Moonbow Gearskin

[RagingHampster]

I don't know anything about RJ as a person, just that I enjoyed much of his book, and collected many ideas from it. I'm still using a tent (no tarp), a thick cushy pad (no 3/8" thick spliced pad), and I don't plan on cutting the tounges out of my shoes, but I am adopting things such as a blanket, hipbelt-less pack, and his way of dividing the day up amongst hiking & resting.

I have to say that I've always supported eating fresher foods. Packing things like onions, peppers, potatoes, oranges, etc. I always feel better/replenished after eating fresh foods rather than rehydrated instant rice w/freezedried chicken bits/powder & cajun mystery sauce (powder). It does weigh more, and I do eat traditional lipton type meals, but I always supplement them with the fresh veggies. I can only agree more when it comes to eating chemical food. I often have a craving for my late night bag of cheetos & diet coke, but they do nothing to quelch fatigue. They're what I would call "hollow food". I also plan to do an experiemnt substituting my mass-retail carbs (Barilla Pasta, Near East Rice, and Hungry Jack Taters) with true "Whole-Grain" versions (as RJ put it). After using his methods to dismiss breads and pasta that claim to be whole grain, I'm hoping to aquire some "good-stuff" with which to try for a weekend.

I also use hiking poles too. I find 4 legs are better than one despite what RJ says.

[TedB]

I have some questions about the gearskin. (Sorry, no comments on RJ ) When you start loading it up, say in the 30-50 pound range, how much of the weight is carried by the hip belt? When I use frame packs, I try to adjust them so that almost all of the weigh is carried by the hip belt, and my shoulder straps merely keep the pack from falling over backwards. Can this be done with a gearskin?

I have started to explore the winter wonderland of snow camping, and so I need a new pack that can handle 35+ pounds. I'm considering a gearskin type pack or an internal frame pack. Whatever I choose, I'll be making it myself. There is something special about a pack made by your own hands.

[SGT Rock]

Good question. I tink that is really on how you adjust and pack it. I like to keep the heavy stuff to the bottom, so that helps keep the weight on the hips.

[Grimace]

AWESOME!

This is a unique pack witha design somewhat hard to explain. Read Rock's first post to learn more and check out www.moonbowgear.com

I'm 6'3", 220lbs. Experienced distance hiker. AT MEGA '01 and I just completed the JMT SOBO last Sat. I brought the Gearskin on the JMT for its inaugural run.

In the past and for the AT i carried a monster Lowe Alpine pack (Contour IV i think) I traditionally carried 40 lbs on the AT.

For the JMT I revamped my gear and got my base weight w/o food and water to 17 lbs or so. Food and water was a bitch through. At the heaviest I had 10 days of food and 3 liters of water bringing the pack to maybe 35 lbs or so. I don't weigh everything to the last ounce so I unfortunately can't be exact with you all.

I opted for the ripstop nylon Gearskin. I added on a mesh pocket to the outside for easy access. The Gearskin is totally customized to your body as I sent in a outline of my torso and my measurments. It fits like a charm and weighs close to 2 lbs. The stitching looks great, but I honestly have no idea what good or bad stitching looks like. I spent $207 dollars on the pack, extra mesh pocket and a custom made sil-nylon pack cover. The base price is $150.00

It did take me a day or two learn to pack it for most comfort. I admit the first 2 days of my hike were not as comfortable as they could have been. Once I figured out that the taller you make the pack, the more comfortable it would become I was in heaven. At first I piled all of my stuff sacks together as close as possible. THis seemd to pull the shoulder straps down forcing me to carry the load on my shoulders. When i experimented with laying all of my gear in a line through, it felt like I was wearing a glove on my back. Even with 10 days of food and water. Clothes on the bottom, food, miscellaneous gear, sleeping bag was the best order for me.

Upon stopping for breaks the mesh pocket was ample enough to hold all my snacks for day as well as a baggie for DEET suntan lotion and bodyglide, a small first aid kit, pack cover and my glasses. On the occasion that I forgot to leave out something, it couldn't have been easier to loosen a compression strap, reach into a stuff sack, find what I need, and tighten the strap again. The numerous straps also made it easy to hang wet clothes and to stuff in my wind breaker when it got hot.

There are no signs of wear on the pack after my 2 week journey.

The one downfall is I never really found out the ideal place to put my water bladder. I kept it on top the whole way, but the hot Sierra sun warmed up the water quickly. Also, witht he water under the compression straps, pressure was put on the bladder. I found my bite valve leaking more than once.

I would recommend the Gearskin to anyone. An ultralighter or a normal packer will find the pack comfortable, easy to use, and able to carry any load.

[tlbj6142]

So, did you use your tent/bivy/tarp as the "body", or did you use your pad (like SGT Rock did)? Or just pile a bunch of stuff sacks between the straps?

[Grimace]

I did use my tent as the body. In the morning, I'd take down the tent and lay it flat on the ground with the fly on top. I then folded my z rest in thirds and lay that towards the middle of the tent with the creases going vertically or parallel to the long edges of the tent. I folded the tent in thirds over the z rest and slid the whole thing over the gearskin which i put flat on the ground. I folded the tent in half and clipped the side compression straps of the gearskin loosely. I then put in the gear, clipped the two top straps, and then compressed everything down.

I hope this makes sense.

