ULA vs. Six moon designs starlight

[jbrecon2]

hey everybody...in doing some preliminary research i've come across these two packs (ULA vs. Six moon designs starlight) that interest me, both worn by thru hikers i met while section hiking, who swore by them. can anyone give me a little insight that has used these packs? pro's and cons?

i'm trying to go as lite as possible, as in my journal from section hiking 5 years ago i wrote myself a note...."john, if you ever do this again, pack liter everything"

some additional questions.....is there a generic sleeping bag (say down 30') that can be used comfortably for the whole trip, or does everyone generally start of with 20' and switch it out when it gets warm.

i'm going with my brother. one shelter or two? we are both big dudes. i already own a LL bean microlite and was looking into a tarptent squall.

one stove or two. i used the jet boil in the past with no problems, but would it become to redundant to only be able to boil water and add noodles every night. i was thinking of throwing in a pocket rocket and ultralight pot to give us more options.

in addition i would love input of advice on specific gear recommendations!!! i understand gear choice is very personal, but would love to hear from the experts.

bag,
shelter
clothing....shorts, base layers, socks, t shirts, fleece, trail runners?
stove
treking poles

thanks everyone!!

[Del Q]

Two areas where I have saved weight, less food and less clothes. Tarptent and ULA pack, usually at about 32 pounds with full load of water and food. 25 degree bag. I have never missed anything I left behind, not yet anyway.

[Greb]

Personally have only hiked a few times with my Starlight but it is wonderful. It took me a little bit to get it configured just right but it has aLOT of room. I love the outer 'pockets' and my tarptent fits perfectly on the on side (Double Rainbow). I highly recommend getting the pockets on the waist belt. I have a cut down foam pad I use to sleep on and in the pack for support.

I was packing close to 25-28 lbs in with the stays in and had no issues at all. Could have prolly put even more weight in for me.

[bigcranky]

I've had my Starlite for more than four years, and it's my favorite pack ever. (I had a long line of Gregory and Osprey packs before it.) I have the 2004 model. The latest version has some minor tweaks, but I think it is essentially the same.

I use a Thermarest Prolite 4 sleeping pad, which fits easily into the pad pocket, but it doesn't provide any support, so I use the two aluminum stays that came with my Starlite. These provide enough support for 35 or more pounds, though I rarely step away from the car with more than 30. Inside the pack I carry my sleeping bag, food bag, clothing, and a small ditty bag with little personal stuff. In the outside front pocket I carry my camp clogs, with several small items inside them (pack cover, sun screen, wind shirt.) Other small items like TP and my mini tripod fit in this pocket, too. The right side pocket (the short one) carries my water bottle, and the left side pocket takes my tarp (for solo hikes), or my tarptent (for hikes with my wife.)

The pack is easily large enough to carry all my winter gear (that's "winter" in North Carolina, though, not New Hampshire.) But in the summer, when I'm not carrying very much at all, it still carries well, unlike some frameless rucks I've tried.

Comparing it to the ULA packs is hard, because I haven't actually used a ULA on the trail. But I have tried on several at Mt Rogers Outfitters and Neel Gap, spending several hours total walking around with a full load of gear. Needless to say, on my back at least, the SMD pack felt better. (Not sure which ULA pack is analogous to the Starlite. I suspect the biggest ULA will carry more weight, so maybe the mid-level ULA pack is a good comparison.)

If you can get to Damascus, VA, you can try on both packs (one each at MRO and Sundog Outfitters.)

Your other questions might be better suited to their own threads, but I will say that you only need one stove and pot. If you want versatility, take the Pocket Rocket and the regular pot, rather than the Jetboil. (If you don't own the PR yet, look at the Coleman Exponent F1 UL (http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___85280). It rivals the Jetboil in wind resistance.)

Oh, and in my experience, you should each have your own shelter. Trust me on this, you will be a LOT happier. For adults, only people who sleep together in real life should share a tent.

[skinewmexico]

Love my ULA. So cool to call and talk to the builder, and the Catalyst and Circuit carry great. Really happy with my Tarptent Double Rainbow and SMD Lunar Solo.