Choosing gear for a thru-hike is a frightening and tough determination. We resolve what’s and isn’t crucial. We dial down our equipment to save lots of weight and prices within the locations we will, however there are a number of gadgets it’s by no means really useful to make critical compromises on — tents, sleeping techniques, and backpacks.
Nearly all of a thru-hike is spent carrying your pack, so that you’ll need one thing snug that matches your mountain climbing type and the altering environments. Transitioning from lengthy desert water carries to chilly, snowy alpine zones, hikers want the suitable bag to swap gear out and in of, in addition to sturdiness through the altering situations 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 you could choose on your FKT try; nevertheless, it’s a bag for the remainder of us, fastidiously designed for giant trails, an enormous lifetime, and massive 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 searching for 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, try 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 -
Outdoors 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 cloth -
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 -
Suits bear cans each inside and on prime
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Not seam taped/waterproof -
Strap connections aren’t secured fully; can come off -
Costly
ULA Gear Extremely Circuit Backpack: Assessment
I first used a ULA pack on the PCT in 2018 after 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 quite a lot of packs on my thru-hikes and backpacking journeys over time, all between 30 and 75 L. After masking over 7,000 miles backpacking within the U.S., I discovered many issues I each love and dislike in regards to the backpacks in the marketplace 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 accomplice 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 lot of toes 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 following morning effectively earlier than dawn to hike and canyoneer all the way down to the river and hike again to camp.
It’s protected to say that the Extremely Circuit carried out very effectively mountain climbing 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 harm was a small gap within the outdoors mesh pocket and a single lacking backside strap.
I used to be truthfully shocked by how effectively the ULTRA cloth held up, contemplating the bag wasn’t designed to face up to this specific expertise. This solely conjures up extra confidence within the tear-resistant materials.
Over the arduous miles and hundreds of toes of descent, boulder hopping, after which hundreds of toes 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 elements is important, which ULA makes simple on its ordering web page. I took the time to measure my again and waist and made certain the shoulder strap design was the suitable one for me, and it certain paid off throughout that journey.
Later, I took the pack to the Tushar Mountains in Utah for a visit with a number of elevation acquire and a heavy load. This time, quite than loading up with canyoneering gear, I introduced my massive digital camera and tripod to shoot video and photographs of the mountain climbing journey.
Mountaineering between 9,000 and 12,000 toes, I hiked a loop adjoining to the Tushar Excessive Route, masking 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 lined 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.
Other than these two completely different journeys, I’ve taken the pack on a number 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 cloth made by Problem Sailcloth for its line of luggage. The pack makes use of each ULTRA 400x and 200X Extremely-Excessive Molecular Weight Poly Ethylene cloth completed with 0.5-mil RPET Movie — making it waterproof and seam tapeable (although, sadly, the bag 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 situations within the wilderness.
The bag shocked me by how effectively it held up within the Grand Canyon, scraping by means of sharp limestone and clawed vegetation. The one factor broken through the canyon descent was the UltraStretch Mesh cloth on the outer pouch.
One other massive constructive of the backpack is the vary of sizing choices for the elements once 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 simple to personalize the backpack for every particular person’s physique form.
This pack suits me so effectively compared to different luggage I’ve used of comparable measurement and worth vary. Contemplating how a lot cash hikers are spending on gear nowadays, buying a pack that really suits is a large deal. ULA’s web site has nice directions and a measurement chart that will help you appropriately select the suitable measurement Circuit.
Issues That Simply Make Sense Concerning the Extremely Circuit
A few of the small issues that make an enormous distinction for me are the massive hip belt pockets — this can be a big consumer expertise increase for a backpack’s usability. Packing these puppies stuffed with what I’ll need or want usually all through the day with out having to take off or unpack my backpack is important. The zippers on the hip pockets are waterproof — it simply is smart.
The highest compression strap is available in two variations, the only 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 stated bear canister contained in the pack, vertically for bigger cans and horizontally for some smaller-sized canisters, liberating up the highest for even bigger salty snack luggage.
It looks like 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 decisions on the Extremely Circuit stood out to me in a adverse means. The bag isn’t seam-taped, so it isn’t fully waterproof. That is regardless of being made with water resistant cloth, a roll-top closure, and waterproof zippers. Hikers will nonetheless want to make use of a bag liner to stop gear from getting moist.
The opposite characteristic I disliked was that the elective prime and backside straps linked with a “G hook,” which is simply {a partially} safe connection level. Whereas the possibility of the straps coming off on their very own accord is low, environments with extra snagging potential may by accident take away these buckles from the pack.
One among my backside straps grew to become indifferent throughout a down climb on considered one of my backpacking journeys. Some type of snapping or locking connection can be an awesome 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 bit nit-picky to say this different situation. When full of bigger 1.5L bottles, or two bottles collectively, the water bottle pockets are barely lower than simple to make use of. In comparison with different kinds 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, attempting to get it to remain proper facet up whereas packing up camp within the morning grew to become irritating.
Lastly, I’d adore it if the UltraStretch Mesh dorsal pocket within the again was just a bit larger. It feels a bit small and exhausting to sift round in when I’ve a number of gadgets and a jacket jammed into it. Whereas it retains the pack profile sleeker and fewer simple 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 incredible 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 situations, and need a pack to final that does nearly every little thing.
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 elements included. There’s a motive the Circuit is without doubt 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.
Chances are you’ll assume that this isn’t the pack for you — it gained’t be the proper bag for everybody. Coming in between $397 and $414, it definitely gained’t be in everybody’s worth vary. There are cheaper and lighter packs in the marketplace for Ultralighters, however not all of them have the identical load-carrying capability for these lengthy sections of roadless backcountry.
For mountain climbing in bear canister territory, lengthy meals/water carries, moist situations, and rugged terrain, this can be a nice backpack for the all-summer thru-hike or shoulder-season traveler.
Via-hikers searching for a personalized light-weight backpack that can final for a couple of thru-hike carrying all of your gear and meals throughout deserts and mountain ranges all summer time lengthy, that is the bag for you.
ULA Extremely Circuit Pack: Conclusion
ULA Gear has discovered an awesome place within the center for its ultralight backpacks in comparison with rivals. The Extremely Circuit pack could be a bit heavier than among the different packs with comparable quantity, however the load capability is best. 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 on your calendar yr Triple Crown. However is the Extremely model of the pack well worth the added $80 wanted to trim it out in super-durable ULTRA cloth? That’ll rely in your deliberate utilization.
Effectively-worn path? Go together 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.