[jlb2012]

I use a hammock as the body, inside the hammock I have a full length blue foam pad, sleeping bag, and some clothes. I use a separate tarp instead of the HH rain fly so I can do all the packing up under the tarp if it is raining. I drop the hammock with the pad, bag and clothes still in it, fold it up so that the stuff is shaped like the pad, pick it up and position it over the flattened out Gearskin such that the foot end of the hammock will be closest to my back, stick my food and cooking stuff roughly where the fold will be then fold it up loosely buckling the side straps, stuff most of the rest of the stuff into the top and buckle the top straps, stick a couple liters of water in the fold section toward the bottom and tighten down the side straps, tuck one end of the pad into the other on top, drop tarp and stuff it in its bag and stuff tarp bag into top of pack, finish tightening up the straps, put on rain cover if needed, and end up hooking the in-hike water bottle to the shoulder harness.

I also hope this makes sense.

[rshine]

Grimmace -- What luck. I just wrote to The Sarge regarding using the gearskin in the Sierra, then I found your comments. This is the question I have for you (and the Sarge, and anyone else0 and that is theis. as you know, Garcis bear cans are required on most of the JMT for food storage. How did you pack the bear can into the gearskin, and how did the whole thing ride? very interested in your reply as I am poised to order a Gearskin to use on my third thru hike on JMT this comming summer. Also, I am planning on using a HH hammock this trip as well. Any thoughts much appreciated, particularly since so much of the JMT is above tree line. Thanks. Rshine

[Grimace]

I just put the Bear Can where i normally put my food bag. Honestly, When I go out for 6 days or so, my food bag is almost identicle in shape to a bear can minus the hard outer shell, so there wasn't a big difference. Even hiking out of Vermillion with 9 days of food, the Gear Skin was still comfortable. I actually find it to be more confortable the more volume it has.

I think I explained in this thread how I pack it. If not. I fold my tent in thirds around my Zrest which I fold into thirds as well. Creases of Zrest go from head to toe against back. I then pull the tent.zrest over the unclipped gearsking. I fold the package in half and clip the sides of the gearskin giving as much slack as possible in the straps. I then put in all of my stuff sacks laying them on top of each other horizontally. Clothes-->food (heavy)
-->gear bag-->sleeping bag on top. I then clip the top straps. Compress everything and I'm good to go.

hope this helps

[rshine]

Yes, it does help. Thank you. Actually, after all is said and done, I have grown to like the can. Just take it out and plop it down andd my storage is done. nighty, nighty after that.

[brian]

www.geocities.com/gearskinpics

Check out one of my earlier free sites to see how I pack my gearskin. The troble lies in the fact that I pack it differently as my gear changes, even trip to trip. Larger stuff sack here, no sandles there, etc.

Brian
www.outdoorequipmentsupplier.com

[Nameless]

Hello,

I'm looking into a new pack and the gearskin seams just perfect (i tend to think outside the box more then my mother and boyfriend (mother doing the first two weeks of the trail with me, boyfriend the whole thing) and dont know how i will break this too them... they are going to think i am crazy)

But one problem... I'm five foot one inch tall and weight 105 pounds. Does the gearskin get small enough for me? And how does it fit females?

Thanks
Pink

[tlbj6142]

But one problem... I'm five foot one inch tall and weight 105 pounds. Does the gearskin get small enough for me? And how does it fit females?

They are custom built. You send in your measurements and torso outline.

Give Moonbow a call, they'll explain what they need.

[Egads]

Sgt Rock,

You started this thread 5 1/2 years ago. I am dusting this thread off in the hope of a follow up review on the Gearskin. My son is planning a long distance Canadian Rockies hike this summer and said he will be 10 -14 days between supplies. So he needs a large, flexible, and lightweight pack.

I am curious if you still use the Gearskin as your primary pack?

I've suggested he consider the Gearskin, the ULA Catalyst, the Osprey Aether 70, & the Granite Gear Status Latitude.

Any of your other Gearskin users, please feel free to opine too.

Thanks for your help.

Egads

[dixicritter]

Since SGT Rock is currently on his Thru-hike and not checking the site very often. I thought I'd let you know, he's using his Gearskin on his hike as we speak and still loving it. He was actually highly recommending it at SORUCK to several others in attendance this year.

[Egads]

Thanks Dixicritter.

[tlbj6142]

My brother thru-hiked the AT in '04 with his gearskin. Held up well. About mid-way he had the hipbelt shortened a bit and another hipbelt pocket added. He borrowed one of my packs for those 2-3 weeks.

He leaves for his PCT thru-hike in another month. The gearskin will be with him.

[hammock engineer]

I hiked about 6 or 700 miles of my hike with the gearskin last year. I would say it is an ok pack, but not for me. It is not designed to carry heavy weights, around 30 lbs. My pack weight leaving town with water was usually around 30-35 lbs. It road ok, the problem was the pack would not take it. Both load lifters where they attach to the shoulder straps had the seams pop and come off, the shoulder straps where they attached to the bottom of the pack started to pop. The seam holding the hipbelt on started to pop.

Needless to say I switched. I think if your pack weight is only 20-25 it would be ok. My biggest issue other than that was that is was a pain to pack up. It took me noticeably longer. I also had to put all my stuff on the ground to do it. Another bad part is all of your gear wil be smashed, including all of your food. I got really tired of eating little pieces or smashed everything.

[jlb2012]

HE - what type fabric was your Gearskin made from? - mine is from 200 D pack cloth and I have had very few problems with it (couple side straps were coming unstitched after a couple years and a couple stitches popped in a part of the shoulder harness where I pick up the pack)

[attroll]

The gearskin pack is not for everyone. I have one and I don't really care for it. I think I have used mine three times. I prefer a pack that has some type of frame built into it. This is just what I like. Others love it though. To each there own.