Choosing gear for a thru-hike is a frightening and troublesome resolution. We determine what’s and isn’t mandatory. We dial down our equipment to save lots of weight and prices within the locations we are able to, however there are a couple of gadgets it’s by no means advisable to make severe compromises on — tents, sleeping programs, and backpacks.
Nearly all of a thru-hike is spent sporting your pack, so that you’ll need one thing snug that matches your mountaineering model and the altering environments. Transitioning from lengthy desert water carries to chilly, snowy alpine zones, hikers want the fitting bag to swap gear out and in of, in addition to sturdiness in the course of the altering circumstances of a multi-month trek.
Many thru-hikers have persistently chosen ULA packs on lengthy trails for years for these causes. The newly launched (and enormously up to date) ULA Gear Extremely Circuit isn’t the tiny ultralight fastpacking mini bag it’s possible you’ll favor on your FKT try; nonetheless, it’s a bag for the remainder of us, rigorously designed for giant trails, an enormous lifetime, and large smiles.
Briefly: The ULA Extremely Circuit comfortably carries hundreds and lasts a very long time. Lately up to date with sturdy ULTRA materials, this thoughtfully designed bag is a good choice for each the adventurer new to the path life and the intrepid grizzled hikers in search of an expedition-style pack to fulfill their wants alongside a whole path.
To see how the Extremely Circuit compares to the remainder of our favourite ultralight packs, take a look at GearJunkie’s Finest Ultralight Backpacks Purchaser’s Information.
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Weight
2 lbs., 1.8 oz. -
Quantity
68 L -
Materials
ULTRA 400X/ULTRA 200X Cloth + UltraStretch Mesh -
Exterior Storage
2 zippered hipbelt pockets, 2 adjustable facet water bottle pockets, entrance shove-it pocket, ice axe/trekking pole attachments
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Very sturdy water resistant ULTRA 400X and 200X material -
Tremendous snug and extremely adjustable -
Customizable ordering for private sizes — shoulder straps specifically -
Roll prime with Y strap that may be changed -
Roll prime buckles clip each methods -
Matches bear cans each inside and on prime
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Not seam taped/waterproof -
Strap connections aren’t secured utterly; can come off -
Costly
ULA Gear Extremely Circuit Backpack: Evaluate
I first used a ULA pack on the PCT in 2018 once I wanted to get a lighter and better-fitting pack for the Sierra. I ordered a ULA CDT, which is smaller than the Circuit, and it lasted me the remainder of the path and a few years afterward.
I’ve used a wide range of packs on my thru-hikes and backpacking journeys through the years, all between 30 and 75 L. After protecting over 7,000 miles backpacking within the U.S., I discovered many issues I each love and dislike in regards to the backpacks available on the market and refined my style for particular gear for every mission I embark on.
I took the ULA Extremely Circuit out for its preliminary voyage on an in a single day canyoneering journey in Grand Canyon Nationwide Park. My companion and I loaded up all of our tenting gear, all comparatively ultralight, together with all the technical gear for the canyon descent, together with a whole bunch of ft of rope, carabiners and different {hardware}, a sizeable quantity of anchor-building materials, harnesses, and meals for 2 days.
We drove out to the north rim of Grand Canyon and spent the night time camped on the rim. We awakened the subsequent morning properly earlier than dawn to hike and canyoneer all the way down to the river and hike again to camp.
It’s secure to say that the Extremely Circuit carried out very properly mountaineering with the heavy pack round 8 miles throughout the rim, bushwacking, and scrambling by means of cacti fields and thick brush. We lastly made it to the mouth of the canyon, the place we donned our gear and rappelled into the crack within the earth.
Grand Canyon limestone is sharp, and the sandstone is abrasive. After a full day of sliding, scraping, and thrashing the bag by means of the canyon, the one actual injury was a small gap within the exterior mesh pocket and a single lacking backside strap.
I used to be truthfully shocked by how properly the ULTRA material held up, contemplating the bag wasn’t designed to face up to this explicit expertise. This solely evokes extra confidence within the tear-resistant materials.
