New to Ultralight

[wperrott92]

I went with the tarp tent notch and an enormous 1.95 pound 15-20 degree quilt to accommodate my size. Unfortunately I just discovered that my exos ripped pretty badly but am not worried about finding a way to return it to osprey/Amazon. I'll either have to get another exos or look into more durable designs. I'm also considering the ula circuit and one of those hyper lite 3400 packs but am not familiar with either.

[Venchka]

You should return the Exos to Osprey. They will repair/replace it.
That said, a ULA Circuit/Catalyst are much sturdier than the Exos. I just bought a Catalyst to use in place of a Dana Design ArcFlex Terraplane in light load situations.

Wayne


Old. Slow. "Smarter than the average bear."

[wperrott92]

Assuming I can't get this pack repaired/replaced by my 6-10 day trip on the Ozark highlands trail which other packs could I consider. Not counting the pack my other two base weight items are at about 3.5 pounds. Also have to consider that the resupply points on the big thru trails in Arkansas don't have great resupply potential and I would at least like some capability to carry a bear canister down the line. Most of my future trips will have to be in the dead of winter due to Rotc schedule but in the south that's more like 3.5 seasons.

[poolskaterx]

You can often find used Zpacks backpacks "gently used" starting around $200; that will shave a chunk of weight. I Purchased my Zpacks 52L Blast + hip pouches for around that price and it is weighing in a scant 21oz; it also fits my BV450 bear canister when it is needed. Osprey will take care of your broken pack without any hassle but the time frame might be tight; I still use my old Osprey pack when the weight is not a concern.

[wperrott92]

I really wanted to get a gossamer pack but they are out of stock. I'll take a chance on getting my exos fixed as I don't feel like the ULA packs are that much better than the osprey.