Gearskin
A "Gearskin" is a harness/compression system that acts like a pack. It is a piece of material that is roughly the size of a ground pad, with compression straps, and harness (shoulder pads, hip belt) attached. By leaving your ground pad and sleeping bag inside of your shelter...these can be folded and the gearskin clipped around, with food and other items placed inside the fold. It has the ability to carry all of your present gear as you would use normally.
Two versions: One made from silnylon that weighs 16 oz and one made from packcloth that weighs around 28 oz
The Advantage is that it will adjust easily from 2500-6500 cu. in.
Custom fit shoulder straps and waist belt. As mentioned, it is
made from siliconized rip stop or packcloth...your choice.
Other options available.
Moonbow Website
Dean - Jan 26, 2003 6:56 am - Voted 5/5
Untitled ReviewSo I went to the Moonbow Website to check it out. What I saw intrigued me. I DID NOT need another pack. But this one was different. Always showing the ability to totally throw money away on gear (my basement is filled with the stuff), I bought one. It took 5 weeks to get to me. When I got the package and I took the "pack" out, I was dismayed. It looked like another mistake.
I won't go into the details of how I started packing it as there is a learning curve but I've now used it on three backpack trips and it is my FAVORITE "pack". As promised, it'll hold whatever you want it too. I've carried as little as 15 pounds and as much as 35 in it. Sgt. Rock claims it'll hold 50 fine but I haven't tried that yet. By the time I do a trip where I need to take my ice axe, crampons, helmet and rope, it'll tip the 50 mark I'm sure. It makes no difference. It rides as well as any pack I've ever had and the fact that it has no frame doesn't affect it due to the way it compresses together (with the straps). It is a simple set up and yet, works amazingly well. You can hang or tuck just about anything on or in this pack. I've used a stuff sack system and during a snowstorm in the Mt. Stuart area, I just grabbed all my gear and stuffed it in the gearskin. It was quick and even though poorly packed due to the circumstances, the pack rode well.
One word sums up this pack: FLEXIBILITY. You could carry a climbing rope, ice axe, crampons, put in or on a water bladder, the possibilities are endless. I don't pack as shown on the Moonbow web site as I use stuff sacks in a very special way but this pack gives me versatility I've never had. I feel funny calling it a pack but, it is.
Here is a pic of me wearing it in the Mt. Stuart area and another of the pack with a tent laid on top of the stuff sacks before the side buckles are closed down and drawn tight.
A comment about brushing it. If you do a lot of off trail scrambling then consider some type of pack cover so you won't have things snagging your gear. For overnighters, I still would consider taking my Saloman windraid 30L. It weighs about the same as the gearskin but if I'm not hauling a bunch of extra food and stuff, it'll still do the job. By all means, take the time to go to Sgt. Rock's review (listed at the top) and read it very thoroughly. He answers many of the questions you might have.