Over the arduous miles and hundreds of ft of descent, boulder hopping, after which hundreds of ft of ascent again out of the Grand Canyon, the pack was by no means uncomfortable. The adjustable hip belt felt safe all day, and the shoulder straps by no means bothered me.
Selecting the right measurement of bag and parts is critical, which ULA makes straightforward on its ordering web page. I took the time to measure my again and waist and made positive the shoulder strap design was the fitting one for me, and it positive paid off throughout that journey.
Later, I took the pack to the Tushar Mountains in Utah for a visit with a lot of elevation acquire and a heavy load. This time, reasonably than loading up with canyoneering gear, I introduced my massive digicam and tripod to shoot video and photographs of the mountaineering journey.
Mountain climbing between 9,000 and 12,000 ft, I hiked a loop adjoining to the Tushar Excessive Route, protecting round 25 miles over two days. I used to be impressed with how snug the carry was after topping out on a number of peaks coated in snow and wildflowers. Not loaded up with almost as a lot weight because the earlier tour, my bag was nonetheless comparatively heavy with the additional gear and sleeping equipment.
Apart from these two totally different journeys, I’ve taken the pack on a couple of day hikes round Zion Nationwide Park to play with options and see the way it feels to make use of within the area. I really like loads of issues in regards to the Extremely Circuit, however there are some things I don’t. Let’s break down the issues that stood out to me in regards to the pack.
What It’s Actually Made Of: ULTRA and UltraStretch Mesh
ULA has determined to make use of the ULTRA material made by Problem Sailcloth for its line of baggage. The pack makes use of each ULTRA 400x and 200X Extremely-Excessive Molecular Weight Poly Ethylene material completed with 0.5-mil RPET Movie — making it waterproof and seam tapeable (although, sadly, the bag just isn’t seam taped).
It’s additionally extremely abrasion-resistant, has excessive tear energy, and is UV damage-resistant. Throughout, it’s great things for a backpack that meets all types of powerful environments and circumstances within the wilderness.
The bag shocked me by how properly it held up within the Grand Canyon, scraping by means of sharp limestone and clawed crops. The one factor broken in the course of the canyon descent was the UltraStretch Mesh material on the outer pouch.
One other massive optimistic of the backpack is the vary of sizing choices for the parts while you order a ULA pack. Torso size choices vary from small to XL, and the hip belt ranges from XS to XXL, together with the J and S straps, making it straightforward to personalize the backpack for every particular person’s physique form.
This pack suits me so properly compared to different baggage I’ve used of comparable measurement and value vary. Contemplating how a lot cash hikers are spending on gear nowadays, buying a pack that truly suits is a big deal. ULA’s web site has nice directions and a measurement chart that can assist you appropriately select the fitting measurement Circuit.
Issues That Simply Make Sense In regards to the Extremely Circuit
A few of the small issues that make an enormous distinction for me are the big hip belt pockets — this can be a large person expertise increase for a backpack’s usability. Packing these puppies filled with what I’ll need or want commonly all through the day with out having to take off or unpack my backpack is critical. The zippers on the hip pockets are waterproof — it simply is sensible.
The highest compression strap is available in two variations, the one strap or the Y strap, which is nice for attaching bigger gadgets like a bear canister or your new taste of chips to pack out from city. The pack can also be large enough to suit mentioned bear canister contained in the pack, vertically for bigger cans and horizontally for some smaller-sized canisters, releasing up the highest for even bigger salty snack baggage.
It looks as if it’s the usual nowadays, however having two ice axe/trekking pole loops on the pack wasn’t the norm for each bag again within the day. Including these ice axe loops is a good replace for the ULA Extremely Circuit and a necessity for a lot of thru-hikers on lengthy trails trekking within the early-season snow.
ULA’s “four-point-contact hip belt system” makes the hip belt uber adjustable, one thing I believed I wasn’t going to love at first, however have come to understand the extent of consolation this added to the system.
