ULA Equipment
ULA Catalyst
The Catalyst is the Circuit's bigger sibling — 75 liters of total volume and a 40 lb rating for long food carries, winter kit, or bear-canister-plus-packraft loads. It's the UL pack for people whose trips outgrow the Circuit.
Price and availability on ULA Equipment’s site may differ.
Specifications
What do these specs mean? →Features
Pros
- ✓The go-to answer when ultralight hikers ask 'what if I need more than a Circuit' — same DNA, more capacity, 5 lb higher rating.
- ✓Dual aluminum stays plus the hoop make its 40 lb rating honest; desert hikers carry 8L of water without collapse.
- ✓75 liters swallows a BV500 horizontally plus 10 days of food — the specific use case owners buy it for.
- ✓The same 400d Robic bombproof reputation as the Circuit, with thousands-of-miles reports common.
- ✓Massive front mesh and hipbelt pockets keep a full day's needs outside the main bag.
- ✓Hand-made in Utah, easily repairable, backed by ULA's excellent service.
- ✓About 6 ounces heavier than the Circuit for 7 more liters and a stiffer frame.
- ✓Strong resale on trade forums, like everything ULA.
Cons
- ✗Overkill for standard three-season loads — most buyers who don't need the volume end up wishing they'd bought the Circuit.
- ✗Same zero-ventilation foam back as the Circuit; sweat is the tax.
- ✗Fixed torso sizes with direct-order-only sizing risk.
- ✗At 2.78 lbs it's approaching crossover packs with plusher harnesses.
- ✗The big collar is floppy when underfilled, so partial loads need diligent compression.
- ✗No lid, no internal organization — the usual ULA minimalism.
- ✗Seasonal lead times can be long.
- ✗The look is pure function; nobody buys a Catalyst for style.
Common Questions
Compare the ULA Catalyst
Related backpacks
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ULA Equipment
ULA Circuit
The Circuit is the thru-hiking pack — hand-made in Logan, Utah by ULA Equipment and a perennial #1 in Halfway Anywhere's PCT gear survey. Its 68 liters of total volume, bombproof Robic fabric, and 35 lb carry make it the default recommendation for first thru-hikes. An Ultra-fabric version is sold at a premium.
Weight
2.41 lbs
Capacity
68 L
Frame
Internal Frame
ULA Equipment
ULA Equipment Circuit SV
ULA's new smaller-volume Circuit is the Circuit SV: 48 L instead of 68, on the same hoop, foam and stay suspension, at the same $299.99. It weighs 37.5 oz and keeps the 35 lb rating, so the cut is in volume rather than carrying ability.
Weight
2.3 lbs
Capacity
48 L
Frame
Internal Frame
ULA Equipment
ULA Equipment Ultra Circuit
The Ultra Circuit is the Ultra-fabric version of ULA's best-known pack. It keeps the Circuit's carbon hoop and aluminium stay combination but rebuilds it in Ultra 400X and 200X, making it waterproof and considerably more tear-resistant than the standard Robic version.
Weight
2.30 lbs
Capacity
68 L
Frame
Internal Frame
ULA Equipment
ULA Equipment Ultra Circuit SV
ULTRA 400X and 200X fabric goes into the Ultra Circuit SV, ULA's new 48 L Circuit. It is 1.7 oz lighter than the Robic SV at 35.8 oz, keeps the 35 lb rating, and costs $80 more.
Weight
2.2 lbs
Capacity
48 L
Frame
Internal Frame
ULA Equipment
ULA Equipment UltraGrid Ohm
Now built in UltraGrid throughout, the Ohm is ULA's lighter framed pack: 55 L, 30.4 oz, rated to 30 lb. A 3/4 roll-top with a sewn-in Y-strap closes it, and the side pockets are bellowed UltraGrid.
Weight
1.9 lbs
Capacity
55 L
Frame
Internal Frame
ULA Equipment
ULA Equipment Ultra Catalyst
ULTRA fabric replaces Robic on the Ultra Catalyst, ULA's 75 L hauler: same twin-stay framesheet and 40 lb rating as the Robic Catalyst, at 40.1 oz and $399.99. ULA states it will carry a bear canister horizontally.
Weight
2.5 lbs
Capacity
75 L
Frame
Internal Frame