Just got my new ULA Circuit

[JoshL]

I will be taking it out tomorrow on a 3 day hike and will post a more in depth review after but so far I am very impressed with how roomy the pack is. I packed up everything for my trip and still have plenty of room to spare. I love the large side and hip belt pockets, and it is pretty comfortable. I am coming from a Gregory Z65, and saving ~3 lbs is pretty awesome.

[Firefighter503]

Congrats. You won't be disappointed.

[Rasty]

I want one or the OHM 2

[House of Payne]

Eager to hear your trip results. I have the same pack on my wish list

[G.G.]

Another interested geek...

I use a Z55 but haven't made the move. I intend to mod my side pockets to gain some volume. If it doesn't work, I think a ULA is in my future.

[Buffalo Skipper]

I have this pack, and I love it! Enjoy your trek and I look forward to hearing how it worked for you.

[Maddog]

I will be taking it out tomorrow on a 3 day hike and will post a more in depth review after but so far I am very impressed with how roomy the pack is. I packed up everything for my trip and still have plenty of room to spare. I love the large side and hip belt pockets, and it is pretty comfortable. I am coming from a Gregory Z65, and saving ~3 lbs is pretty awesome.

Congrats! I'll be ordering the Woodland Camo version soon! I don't need 3 ULA packs, but I want it! I'm a sucker for anything camo! Maddog

[BradMT]

Question... are the aluminum stays removeable?

[peakbagger]

The stays were removable when I bought mine two years ago. I was planning a trip and needed to put my pack in a suitcase. I talked to the new owner and he offered to supply me a three piece stay so that I could remove it, break it down and roll it up in the pack. No charge. My pack came fuly equipped with some extras that I dont use like bottle carriers and hand straps, they all unclip. Sure some speciality firms may offer slightly lighter options but ULA packs are built more durable.

[BradMT]

The stays were removable when I bought mine two years ago. I was planning a trip and needed to put my pack in a suitcase. I talked to the new owner and he offered to supply me a three piece stay so that I could remove it, break it down and roll it up in the pack. No charge. My pack came fuly equipped with some extras that I dont use like bottle carriers and hand straps, they all unclip. Sure some speciality firms may offer slightly lighter options but ULA packs are built more durable.

Thanks for the response. I have absolutely no use for a pack without stays that can be removed and customized to my back.

You've now got me interested.

Are the stays full-length in size (ie, the entire length of the backpanel)?

I'm also impressed that the pack comes in 4 sizes... almost unheard of these days!

[peakbagger]

Sorry but the stay is more like a fiberglass hoop that transfers load from the shoulder so to the hips. It not like the old aluminum stays on "load monster packs" that could be bent to fit. Realisitcally if you stay in the recomended load range there is no need for form fitting stays. I will agree that on my old Moutnainsmith Frostfire (6000 cubic inches) the bendable stays helped me to carry loads that I later regretted.

[Hairbear]

I will be taking it out tomorrow on a 3 day hike and will post a more in depth review after but so far I am very impressed with how roomy the pack is. I packed up everything for my trip and still have plenty of room to spare. I love the large side and hip belt pockets, and it is pretty comfortable. I am coming from a Gregory Z65, and saving ~3 lbs is pretty awesome.

whats the weight on that pack

[MuddyWaters]

The circuit has 2 stays. One is an aluminum bar right down the middle of the back. The other is carbon fiber rods with a plastic flexible part on top.
You will take the al stay out, and bend it to fit your back so that it is most comfortable. A velcro tab hols it in its place. The carbon fiber side stays have the flex plastic on top, because it has to be bent to get into the place it goes. It then springs into position . This is the stay the load lifters pull against, with the support help of the top strap.

You can remove them both and use it as a frameless pack with a ccf pad. However the load lifters are about 24" from the bottom, so unless you have a wide CCF pad, they dont have anything really good to pull against. I tried all different ways , but settled on using it with the stays. The comfort and support far exceed the couple ounce penalty.

[BradMT]

The circuit has 2 stays. One is an aluminum bar right down the middle of the back. The other is carbon fiber rods with a plastic flexible part on top.
You will take the al stay out, and bend it to fit your back so that it is most comfortable. A velcro tab hols it in its place. The carbon fiber side stays have the flex plastic on top, because it has to be bent to get into the place it goes. It then springs into position . This is the stay the load lifters pull against, with the support help of the top strap.

You can remove them both and use it as a frameless pack with a ccf pad. However the load lifters are about 24" from the bottom, so unless you have a wide CCF pad, they dont have anything really good to pull against. I tried all different ways , but settled on using it with the stays. The comfort and support far exceed the couple ounce penalty.

Thanks, that's great news... a pack without a customizeable stay is something I want nothing to do with.

Most light packs are being designed in the absolutely wrong direction... I'll have to try a ULA.

[skinewmexico]

Love all 3 of my ULA packs.

[Chubbs4U]

Anticipating my OHM 2.0 Camo thats in the mail. My 2nd ULA pack and I cant wait.

[BradMT]

I starting looking at the "volume" of the circuit... kinda tiny, and a bit deceiving once you start breaking it down by compartment.

I'll pass. I need something bigger.

[JoshL]

Just got back from my trip, 3 days, 2 nights mostly on the AT in North Carolina around Standing Indian Mountain. First the weather was pretty bad, lots of rain, and a real bad thunderstorm/high winds on day 2. I didn't have a pack cover, but I did have a compactor bag that I used on the inside as well as a couple sea to summit dry compression sacks for clothes and sleeping bag.

Overall I was quite impressed. It took me most of the first day to get the hip belt to fit just right, the 2 adjustment straps on each side do give a little bit more custom fit for the hip belt. The suspension was pretty comfortable, not quite as much as the gregory, but certainly adequate for the load I was carrying (~25 lbs). I do really enjoy the large hip belt pockets, had plenty of room for snacks, compass, headlamp, lighters, and other small stuff. The bag was roomier than I expected, I could easily have fit another 3 or 4 days of food and still had room to spare. The material seems sturdy and I had no problems with snags/tears anything like that. I do agree with some reviews that I read that the large front pocket is hard to get stuff into and out of when the pack is full, I had my camp shoes and my rain jacket there. It did a reasonably good at keeping my things dry, although in hard rain you do need either a cover or compactor bag to keep things on the inside dry. Things in the hip belt pockets do get wet and you might want to keep them in a ziplock. Folding the top over just right can be a bit tricky at times, though I think I have the hang of it now.

Overall I am quite satisfied with the pack. While it rides closer to my back than the gregory and doesn't provide the same air flow on your back as gregory's suspension, it is certainly comfortable, and the weight savings certainly make up for it.

[Emerson Bigills]

Josh, I made the same transition, Gregory Z65 to the ULA Circuit and think your results are similar to mine. I love the weight reduction. I have to admit that I miss the zipper pouch on the top of my Z65, but you have to sacrifice some things to get the weight down. The airflow against my back is decreased and I get lathered up a little quicker back there. I am still trying to find the combination of the right water bottle to use with the strap holsters.

Always fun getting new equipment and learning to use it.

[MuddyWaters]

I starting looking at the "volume" of the circuit... kinda tiny, and a bit deceiving once you start breaking it down by compartment.

I'll pass. I need something bigger.

Its a lightweight pack, intended for light wt gear and a lightwt mindset. By those standards, its perfect for many. Its huge for some too.