chris
04-28-2003, 14:45
Following Sgt. Rock's guidelines.
Name: Chris Willett
Age: 29
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 210 lbs
Experience: Springer to Damascus, mountaineering in northern British Columbia, extensive trips in GSMNP, trips in the Whites, Sierras, northern CA, Death Valley, Grand Canyon, etc, etc.
Similar Products Used: None. This is unique for me.
Locations Tested: Grand Canyon, Death Valley, GSMNP.
Weight (as advertised): 19 oz.
Weight (as tested): 19.3 oz.
Price: $125
Web Address: www.ula-equipment.com
Phone Number: n/a
Email: n/a
Other: Frameless, rucksack style pack with a hipbelt. Approximately 2700 ci body (without the extension collar deployed) and 400 ci storage via external mesh superpocket. The extension collar adds approximately 300 ci more.
Review.
---------
ULA (ultralight adventures) is a small, 2 person company that operates out of Logan Utah. Brian Frankle is the front man for the operation and does the sewing and is a former PCT thruhiker and has completed some other interesting hikes, like a tranverse of the Bonneville Salt Flats. He was at the Gathering last fall, where his 3 packs, the Zenith, the P1 (larger, more developed version of the Zenith), and the P2 (even larger, with a frame) generated a lot of interest. There seemed to be a lot of orders for the P2. Both the P1 and the P2 have a lot of options that you can add to them. I, however, went for the smallest and lightest pack that he makes: The Zenith. The Zenith is a frameless, rucksack style pack that includes a hipbelt and is, perhaps, somewhat experimental. It is probably similar to a GoLite Breeze or GVP G4.
The Zenith uses a Z-rest to form a frame for the pack (against your back), like the G4 does. The pack is constructed out of large amounts of Spectra (tough, like Kevlar) and has a large super pocket that goes around the outside of the pack, providing lots of storage space for things that you might want easy access to. In the superpocket, I generally have put lunch food, rain cover, rain jacket, floppy hat, tarp pole, camera, water bladders (2 2.4 L platypus), and even 2 L of whiskey. All fits just fine. You might ask why I need rapid access to whiskey. But, I do. There is a single ice axe loop. The pack features an extension collar and closes down with the help of a strap across the top. Unlike the P1 and P2, there are no options for the Zenith.
The first thing that I noticed about the Zenith was its small size. It really is a tiny pack. My pack last summer was a 44 L mountaineering pack (Serratus Aladdin II), which was plenty big. While the two packs have approximately the same capacity, the Zenith has its storage fairly well split between body, extension collar, and superpocket. My standard load for spring-summer-early fall hiking will fill the main body of the Zenith without using the extension collar. However, I am now using all ultralight gear. Users of more traditional gear will not want this pack. The P2 would be more appropriate.
The shoulder straps and hipbelt are padded, but minimally so. The padding is more than adequate for the type of loads that the Zenith is designed to carry (i.e, under 25 lbs). The suspension is not adjustable, but the pack seems to have been designed specifically for me. The hipbelt pads sit right on my hipbones, the shoulder pads sit mostly on the chest part of my shoulders (where they should be) and not on the top of my shoulders (where they should not be). The hipbelt is removable, by the way. I would suggest trying on the pack if you are significantly larger or smaller than I am.
I tested the Zenith during a 3 day backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon, which was 35 miles long and gained perhaps 7000 ft in elevation, two days worth of day hiking in Death Valley (minimal load), and a 2 day, 40 mile and 8000 ft gain trip in the Smokys. During the two backpacking trips, my load maxed out at around 22 lbs (for 2 hours) and was as low as perhaps 14 lbs. Mostly, my load was around 18 lbs. The Zenith carried extremely well. I had no soreness in my shoulders or hips (from the pack) even on a 25 mile day in the Smokys. I am confident that the pack will be comfortable up to 25 lbs for extended time periods and 30 should be manageable for short stretches (5 miles or so). I pack in a very compact fashion, which forces a definite shape to the pack: A solid column of gear that is very stable. In fact, this pack feels much more stable than my mountaineering pack that I took on the AT last summer (and other locales). I've carried the pack for about 10 miles without the hipbelt and it is perfectly comfortable. In fact, if you can keep your load to under 15 lbs, I would not bring the hipbelt at all. If your load will occasionally spike to over 25 lbs, the hipbelt should help alot.
I am taking this pack on the PCT this summer and so should have a fairly detailed review to make then. My only concern at this point is durability. I am not so much worred about fabric durability as I am with the stitching holding together and the mesh superpocket retaining its integrity. While there are no signs of weakenning at this point, 2600+ miles of use will prove the (apparent) quality of the workmanship (it looks really good) or disprove it.
So far, I would highly recommend the Zenith, although I think that if you are not planning to start a hike until next spring, I would wait until the end of the summer when I return for a more definitive review. If you carry a more traditional load (say, with a base weight of 18 or more pounds), you should look elsewhere. If you carry any bulky gear (such as an SLR setup), I would look elsewhere. If you've made the transition to ultralight hiking, I thin the Zenith is a good choice. The Golite Breeze costs and weighs less. However, I suspect the Zenith will be more durable (due to the large amount of spectra used in construction), has a hipbelt, and has a really large external superpocket.