What Might Be Higher
Just a few design selections on the Extremely Circuit stood out to me in a detrimental method. The bag isn’t seam-taped, so it isn’t utterly waterproof. That is regardless of being made with water resistant material, a roll-top closure, and waterproof zippers. Hikers will nonetheless want to make use of a bag liner to forestall gear from getting moist.
The opposite function I disliked was that the non-compulsory prime and backside straps related with a “G hook,” which is simply {a partially} safe connection level. Whereas the prospect of the straps coming off on their very own accord is low, environments with extra snagging potential may by chance take away these buckles from the pack.
One in every of my backside straps grew to become indifferent throughout a down climb on one in all my backpacking journeys. Some form of snapping or locking connection could be an amazing replace for this pack sooner or later for hikers and backpackers who’re taking this sturdy bag into extra rugged, gnarly terrain and environments.
It might be a little bit nit-picky to say this different situation. When filled with bigger 1.5L bottles, or two bottles collectively, the water bottle pockets are barely lower than straightforward to make use of. In comparison with different types of facet pockets rivals’ designs, these are stiff and product of the identical ULTRA materials, however not as stretchy the place they cinch down across the bottle.
Due to the best way this backpack was designed, the underside of the bag is curved, and it doesn’t sit upright by itself. Whereas this forces you to pack your bag with weight extra evenly distributed inside, making an attempt to get it to remain proper facet up whereas packing up camp within the morning grew to become irritating.
Lastly, I might like it if the UltraStretch Mesh dorsal pocket within the again was just a bit larger. It feels a bit small and laborious to sift round in when I’ve a couple of gadgets and a jacket jammed into it. Whereas it retains the pack profile sleeker and fewer straightforward to snag, I’d like to see a pocket that makes it simpler to get gadgets out and in of.
Is the ULA Extremely Circuit Definitely worth the Hype?
The ULA Extremely Circuit is a improbable again for thru-hikers on trails just like the PCT or CDT, the place hikers will encounter lengthy carries, traverse all kinds of terrain and path circumstances, and desire a pack to final that does nearly the whole lot.
There’s sufficient room on this 40L inside pack to suit the requirements for a three-season thru-hike, and the bells and whistles on the skin are good, with no pointless parts included. There’s a purpose the Circuit is likely one of the hottest packs on the Pacific Crest and Continental Divide trails. We would like the trusty sturdiness and luxury of a pack like this.
It’s possible you’ll suppose that this isn’t the pack for you — it gained’t be the right bag for everybody. Coming in between $397 and $414, it actually gained’t be in everybody’s value vary. There are cheaper and lighter packs available on the market for Ultralighters, however not all of them have the identical load-carrying capability for these lengthy sections of roadless backcountry.
For mountaineering in bear canister territory, lengthy meals/water carries, moist circumstances, and rugged terrain, this can be a nice backpack for the all-summer thru-hike or shoulder-season traveler.
Through-hikers in search of a personalized light-weight backpack that can final for multiple thru-hike carrying all of your gear and meals throughout deserts and mountain ranges all summer season lengthy, that is the bag for you.
ULA Extremely Circuit Pack: Conclusion
ULA Gear has discovered an amazing place within the center for its ultralight backpacks in comparison with rivals. The Extremely Circuit pack is perhaps a little bit heavier than a number of the different packs with related quantity, however the load capability is healthier. In the identical vein, some packs carry barely heavier hundreds, just like the Hyperlight Southwest, however the ULA one-ups them in adjustability with out compromising the burden of the backpack itself.
So, no, it gained’t be the pack you’ll saddle up in to your calendar 12 months Triple Crown. However is the Extremely model of the pack definitely worth the added $80 wanted to trim it out in super-durable ULTRA material? That’ll rely in your deliberate utilization.
Properly-worn path? Go along with the common Circuit. However a thru-hike of the Hayduke Path? Finest to seize the Extremely model. That added thick pores and skin will likely be paying out dividends for miles to come back.