe loop (which probably won't see much use in my case, living in the desert southwest). There are also two ladderlock buckles located on either side of the back pad, but I'm afraid I have no idea what purpose these serve.

The mouth of the pack is lined on either side by a strip of hook and loop fastener that runs the length of the opening. A mating pair of quick release buckles on either side of the mouth allow the pack to be rolled and closed like the top of a dry bag. Another cinch strap and buckle wraps around the top of the load to keep the roll from unraveling and to compress the load down.

The harness / hip belt assembly consists of padded and contoured shoulder straps, which are equipped with load lifters and removable sternum strap,  and a removable padded hip belt. The sternum strap is attached to the webbing of the shoulder strap with an acetal slider which the manufacturer has cut in the back to allow it to be removed. The cut does not appear to effect the ability of the slider to function in any way. The hip belt runs through a continuous channel at the base of the pack and is held in place with hook and loop fastener. The belt is 4 inches (10 cm) at its widest point and has cinch straps which allows the lower portion of the pack to be pulled close to the hiker's lower back. I have a 31 inch (79 cm) waist and find that I can tighten the hip belt securely around my hips with about 2 inches (5 cm) to spare. Hikers with less than a 29 inch (74 cm) waist may find that the hip belt is too large. The manufacturer indicates that the pack is sized for individuals with torso lengths between 18 - 24 inches (46 - 61 cm). With a torso length of 19 inches (48 cm) I am within the manufacturers recommended range and find that I can adjust the shoulder straps so that they lie right on top of my shoulders or slightly above (the way I prefer to carry my pack). My initial impression is that the pack provides a good fit for my body type.

In order to give the pack form and to transfer the load of the pack from the hikers shoulders to their hips, the Starlite features two types of suspension. The first is an integrated pad pocket which is basically a zippered compartment designed to firmly sandwich a sleeping pad between two layers of fabric. Because the pad is constricted it is less likely to slump, keeping the pack weight on your hips. The manufacturer indicates that many of the most popular commercially available pads are compatible with the pad pocket including ¾ and full length Therm-a-Rest pads and the ¾ length Z-Rest. The pad pocket is zippered on two sides and is constructed of DriGlide, a slightly elastic fabric. There is a small triangle of fabric which overlaps the upper right (if wearing the pack) corner of the pocket which holds the pad in place while your working with the zipper (a thoughtful feature, since it helps to have two hands free to zip the pocket up again, one to stretch the fabric so the teeth of the zipper are close to each other and the other to pull the zipper tab). Because the pad pocket is located externally to the main pack compartment, it allows access to the pad without disturbing the pack contents (such as during rest breaks). To get an idea of how the pad pocket worked I placed my ¾ length Z-Rest into the pocket and found that it fit perfectly. For inflatable pads, the manufacturer recommends deflating the pad before placing it into the pad pocket, and orienting it so the valve is positioned in the corner where the zippers meet. The pocket is then closed and the pad inflated to the desired firmness. I will be testing the pack with both a Therm-a-Rest and Z-Rest pad as part of this test series.

The second suspension option is a set of removable, contoured aluminum stays which provide rigid support when carrying heavier loads. The stays are contoured to fit the approximate shape of the hikers back and fit inside a webbing sleeve inside the pack body. The stays are held in place by a cover which is secured in place with hook and loop fastener, and are easily removed or replaced. The manufacturer recommends a carrying maximum pack weight of 30 lbs (14 kg) without the stays and 35 lbs (16 kg) with them.

Construction:
As mentioned earlier, the body of the pack for this test is made of 420 denier pack cloth. The extension collar is 1.9 oz silicone coated nylon, and DriGlide (a wicking and somewhat elastic fabric) is used for the pad pocket and harness / hip belt lining. All straps are made from ¾ inch (2 cm) flat webbing except for the hip belt which is 1½ inches (4 cm) wide. Most seams are sewn with a single line of straight stitching and taped (to prevent fraying). Bar tacks are used at a few key stress points, such as the webbing to which the upper shoulder strap assembly is attached. The quality of workmanship appears high throughout the pack.

Initial Impressions:
The Starlite pack conforms to my expectations and appears to be accurately depicted on the manufacturers web site. I did find, however, that the pack appears much more attractive in person than in the photos on the Six Moon Designs web site.

Test Plans and Concerns:
There are several features of the Starlite pack and harness systems that I would like to evaluate as part of my test plan.

