New WE Lightweight Pack

[Joomy]

At least 50% of packs on the Appalachian Trail this year were Osprey.
Far and away most popular pack.

I chalk that up to their ubiquity and ignorance on the part of the consumer of better alternatives. Osprey may have been pioneers in the lightweight synthetic pack market 15 years ago but now it is all about the cottage manufacturers (as you well know). ULA are the new Osprey for sure. Feature-rich, rugged enough (short of pack hauling/throwing), comfy, and light, light, light!

I don't necessarily agree with that.
I have two ULA packs and love them but the Ospreys for very little extra weight do keep the pack off your back a bit more which reduces that sweat patch on your lower back and they have the "lid" as well which can double as a daypack - useful for "slackpacking" on a trail like the AT.
ULA's were second most common pack. A fair number of cuben fibre packs were around too.

Well I'm not saying that Osprey make bad bags per se. You're not going to die or collapse from pain if you buy one, but there are many better alternatives for similar prices. You say very little extra weight but the Circuit weighs about 400g less than the Kestrel 48 to which it is similarly sized and doesn't carry as well, IMO. The Exo 46 however weighs about the same as the Circuit, but I would argue is probably less durable. The Exo series are nice packs for open country but not for bush bushing or rock scraping.

[Strider]

ULA?

For a gear freak, this REALLY surprises me Wayne!

[wayno]

ULA?

For a gear freak, this REALLY surprises me Wayne!

yup theres just so much out there, I"m not that up on the ultralight gear or the cottage industry gear, definitely a lot of people here who know a lot more than i do about this stuff, i could tell you about a few brands, I have seen these packs before but only recognised the images and not the brand.

[Happy Pirate]

Not the most sophisticated pack in the world but a 70l pack @ 1.7 kg for under $160.
I'm pretty happy with mine.
http://www.mainpeak.com.au/hike-camp/packs/hiking-packs/lowe-alpine-tfx-kongur-65-75-rucksack/

**Actually just looking at the specs the latest packs have had a significant weight gain @ 2.1 kg! My 2YO version tips the scales @ 1.74kg.**
Steve

[McWade]

I bought an Osprey Volt from Bivouac not long ago for AUS$170 delivered. It's on the light side at 1.7kg, has all the features I was after and none that I wasn't with the exception of the separate bottom compartment, but I'll probably cut the separating flap out as I won't use it. Only used it once with a medium load but I found it super comfy. Didn't use the external hydration bladder compartment so don't know how that will pan out. Not particularly robust material by the looks but perfectly fine for on track use. The lid on this model, though removable, isn't designed as a small day pack but could easily be used as such.

[McWade]

Oh, and it's the 75L. I quite like the access to bottle holders from the front (or is it back?). Also like the stow on go thing for pole storage. Thought it would hinder arm movement, and it does, but it's not too bad.

[mtrain]

McWade, what sort of load were you carrying in the volt. I loaded 20kg in one and wore it round the shop for half an hour and it seemed pretty good.

[wayno]

found a review of a ULA pack, reviews of a couple more ULA packs on the right side of the page in the link

http://www.trailspace.com/gear/ula-equi ... eview29777

[McWade]

McWade, what sort of load were you carrying in the volt. I loaded 20kg in one and wore it round the shop for half an hour and it seemed pretty good.

14 kg with food and water when I headed out first morning so only around 10 base wait. Could easily have taken a 50L pack but wanted to give it a run. It cinched down fairly well so I was able to distribute the load acceptably from bottom to top even though it wasn't near full.

So I can't comment on heavy loads but it was very very comfortable and loaded on the hip well. My recent walks with much the same gear have been with a Deuter Futura 50+10, which is really not very comfortable because it feels like to load is pulling me backwards. There are a lot of things I like about the Futura but I just can't seem to balance it properly. I have a 32L version daypack and I like it because they really do seem to keep me cooler. So my comfort rating of the Osprey Volt is probably coloured by my recent walks being uncomfortable. Still, I like the pack design and the price was right so if it holds up I'll be happy.

[22F]

Ah, so that was the pack Ian was talking about!

I was fortunate to meet Ian and his darling wife last year, and they mentioned that trip and a new pack.