Contact Me

 

The Mithril*

 

I spent quite awhile trying to find the ideal lightweight pack.  Each pack I tried had advantages, but each had one of three fatal flaws: either it wasn't dependable, was too small to adapt to all conditions, or was too expensive.  For example, one too-light pack I tried fell apart in the middle of a hike.  Others couldn't accommodate my winter gear, and those that could cost over $500.00.  So, I made my own, and by demand I'm offering the design to others who want an adaptable, lightweight pack they can depend on.  For reasons I hope will become obvious, I'm calling it the Mithril.  The current production Mithril is the result of three years of testing and refinement, and I can modestly report that it is...

 

Light, Bombproof, Simple, Adaptable, Customizable, Made-to-fit and a Pretty Good Deal

 
   

Weight

 
In it's "standard" form the Mithril with a "medium" hip belt weighs 20 ounces.  With no hip belt, it weighs 16 ounces.  With no hip belt or external pockets it weighs 13 ounces. (Note: the rest of this page is easier to navigate if you use the "back" button on your browser when returning from linked pages.) 
 

Durability, and the Mithril Guarantee

 
The Mithril is constructed entirely* of woven SpectraTM cloth and flat nylon webbing, and is stitched together on commercial machines using heavy, UV resistant, bonded nylon thread.  It employs high-quality, easily adjustable plastic hardware in all locations where adjustability is an issue.

*The inside surfaces of the hip belt and shoulder straps are brushed nylon pack cloth.  This fabric is sweatproof and less slippery than SpectraTM .

 
FYI, SpectraTM fiber was originally developed by Allied Signal (now a subsidiary of Honeywell) as a response to DuPont KevlarTM, and SpectraTM cloth is now used extensively by the sailing and ballistic armor industries.  It is unbelievably strong for it's weight and is very cut, puncture, abrasion and UV resistant.  (For more information on SpectraTM, click this link.)  It's drawbacks are that it wasn't made by dwarves, will melt if exposed to moderate heat, is not cheap, and only comes in white.  So, you shouldn't leave a Mithril near a fire or pack a hot stove in it, and the "standard" white Mithril will get dirty eventually.  It can be scrubbed clean, but it does stain, and therein lies the origin of the "stealth gray" Mithril.
 
I'm not fond of carrying a white pack in the woods during the spring, summer and fall, because I often hike solo and like to "stealth" camp, so I've developed a method to tint SpectraTM.  The process I use results in an attractive silver-gray pack that disappears among the trees and hides dirt well.  While the process requires me to tint each pack by hand, I consider it a worthwhile option and, no, a "stealth gray" Mithril won't run in the rain, unless you do.  On the other hand, a white Mithril is perfect for winter.
 
While designed and developed by me, the Mithril is put together by Moonbowgear, a small, independently-owned, New Hampshire-based maker of custom and semi-custom outdoor textile products.  Moonbowgear's workmanship and customer service are second to none, and when I decided to make available a pack that can't otherwise be found on the commercial market they were my first choice for a manufacturer.  I'm so confident of Moonbowgear's workmanship and the durability of SpectraTM that I guarantee the Mithril to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for as long as you own it.  If there's ever anything wrong with it, return it.  If we screwed up we'll repair or replace it at no charge.  If it needs only a minor fix we'll fix it for free.  If you wore it out, tried to cook in it or let a bear fondle it, we'll repair or replace it and bill you for time and materials.  You'll have to bill the bear.
 

Simplicity

 
The Mithril comes close to the ideal of having no feature that can be removed without making it less functional.  Standard features are as follows:
  • undivided main compartment with a cord-lock-closure top opening and bound seams
  • attached but expandable top flap that can be used to carry a stuff sack, bear canister (up to 9" diameter), or a rolled up tent or ground pad 
  • two side pockets with cord lock closures, each large enough to hold an insulated one quart Nalgene bottle
  • one 9" by 3.5" by 14" mesh hydration bladder/drying pocket with a cord lock closure
  • removable hip belt with adjustable, replaceable padding and "quick access" ice ax holster/grab loops
  • 1 1/2" hip belt straps that also function as self-adjusting load control straps
  • shaped shoulder straps with daisy chain gear loops and built-in "thumb loops" 
  • adjustable shoulder-level load control straps 
  • adjustable sternum strap 
  • adjustable hiking pole/gear attachment straps 6" above each side pocket
  • elastic pole snugger straps immediately above each side pocket
  • crampon/gear attachment loop on the top flap
  • six side and front-mounted gear attachment cord loops
  • carry loop
  • 4,100 to 4,400 c.i. maximum total capacity, including the stowage available under the top flap (the Mithril will also carry as little as you like, given that you're carrying a sleeping bag or quilt, but it is not intended for use as a day pack)
 

