Front Loading UL pack?

[Miguel Arboleda]

Wow. What a difference some good pics make. Looking at the pack in use with clear, sharp resolution really gives me a good idea about what the pack would be like. I’ve been wresting with two packs that I’d like to get, either the ULA Conduit, or this, the Essence. Now I think I know which one would be my choice. Thanks!

That side pocket really is huge, isn’t it!

[paul johnson]

Robert, Great pics. Thanks for posting them. You know…what might be helpful to all reading this is a list of the gear and how many days food you had stuffed into the Essence. That way others could get a little better idea of how much of their gear they could fit into it. What do you think? Would you mind posting a list of the gear you were carrying in the Essence?

Miguel, notice that the relatively small lower right web/mesh pocket is empty. I fit two water bottles in mine – easy to reach.

[paul johnson]

Ben, check out Brawny’s Dancing Light Gear website (sorry, i forget the URL – do web search for it, or search BPL – they’ve reviewed her gear). She sells silnylon fanny packs. They seem to be about the right size for what you would want to do with them. I’ve seen the photos and you might easily be able to sew them onto your belt’s pack. Also, ask her if she does custom work (it shouldn’t be very difficult in this case) to get the right sized “pack”/pocket that you want.

DLG website

DLG silnylon FP

[Miguel Arboleda]

I do have one question for you, Robert and Paul. When the pack is only half full and the volume is sagging how does th pack hold up? can it be cinched tight to take up the excess material? Because it doesn’t seem to have side compression straps would that make the pack sag? You see, I do a lot of photography and drawing in the mountains, and I like to leave my shelter pitched while I take day trips with just essential gear. Since I only want to use one pack, I need something that won’t get all collapsed when only partially filled. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

[paul johnson]

Miguel,

Only compression available is for the ext. collar/storm flap. These are the five buckles and webbing straps, plus the non-elastic lacing to react the force/”pull” of four of the webbing compression straps (presumably to reduce stress on the webbing attachment points/stiching on the storm flap). Beyond that, you can’t compress the pack’s main compartment. However, I’m not sure if this is a weak point. While I haven’t had it partially loaded, only full (both with and w/o ext. collar use), it seems to me that:

1) the pad v-frame holds the pack upright just fine, so you will need to just place your sleep pad back in the pack to function as a v-frame. At least it did so when the pack was otherwise completely empty. And…

2) there are so many other pockets to store your gear in that you won’t have much (or anything) left in the main compartment under the circumstances you describe. That is, your tent and sleep gear is set up and not in the pack; and your food is hanging somewhere. These are the main items you might normally carry inside of the main compartment. Now, in your case you might also carry some photo & drawing gear in the main pack compartment??? If so, then they would be lying in the bottom (when the pack is being worn) of the main compartment.

Not sure I can be more helpful until I try the pack under the circumstances you mention.

[Robert Miller]

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[Mark Verber]

I wouldn’t recommend using the essense 1/2 empty. IMHO the compression system is not designed to take up that much slack. A foam pad as the V-frame isn’t that effective (tends to bend) unless the pack is mostly fully which limits the range of motion of the pad. Also, if the pack isn’t pretty full, the bottom of the pack will be slack, and dense items will hang down lower than you might want.

Keep in mind that the essense is a very purpose driven pack. It’s designed for thru-hikers or other ultralight / light weight packers who are using their pack day in, day out. It’s not a day pack. It’s not a summit / climbing pack.

–Mark

[paul johnson]

Miguel, Unloaded Essence’s main compartment, but left the gear in the external pockets, including the top pocket. Pack will stand up when set on the floor, but the pad doesn’t inhibit much flexing front-to-rear. Pack was very light with no food or gear in the main compartment. It was under five pounds.

[Robert Miller]

The following is how the pack was loaded in the earlier pictures.

left belt pocket – 9.52 oz – Aquamira bottles, knife, whistle, two photons, mirror, toothbrush, toothpaste in straws, chapstick, short pencil, paper, safety pins, cellphone, gps, headlamp, first aid kit, some TP and a box of matches.

right belt pocket – 10.62 oz – camera, windshell and possumdown gloves

top pocket – 16.76 oz – Montbell UL down inner liner, possumdown beanie and Drop Stoppers top

left side pocket – 22.22 oz – Silshelter, six Ti stakes, two carbon fiber tubes (to stiffen pad if it started to bend, they went unused) and my homework (the long white cylindrical object is a couple of pages of architectural drawings)

right side upper pocket – 5.26 oz – 3 x 8 Tyvek groundcloth

right side lower pocket – 0 oz – all my XUL gear was located here ;-)

Main body – 378.30 oz – 20 x 40 GG ThinLight 3/8″ pad. I used a Marmot Hydrogen (long) in a stuff sack at the bottom of the pack to elevate the two gallons of water I started with as high as possible. One gallon was in a Costco cranberry juice jug the other in a 4 liter Platypus Water Tank with hoser attachment. These items filled out a layer immediately adjacent to the pad. The next layer outward from the pad featured my food bag and cooking gear on the bottom. Above it an Exped Downmat 7 short that nestled into the Platypus.

Essence pack weight – 13 oz

Total carried – 28.48 lbs

Knowing what I know now how would I pack it?

Belt pockets would contain camera, TP, chapstick, beanie, gloves and windshell. At lunch I moved the windshell to ease putting my camera away. Late in the day I was switchbacking up the shady side of a ridge and it would have been nice to pop the windshell on to lessen the effects of flash cooling during my frequent “catch my breath” stops.

The Aquamira, repair kit and first aid items would move out of the belt pocket. If any of those items are needed most likely you are stopped and your pack is off.

All of my lunches would go in the top pocket for ease of access.

[paul johnson]

Robert, many thanks. Very instructional. Enjoy your Essence pack.

[Jim Colten]

Robert,

The $64K question …. how did it carry at 28lbs? And how far/long did you carry it?

[Author]

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