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.
Price and availability on ULA Equipment’s site may differ.
Specifications
What do these specs mean? →Features
Pros
- ✓68 L is the largest capacity in this ultralight group and handles a bear canister plus a week of food.
- ✓The carbon hoop and aluminium stay combination is a proven load-transfer design across many Circuit generations.
- ✓Ultra 400X on the body puts the heaviest laminate where abrasion happens.
- ✓Waterproof laminate rather than a coated weave.
- ✓ULA's sizing system is unusually thorough for a cottage brand.
- ✓Rated for heavier loads than most packs of this weight, which is the Circuit's long-standing reputation.
- ✓35.9 oz for 68 L is a strong ratio given the frame hardware.
- ✓Hipbelt pockets included.
Cons
- ✗$380 is a significant premium over the standard Circuit at around $300.
- ✗35.9 oz is the second-heaviest pack in this comparison group.
- ✗Ultra laminates are difficult to field-repair.
- ✗No published maximum load figure despite the pack's load-hauling reputation.
- ✗No adjustable torso; sizing must be right at purchase.
- ✗ULA lead times fluctuate with demand.
- ✗68 L invites overpacking, which defeats the purpose of an ultralight pack.
- ✗Limited retail presence for in-person fitting.
Common Questions
Compare the ULA Equipment Ultra Circuit
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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.
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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.
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Capacity
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