[pct-l] ULA Circuit

[John Abela]

On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 10:39 AM, Kathy Walter <kathywalter at me.com> wrote:

> I am looking for a new backpack for the Sierras. I have a Granite Gear
> Nimbus, but want to go lighter. I am reading a lot of positive
> comments about the Circuit, but I'm not clear whether people find it
> comfortable with a bear canister. Or are there other packs I should
> consider? Base weight will be 13-14 pounds.
>


Hello Kathy,

I honestly do not recall ever owning any backpack that was "comfortable with
a bear canister".

The comfort factor is not about the bear canister itself... it is the fact
that you have an additional 10-15 days of food in your pack.

If you are a 2lb of food per day person, that means your 14 pound pack just
became up to another 30 pounds heavier for the long Sierra stretch.

A 2 pound bear canister seems nothing in comparison to 25-30 pounds.

Most folks (that I know) who carry their bear canisters at top of the their
pack - pull their food out of their canister and stuff it into their bag to
reduce top weight.

So by going that route, again, the blame-game is taken off of the canister,
and onto the fact that you've got a week+ of food on your back.

There have been guys who have done the PCT with 8 ounce packs (and lighter).
Compare that to the 36 ounces that the ULA Circuit weighs.

The point here is that these guys are out there with packs with very little
frame support (ie: nothing more than their sleeping pad) compared to the
uber awesome support of the Circuit - yet they make it happen.

Now, I am far from Chuck Norris, so while I do have a pack that weights
9-ounces, I am not sure if I will be able to do that (getting old sucks, eh)
so I am planning to use a super light backpack for everywhere except that
one section, at which point I will probably switch over to a larger pack
with some internal stays. Than switch back once that heavy week is done.

So all that said Kathy, my own personal take on the matter is this: I have
owned a Circuit. Without a doubt one of the best backpacks I have ever owned
in my life. The comfort level of that pack is so much nicer than anything
else I have ever used. I decided to switch away from it because the rest of
my gear only weighs 5.3 pounds, so it just did not make sense to use a pack
that weighs 50% of the gear I am carrying.

If you are at the 12-15 pound range, there are a whole lot of people who've
been down the PCT that will 100% recommend the Circuit as one awesome pack.

Two potential alternatives (there are lots more, I just like these two)

http://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/products/packs/hmg-windrider-i-ultralight-pack.html-
this can handle the same load as the Circuit and it weighs 50% less
than
the Circuit

http://www.zpacks.com/backpacks/blast.shtml - (blast 32) This could handle
the weight you have, but for the long week of extra food, I would add the
stays for extra support. When you get done adding all the little parts to
make this pack equivalent to the Circuit/Windrider, it will weight a bit
over 10 ounces. That is 15 ounces lighter than the Windrider and 25 ounces
(1.5 pounds!) lighter than the Circuit.

It is very important to remember that the way that ULA measures their cu in
is different than others. That is why you might see such vastly different
numbers in regards to the cubic inches of storage.

So as a lot of other people have said in the past, it is all about the
comfort versus weight factor.

The Circuit is the most comfortable pack I have ever used (I have owned a
few of them). It has a massive amount of storage space and will pack very
well on the entire PCT trail.

The HMG Windrider is the most bombproof and waterproof pack I have ever
owned (I have used mine for most of 2010). Not as comfortable as the Circuit
with a really heavy load (28lbs+) but it is 50% lighter.

The ZPacks Blast is going to make you sing like a paradise bird for the
entire trip except for where you have to have 20+ pounds worth of food on
your back. At nearly 2 pounds lighter than the Circuit, you have just saved
yourself 25% of your total baseweight, just by switching to a different,
slightly less comfortable pack.

Hope this gives you some insights into making a decision!

Have a great day!

John B. Abela
www.RedwoodOutdoors.Com