Suspension:
The feature I am most curious about is the suspension system. When a manufacturer creates a light weight pack, usually the first thing to suffer is the suspension system. Several light weight packs currently on the market use a foam or inflatable sleeping pad as the frame for the pack; however, my experience is that a sleeping pad is not always sufficient to provide good pack support. In the case of my GVP G4 pack, a ¾ length Z-Rest is used. I have found with the G4 pack (particularly with the original design) that the Z-Rest simply does not have enough vertical strength to support weights in excess of 20 pounds (9 kg). When the pack is loaded, the Z-Rest buckles and the pack slumps, creating an uncomfortable fit and a pack that hangs from your shoulders. Since the Starlite pack also uses a sleeping pad for the suspension system, I would like to determine whether this system is secure enough to maintain its form up to the manufacturers suggested weight of 30 pounds (16 kg). I will also see if the integrated pad pocket adds additional vertical strength to a pad so that pack slump does not occur. As an owner of several different ypes of sleeping pads, I would like to examine the packs versatility in accepting different pad types (Z-Rest, ¾ length Ultralight Therm-a-Rest, full length Ultralight Therm-a-Rest) and whether there is a noticeable difference in performance/comfort with each. The pack will also be tested with (and without) the two aluminum stays to determine how they affect the suspension and whether they provide additional support to the pack. Finally, as someone who has difficulty finding clothes in my size (tall with a narrow waist, see torso and waist measurements above), I will determine whether the suspension system adjusts to snugly fit my torso length.

Comfort:
Obviously comfort while hiking is important; in fact it's the main reason I've moved to light weight gear in the first place. There are several aspects of comfort that I wish to test with the Starlite. Having been involved in a parachuting accident in 1992 that resulted in a fractured vertebra, I still experience some pain and discomfort when forced to carry weight on my shoulders and spine. For this reason it is important for me to have a pack which allows much of the weight to be carried by the hip belt. If selected to test this pack, I will examine the ability of the pack to transfer the load of the pack to the user's hips.

Another aspect of comfort that I plan to test is breathability. As stated above, my current GVP G4 pack uses a Z-Rest as the suspension system. The pad is carried in elastic keepers and lies directly against my back while hiking. Since closed cell foam is not breathable whatsoever, my back quickly becomes drenched with sweat as I hike. The Starlite claims to feature a "DriGlide back panel which combines low friction and moisture wicking properties". I plan to examine how well the pack breathes, and will have no trouble at all generating some sweat during the blazing heat of an AZ summer (or blazing heat of the AZ spring and fall for that matter).

Lastly, I plan to test the comfort of the padded hip belt and harness, and whether it can be cinched snugly around my 31 inch (79 cm) waist. I will also evaluate the ease of adjustment, and comfort of the overall ride.

Durability:
In order to attain weight savings, some light weight pack manufacturers use less durable materials in their design. In fact, the main reason I began sewing my own packs was so I could construct them from more robust fabrics. Experience proved that the sil-nylon and mesh construction of the commercial G4 pack was not hardy enough to withstand the sharp plants and rough rock found in the desert landscape. The Starlite features 420 denier pack cloth which the manufacturer claims is a cost effective alternative to the high strength 1/8" Spectra Gridstop used in other types of Six Moon Designs packs. I would like to determine if the pack cloth is rugged enough to withstand on and off trail hiking conditions found in a desert environment. It will come as no surprise to learn that many desert plants have sharp spines and thorns. I will see if these plants are prone to snagging on the external mesh of the pack and whether the mesh has sufficient strength to hold up to these plants.

Weather Resistance:
No backpack I've run across is made to be water tight. However, a bit of weather resistance is desirable in a pack. It allows your gear to stay dry under most conditions and prevents your pack weight from increasing due to added water weight. The Starlite pack claims to feature a "dry bag closer on the main compartment keeps your gear dry and contained". A closure system is only part of the solution to provide weather resistance (particularly if the fabric itself leaks like a sieve). I will also examine to what degree the 420 denier pack cloth fabric provides water repellency and weather resistance.

Other Features to Test:
The manufacturer recommends packing heavy items in the middle of the pack close to the users back. In the desert, typically the single heaviest item in the pack is water. Since a water bladder is difficult to store next to the users back without some sort of pocket to hold it in place, I would like to determine if the pack has a water bladder pocket.

Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > Six Moon Designs Starlite > Todd Martin > Initial Report