Adaptability

 

       Click to see the "standard" Mithril, packed for a three season trip

 

Click to see the "standard" Mithril, packed for a winter trip

 
The Mithril is designed to accommodate any size load up to 35 pounds or so.  I've successfully carried 45 pounds in it, but I can't imagine why anyone would want to.  The secret to it's load adaptability is that it's designed to use any 20" to 24" wide ground pad* as its "frame," and any sleeping bag or quilt as it's "filler."

*A Z-restTM won't work, and bulky closed cell pads such as the Mt. WashingtonTM or Ridge RestTM Deluxe will consume interior space.

 
Here's how it works:
  1. The ground pad is loosely rolled and inserted lengthways into the pack.  Once inside, it is further unrolled until it snugly conforms to the sides of the pack and forms a tube (click this link).  Since the SpectraTM cloth we use is not waterproof (not even "waterproof" packs are truly waterproof unless you seal every needle hole in the main compartment), I use a waterproof pack liner.  The silicon-coated, ripstop nylon one we make especially for the Mithril weighs 1 1/2 ounces, is easily seam-sealable, has a waterproof cord-lock-roll-top closure, makes the job of inserting the ground pad easier, and can be used independently for waterproof gear stowage when in camp.
  2. The sleeping bag or quilt is then stuffed into the center of the tube until if just fills the available space (click this link).
  3. Remaining gear is then stuffed on top of the bag (click this link). No matter how little gear you're carrying, the sleeping bag will fill any empty space, and whether it's down or synthetic will last longer since it's not being over-compressed.  If you're using a self-inflating pad, at this point you open the valve and let the pad re-inflate somewhat.  This will further fill any unused space and will improve the load-bearing efficiency of the pack.  If you insist on punishing yourself with loads heavier than 35 pounds, you can close the valve after the pad has re-inflated and achieve even greater efficiency.  As indicated above, I've done this with 45 pounds, but I don't recommend it.
  4. The pack liner is then rolled shut (click this link). 
  5. And, the compartment's top opening cinched (click this link).
  6. Finally, the top flap is buckled and snugged down (click this link).
  7. If extra space is required a waterproof 7 to 9 by 15 inch stuff sack or bear canister can be carried under the top flap (click this link).
  8. The first time the Mithril is worn, the hip belt and shoulder straps are loosened before putting it on.  Then the hip belt is tightened (the Mithril is designed to be worn with the hip belt pulling the pack into the small of the back as snugly as possible), and the hip belt padding is adjusted for best fit using the ice ax/grab loops.  The shoulder straps are shortened until they just contact the shoulders, and the sternum strap is buckled and adjusted according to preference.  The shoulder load snugger straps are then tightened until the pack conforms to the contour of the back, the shoulder straps tightened a bit more until they're snug, and the pack is ready to go.  The Mithril further conforms to the back within a few minutes, and then all but "disappears."  Once adjusted, I only have to loosen or tighten the sternum strap and hip belt to get my Mithril on and off, and I usually forget I'm wearing it. 
 
About now, those of you with some knowledge of pack design might be thinking..."Wait a minute, dude.  No WAY is this kind of 'frame' design going to transfer the weight of, like, a 40 pound load."  Click the following link to learn why my reply is, like, ...
 

