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Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Kelty Moraine Pack > Owner Review by C ONeillOwner Review - Kelty Moraine backpack Cory O’Neill April 25, 2006
Biographical Information
Name: Cory O’Neill Email address: cory.oneill@redmond.k12.or.us City, State, Country: Redmond, Oregon, USA
Backpacking Background In high school I was an adventure leader in the Sierras. I also spent time each summer traveling large sections of the PCT in Oregon and California. In college, I spent several weeks each year on the trail with my wife. The birth of my son in 2001 challenged me to lighten up, dramatically. Since then, our family has logged three to four trips per summer, varying in length from 2 to 8 nights, in the wildernesses of Washington, Oregon and California. As my kids grow, I continue to search for the lightest possible family backpacking gear and techniques.
Product Information Manufacturer: Kelty (www.kelty.com)
Year of manufacture: circa 1994 Measured volume (Medium): 2200 cu in (36 L) (packing peanut method) Product description: Lightweight internal frame summit pack/backpack MSRP: na
Product Description I purchased the Kelty Moraine for my wife for her over-seas traveling during college. At the time, the pack was considered fairly lightweight, and was designed for day hikes and summit climbs. The pack body is sewn from a medium weight coated broccoli colored Cordura packcloth, with 500 Denier Cordura used for reinforcement of the hipbelt and the base. Despite the coating on the material, the pack is not particularly water resistant. The main pack compartment is accessed through the top, with a single drawstring closure. There are no other openings for access to the main compartment. The lid of the pack has a top pocket with a one way half-moon zipper access. Vertical compression is provided by two straps attached to the front of the lid and near the bottom of the pack. Two side pockets run approximately half the length of the body, and are sewn in a way that provides sleeves for skis. Compression straps above and below these side pockets allow me to attach skis or other longer objects (poles, etc) securely to the main pack body. A final pocket on the front of the pack provides quick access to items that will not fit in the top pocket, such as a water filter or pack rain cover. I measured the approximate volume of the pack as follows:
An ice axe loop centered on the front of the pack, a plastic strap patch centered on the front pocket, and two shortened daisy-chains near the base of the pack provide excellent attachment points for winter gear. The frame of the pack consists of two solid 5/8 inch (1.6 cm) wide aluminum stays spaced seven inches apart. Sleeves for the stays are stitched directly to the inner wall of the pack, and the stays are removable. No framesheet is provided for additional support, but the molded back panel contains padding with ribbed cutouts that allow for better air circulation that a continuous pad. (It looks like an Abs-of-Steel eight-pack!). Three-quarter inch (1.9 cm) thick molded padding is also provided on the inner part of the sewn-in hipbelt, while the outer layer is stiffer. This design provides some amount of load transfer to the outer hip. Load control straps from the bottom of the pack to the center of each hipbelt provide fit adjustment, and give some control over the hip pivot of the pack. The shoulder straps are attached directly to the packbag, at the top of the main compartment. The straps are 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) wide and 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick. Nylon webbing is bar tacked along the top of each strap, and triple bar tacked to the packbag in addition to the actual shoulder strap material. A sternum strap of half-inch nylon webbing completes the suspension system.
