Gearskin Questions

[firefly]

I am about to order a gearskin and had a few questions for people that already have them. What material is yours made of..how much weight do you usually carry...what pockets are on yours..what do you use to keep your stuff dry..AND what would you order now if you got a new one?? Any tips??

[jlb2012]

I have a basic Gearskin - no pockets at all. material is a midweight nylon packcloth, large harness and large hipbelt - total about 24 ounces. I use a silnylon pack cover from Equinox to keep the stuff dry. Typical pack weight is around 30 pounds up to 40 pounds if out for a while (delta is food weight). I would probably order the same if I were to do it again but I might go for a somewhat smaller hip belt - if I loose too much weight the belt will be too large as it now stands. I might be tempted by a pouch on the hip belt for ready access to snacks etc. but I probably would not bother. Best tip - go to the Gathering on Saturday and have Jonathan of Moonbow measure you - while there you can check out the fabric options and get a feel for how to pack the Gearskin.

[tlbj6142]

My brother's is 1.9 ripstop, with the 220 (?) packcloth around the bottom third (where the bag would hit the ground). And 1 hipbelt pouch. That's it. 1# 6.59oz.

He just rigged up a drying rack with some shockcord and a slide toggle.

I would suggest you request different colored buckles at each connection. Makes it quite a bit easier to find the matching connection.

Assuming you go with some variation on the "taco shell" packing style SGT Rock uses, you can forget about the pack cover. Put your sleeping bag and sleeping clothes in a trash compactor bag (or two if you are paranoid). Put the rest of your gear in Silnylon bags. Other than your bag/clothes, the rest of the gear (rain coat, bagged food, stove, etc.) shouldn't be affected if it gets wet.

Do a quick search on this forum on gearskin. You should find more than one lengthy thread on the subject.

[cburnett]

Yes what he[tlbj6142] said is correct. I might request / discuss with Jon McCue a ripstop pouch for the waist(s) pouch(es) to reduce weight. And get two of them if you want to carry a camera

review. simply put the gearskin has the greatest hipbelt and lower back feel of anything i've ever carried (bora 80 (2000), wind river (1996), camptrail internal and external, Auspex 2002 model)

Current packing techinques have included. The SGT Rock "pillow" [it feels like a pillow on my back]. It felt great to have dry back, this occurs becuase of the ripples created by the straps. I felt a pain in my shoulders but that may have occured because of my dorking with trekking pole length.

I've tacoed. Great. but my pad on its side didn't extend far enough over my shoulders to make the gearskin tight and lowered the quality of the verticle stabilizers. Also I had to cross the top buggles. It rode fine even this way. I hope to get a 24" wide pad and see how it does.

I last and have most enjoyed the "pita". it is simalar the to a the 'pillow'. let me explain. I Fold my pad in thirds and have a double pad against my back. The last thirds wraps under my gear like the SGT Rock "pillow." My hope was to have a taller back. then a wider [i.e. taco].

It would be my observation that the gearskin is designed to be tall and thin, not short and stout [ sorry all you trolls and dwarfs].

I agree with my brother [ by the way tlbj6142 FYI: nice name tag "yellow jacket"] that different colored buckles would be advantagous.

Finally packing it. I think the order which buckles are snapped and tighted can effect the ride. the best method i've found so far is:
1) start off loosening all buckles
2) have my bag at the bottom and buckle the bottom four straps loosely.
3) Then to buckle the to / shoulder buckles to give the material fo the gear skin tension.
4)straighten / center pad to hip belt.
5) start the remaing buckles
6) tighten starting at the bottom and alternating side to side to slowly snug the pad and not shift it off center.

I'd love to hear your experience with it once you get it. Be sure to post.

God Bless

[tlbj6142]

Yes what he[tlbj6142]That's Mr. Yellow Jacket to you.;)