WAY

 

Custom Options

 
The Mithril can be ordered with the following options:
  • elongated side pockets
  • a SpectraTM hydration bladder pocket (or SpectraTM snow shovel pocket in place of the hydration bladder pocket)
  • a zippered map pocket in the top flap
  • a permanently attached top lid
  • any combination of external pockets or no external pockets at all
  • no hip belt
  • a permanently attached hip belt
  • a permanently attached hip belt with a full-length foam core stiffening element
  • any combination of gear attachment loops or tool tubes (the "quick access" ice ax holster/grab loops on the hip belt are just that; for general ice ax stowage either the side pockets or dedicated loops or tubes are recommended)
  • straps for carrying a sleeping bag or stuff sack under the pack
  • removable hip belt pockets
  • 2" hip belt straps and associated hardware (recommended if you're going to regularly carry 25 to 35 pound loads; necessary if you insist on carrying more)
  • a removable, seam-sealable, silicon-coated, ripstop nylon pack liner with a cord-lock-roll-top closure, and/or
  • a seam-sealable, silicon-coated, ripstop nylon pack cover with a shock cord snugger*
  • a "stealth gray" tint
  • other options on request

*An alternative to a pack cover is a silicon-coated, ripstop nylon poncho made to fit over the pack, or the "Packa," a garment designed by Eddie Hinnant.  To go to Eddie's "Packa" site, click this link .

 

Custom Fit

 
Except for a badly fitting pair of boots, very little can ruin the moment-to-moment enjoyment of backpacking as thoroughly as a badly fitting pack.  Some people get lucky.  The first pack they buy fits them the first time they use it, and continues to fit them even at the end of that third twenty-mile day.  Most of us, however, go through a trial and error process until we find a pack that doesn't rub us the wrong way, which is why we end up with a closet full of expensive, brightly-colored discards.
 
I design each Mithril to fit it's owner, and if you're careful in following my torso measurement and fitting instructions the pack will fit you perfectly the first time you put it on and for as long as you own it, no matter how many twenty-milers you string together.  Virtually everyone who owns a Mithril reports that once adjusted the Mithril is the most comfortable and "forgettable" pack they have ever worn, but, unfortunately, the Mithril's Catch 22 is that it's impossible to appreciate the importance of the Mithril's custom fit unless you're using a custom-fit Mithril.
 

Reviews

 
The Mithril has been reviewed by BackPackGearTest (an on-line gear testing service), Backpacker and Blue Ridge Outdoors magazines.  To read the BackPackGearTest reviews, click this link .  The Backpacker and Blue Ridge Outdoors reviews have hit the stands (July, 2003), and I will include a link to the Backpacker review shortly.  In his Blue Ridge Outdoors review, Leonard Adkins filed the following report on his wife Laurie's experience with her Mithril:

"The Mithral (sp) is custom built to body measurements, and Laurie said hers fit like a glove. In fact, it carried so well she complained that there was nothing to complain about. I enjoyed walking behind her as the Mithral (sp) has the lines of rucksacks of old, much like the one Earl Shaffer, the first AT thru-hiker, carried in 1948. A sleeping pad provides the form, but unlike other ultralite packs, the Mithral (sp) is designed to carry as much as 35-45 pounds if necessary.

Galadriel and Gimli would be proud: Like its namesake in Lord of the Rings, the Mithral (sp) is well-crafted and remarkably durable for its light weight."

 

The Deal, and How to Order One

 
The "standard" Mithril will set you back $250.00, plus shipping.   Custom options will add to or reduce the price a bit, depending.  To get fitted for a Mithril, click this link and follow the instructions carefully.  However, before you order a Mithril, please understand that it will be made to fit you alone and will have the options that you choose.  Therefore, it cannot be returned for a refund just because it doesn't compliment your hot pink sleeping bag.  If you really, really hate your Mithril it probably won't be happy with you either, so you can send it back and I'll try to sell it for you.  So far, I've had no returns, but if you're strapped or just plain cheap you might want to contact me and ask if I have a return that might fit you, unless you want hot pink.
 

"And now, for something completely different."  Sort of.

 

When I first put the Mithril on the market, I anticipated that most owners would be packing 10 to 25 pounds, like me, and that the Mithril's main compartment capacity would be adequate for that load range.  However, my main problem when backpacking is staying cool, and the insulating layers I do carry are highly compressible goose down.  Not so with some Mithril owners, who report the need to pack more clothing and don't trust down.  As a result, some seem to be falling in the 25 to 35 pound load range and need more space in the main compartment, and even I could use more space in a winter pack.  So, I have developed two extended-capacity versions of the Mithril.  Click this link to go to the Mithril II/Mithril III page.

 
* Many thanks to J.R.R. Tolkein, who introduced me to the indestructible substance "Mithril" in The Fellowship of the Ring, Being the first part of The Lord of the Rings, which was first published by Houghton Mifflin in 1954.
 

Copyright © 2002-3 KISKIL Outdoors