Front of the Kelty Moraine
Back of Kelty Moraine
Close-up of side pocket with ski sleeve
Field Use My wife used the pack continuously for almost 4 months as she traveled in Ecuador. During that time, the pack was subject to multiple abuses on buses, trains, planes, and bikes. When she returned, she resorted to using a larger external frame pack for our trips, and the Kelty was buried in the closet. Five years ago, when I suddenly became “enlightened”, I dug out the pack, and set a goal of making it the pack of choice for week-long trips (with no kids!). At the time, the pack showed less than expected wear, and the only repair I made was to stitch a small one-inch (2.5 cm) tear where the top pocket had been pulled way from the main compartment. Inspired by Ray Jardine and the Backpackinglight crowd, I pulled the stays out of the pack, and used my Therm-a-Rest (inflatable) as the frame. Once opened and inflated inside, the mattress seemed to provide reasonable support. I stuffed my sleeping bag, clothing, and cooking supplies inside, at which point I promptly ran out of room. My five pound (!) (2.3 kg) North Face bag, Solstice parka, and four quart (3.8 L) pot literally filled the main compartment. Undeterred, I strapped my tent to one side using the compression straps, placed my remaining equipment in the top and front pouches, and my water bottle in the uncompressed side pocket. At this point, every possible space was used, and I was still without food. So, I did what every avid backpacker-convert-to-wannabe-a-super-mega-ultralite does: I went shopping. And I got into homegrown equipment the Ray-Way. Since that summer, I have used the pack for everything from backpacking trips to adventure races. I have taken the pack off trail and on trail, for 1 to 6 days, with loads ranging from 15 to 33.6 pounds (6.8 to 15.2 kg). Last summer, I put the pack through a thorough test during two different experiences. The first was a one-day adventure race through Central Oregon. During this event, I loaded the pack with about 24 pounds (10.9 kg) of gear, including biking shoes, food, clothing, climbing gear, spare bicycle parts, a 2 liter Camelbak reservoir, and two 1 liter Aquafina bottles. During the 13 hour race, I frequently swapped gear (climbing and biking) for various portions of the race. Also, I spent more than half of the race riding both on and off road. The pack was adequately comfortable when riding, although I eventually strapped the waistbelt behind the pack, as it was uncomfortable when hunched over the handlebars. By tightening the compression straps before riding, and adjusting the shoulder straps, I was able to be comfortable even when riding down a few bumpy stretches of trail. The front pouch was perfect for storing maps and flags from the race. The pack does not have a dedicated hydration system pocket, and I eventually gave up using the Camelbak for drinking as the reservoir would slide down to the bottom of the pack after a few good bounces on the bike. But overall, the pack functioned well for the race. The best test of the pack came later in the summer, when my wife and I completed a six day traverse of the Alpine Lakes wilderness in Washington. About one third of the mileage was alpine cross country, and the rest on well-built trails. For this trip, I was able to use all of the lightweight gear that I had been collecting and making over the last few years. This included a homegrown tarptent (Henry Shires style), compact kitchen (cat stove, spoon and lighter), and a Kelty Lightyear 25 down bag. The total pack weight, not including food and water, was 14.5 pounds (6.6 kg). I carried one 1 liter Aquafina, full of water for much of the trip, and all of the food for both my wife and myself. My final pack weight was 33.6 pounds (15.2 kg). This was the bulkiest and heaviest load I have carried with the pack. The general comfort of the pack was good, but I did find myself lifting the pack off my shoulders at rest stops. Clearly the medium size frame of the pack was not designed for a torso of 21 inches (53 cm), but I had not had a problem with loads in the 25 pound (11.3 kg) range. As the trip progressed, I found that by letting the shoulder straps out during climbs, this placed more of the weight on my waist, thereby relieving my shoulders. On descents, or during cross-country passages, I cinched the straps tighter, which pulled the pack closer to my back and gave me better control over the motion of the load. During the first few days of the trip, the pack was fully loaded - perhaps even over-loaded. I could not cinch the top shut entirely, and placing items in the upper collar area meant that the top pocket, normally located on top of the main pack body, was pushed forward almost into my neck. This made looking up difficult while traveling. Despite being fully loaded, the pack did control the load adequately. At no point during the trip did I feel that the pack was sloppy or that my balance was jeopardized because of it. In fact, during certain sections of the cross country, I climbed up and down routes that I would never have attempted with a larger/heavier pack. By the third day of the trip, we had consumed enough food that the top pouch could be closed over the main compartment, and my load weight was near 27 pounds (12.3 kg). We also hit the PCT on this day, and the pack began to shine. Even after 23 miles, the pack felt comfortable, with no chafing or sore spots. On the last day of the trip, the rain began to pour. I had bagged all of my essentials in a trash compactor bag, but did not bring an outer pack cover. The entire pack was soaked, and water had pooled on the inside of all of the pockets. In addition to these two trips, I have used the pack on numerous day hikes and shorter backpacking trips. I have not had to make any additional repairs to the pack, and although the pack shows some wear and tear (areas of abrasion, scratches, etc.), I don’t believe it looks any more worn than when I first dug it out of the closet.
Summary The Moraine has been the perfect pack for me for getting into lightweight backpacking. With loads under 30 pounds (13.6 kg), the pack has provided comfort and load control that has been far superior to my larger packs. With careful gear selection, I have found that the pack can comfortably carry supplies for trips ranging from one to six days.
Up-side Down-side
Lack of easy water access
Attached top pocket when
“over-stuffed”
Not water resistant
Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Kelty Moraine Pack > Owner Review by C ONeill | ||||||||||||||||||||||