Name: Chris Willett
Age: 29
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 210 lbs
Experience: Springer to Damascus, mountaineering in northern British Columbia, extensive trips in GSMNP, trips in the Whites, Sierras, northern CA, Death Valley, Grand Canyon, etc, etc.
Similar Products Used: None. This is unique for me.
Locations Tested: Grand Canyon, Death Valley, GSMNP.
Weight (as advertised): 19 oz.
Weight (as tested): 19.3 oz.
Price: $125
Web Address: www.ula-equipment.com
Phone Number: n/a
Email: n/a
Other: Frameless, rucksack style pack with a hipbelt. Approximately 2700 ci body (without the extension collar deployed) and 400 ci storage via external mesh superpocket. The extension collar adds approximately 300 ci more.
Review.
---------
ULA (ultralight adventures) is a small, 2 person company that operates out of Logan Utah. Brian Frankle is the front man for the operation and does the sewing and is a former PCT thruhiker and has completed some other interesting hikes, like a tranverse of the Bonneville Salt Flats. He was at the Gathering last fall, where his 3 packs, the Zenith, the P1 (larger, more developed version of the Zenith), and the P2 (even larger, with a frame) generated a lot of interest. There seemed to be a lot of orders for the P2. Both the P1 and the P2 have a lot of options that you can add to them. I, however, went for the smallest and lightest pack that he makes: The Zenith. The Zenith is a frameless, rucksack style pack that includes a hipbelt and is, perhaps, somewhat experimental. It is probably similar to a GoLite Breeze or GVP G4.
The Zenith uses a Z-rest to form a frame for the pack (against your back), like the G4 does. The pack is constructed out of large amounts of Spectra (tough, like Kevlar) and has a large super pocket that goes around the outside of the pack, providing lots of storage space for things that you might want easy access to. In the superpocket, I generally have put lunch food, rain cover, rain jacket, floppy hat, tarp pole, camera, water bladders (2 2.4 L platypus), and even 2 L of whiskey. All fits just fine. You might ask why I need rapid access to whiskey. But, I do. There is a single ice axe loop. The pack features an extension collar and closes down with the help of a strap across the top. Unlike the P1 and P2, there are no options for the Zenith.
The first thing that I noticed about the Zenith was its small size. It really is a tiny pack. My pack last summer was a 44 L mountaineering pack (Serratus Aladdin II), which was plenty big. While the two packs have approximately the same capacity, the Zenith has its storage fairly well split between body, extension collar, and superpocket. My standard load for spring-summer-early fall hiking will fill the main body of the Zenith without using the extension collar. However, I am now using all ultralight gear. Users of more traditional gear will not want this pack. The P2 would be more appropriate.
The shoulder straps and hipbelt are padded, but minimally so. The padding is more than adequate for the type of loads that the Zenith is designed to carry (i.e, under 25 lbs). The suspension is not adjustable, but the pack seems to have been designed specifically for me. The hipbelt pads sit right on my hipbones, the shoulder pads sit mostly on the chest part of my shoulders (where they should be) and not on the top of my shoulders (where they should not be). The hipbelt is removable, by the way. I would suggest trying on the pack if you are significantly larger or smaller than I am.
I tested the Zenith during a 3 day backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon, which was 35 miles long and gained perhaps 7000 ft in elevation, two days worth of day hiking in Death Valley (minimal load), and a 2 day, 40 mile and 8000 ft gain trip in the Smokys. During the two backpacking trips, my load maxed out at around 22 lbs (for 2 hours) and was as low as perhaps 14 lbs. Mostly, my load was around 18 lbs. The Zenith carried extremely well. I had no soreness in my shoulders or hips (from the pack) even on a 25 mile day in the Smokys. I am confident that the pack will be comfortable up to 25 lbs for extended time periods and 30 should be manageable for short stretches (5 miles or so). I pack in a very compact fashion, which forces a definite shape to the pack: A solid column of gear that is very stable. In fact, this pack feels much more stable than my mountaineering pack that I took on the AT last summer (and other locales). I've carried the pack for about 10 miles without the hipbelt and it is perfectly comfortable. In fact, if you can keep your load to under 15 lbs, I would not bring the hipbelt at all. If your load will occasionally spike to over 25 lbs, the hipbelt should help alot.
I am taking this pack on the PCT this summer and so should have a fairly detailed review to make then. My only concern at this point is durability. I am not so much worred about fabric durability as I am with the stitching holding together and the mesh superpocket retaining its integrity. While there are no signs of weakenning at this point, 2600+ miles of use will prove the (apparent) quality of the workmanship (it looks really good) or disprove it.
So far, I would highly recommend the Zenith, although I think that if you are not planning to start a hike until next spring, I would wait until the end of the summer when I return for a more definitive review. If you carry a more traditional load (say, with a base weight of 18 or more pounds), you should look elsewhere. If you carry any bulky gear (such as an SLR setup), I would look elsewhere. If you've made the transition to ultralight hiking, I thin the Zenith is a good choice. The Golite Breeze costs and weighs less. However, I suspect the Zenith will be more durable (due to the large amount of spectra used in construction), has a hipbelt, and has a really large external superpocket.