The ULA Ohm (previously known as the ULA Ohm 2.0) is a 63L ultralight type backpack that’s sturdy sufficient for tough and difficult adventures. It’s additionally obtainable with the identical female and male shoulder straps and hip belts (obtainable in a number of lengths) supplied with ULA’s different multi-day backpacks, so that you get a pack that matches you and your physique sort. In comparison with ULA’s different packs, the Ohm has a light-weight body and suspension system that’s finest used for masses below 30 lbs. It’s an ideal backpack that’s very responsive for on-trail and off-trail journey, however it requires a barely totally different packing method than backpacks with a beefier body.
Specs at a Look
- Weight: 33.8 ounces
- Complete quantity: 63 Liters
- Most important compartment and extension collar quantity: 42.6 Liters
- Pockets: 5 + fundamental
- Hydration suitable: Sure
- Load lifters: Sure
- Rain cowl included: No
- Rec’d Max Load: 30 lbs or much less
- Rec’d Base Weight: 12 lbs or much less
- Torso lengths: 15″-24+”
- Hip belt lengths: 26″-47+”
- Shoulder straps: J-shape or S-shaped obtainable
- Bear canister compatibility: BV500 (vertical); BV475, BV450, BV425 (horizontal)
- Cloth: 400D Robic Nylon (commonplace) + Customized colours and materials obtainable incl Robic, XPac or Cordura in lots of colours incl camouflage. The ULA Extremely 24 Ohm can also be obtainable in Extremely 200D and 400D cloth.
Go to ULA Gear for full specs.
Backpack Storage and Group
The ULA Ohm is laid out like most ultralight type backpacks with a big central storage compartment, facet water bottle pockets, and a protracted entrance stretch pocket.
The principle compartment on the Ohm closes with a roll-top that’s secured to webbing straps alongside the pack’s sides. The roll-top doesn’t have a stiffener, snaps, or velcro to catch in your clothes or gear. You can too clip the roll-top buckles collectively on high for those who choose and join the roll-top webbing straps over the entrance stretch pocket so that they don’t grasp free, or if it’s worthwhile to carry cumbersome objects like snowshoes. A large webbing strap additionally runs over the roll-top so as to add high compression or if you wish to strap a foam pad on high of the pack.
The principle compartment doesn’t have a hydration pocket, though it does have a velcro strap within the middle of the again that you would grasp a reservoir from. There are two hydration ports sewn into the perimeters of the pack above the shoulders.
The facet water bottle pockets on the Ohm are monumental and make the pack seem like a chipmunk with full facet cheeks. They’ve drain holes on the base and elastic cords on high to safe tall bottles, like 1L Smartwater bottles. They’re additionally very simple to succeed in for pulling out bottles and changing them whilst you’re strolling. Sadly, the facet pockets should not fairly tall sufficient to safe a 32 oz Nalgene except you lay it on its facet. I choose 1L ultralight polyethylene Nalgene bottles as a result of Smartwater bottles are too troublesome to maintain clear for any affordable time frame.
One notable distinction between the Ohm’s facet pockets and people on the ULA Circuit Backpack is the entrance of the pockets. The Circuit’s facet pockets have a gap in entrance as a result of the underside of the shoulder straps terminate contained in the pocket. That’s not the case on the Ohm, the place the shoulder straps terminate in entrance of them, so that they’re solely open on high. I like this design rather a lot higher and it’s an vital distinction for those who’re making an attempt to resolve between these two ULA packs. They each of the identical most load rankings however the Circuit is healthier for carrying a bear canister as a result of it has a steel body keep within the center to guard your again from the canister’s laborious edges.
The Ohm’s entrance stretch pocket is made with a tightly woven cloth that’s just about impervious to snagging on vegetation. The stretch pocket is fairly tight so you possibly can’t retailer cumbersome objects inside it like a cookpot, however it’s high-quality for storing free clothes layers, snacks, a water filter/gentle bottle, a moist rain fly, or different daytime necessities you need useful entry too.
Compression and Exterior Attachment System
The compression system on the ULA Ohm could be very easy and streamlined. There’s a easy cord-based compression system that runs alongside the perimeters of the pack. I choose webbing myself, however the cord-based system is surprisingly efficient. The facet compression twine may also be used to safe tent poles, packraft paddles, or different lengthy skinny objects to the facet of the pack. (I wish to tie moist socks to it.) Should you don’t just like the zig-zag sample, you possibly can merely substitute it with your individual twine and twine locks. You’d in all probability need to do that for those who wished to strap snowshoes or a foam pad to the facet of the pack.
ULA gives two customization choices if you would like extra attachment factors together with:
- Y-Strap as a substitute of a single high strap: a double strap in entrance that closes at a single buckle within the again the place the collar meets the again panel.
- Backside straps: two straps that run from the underside of the again panel to the entrance, buckling closed the place the underside panel meets the entrance panel of the pack.
The shoulder straps even have various very helpful attachment factors for carrying digital equipment or attaching water bottles with elastic cords or a water bottle sleeve (offered individually). However I do like to connect accent pockets to my shoulder straps and recognize the plastic rings and daisy chains sewn onto the shoulder straps. There are additionally trekking poles and ice ax shaft holders sewn to the perimeters of the entrance stretch pocket, in addition to a single ice ax loop on the pocket’s backside.
Backpack Body and Suspension
The Ohm has a light-weight body and suspension system, which is why the producer recommends that you just hold your base weight (gear minus meals and water) at 12 kilos or much less. You shouldn’t take my description of the body system as crucial, however as cautionary. The Ohm is de facto designed for individuals carrying reasonably gentle masses. The producer recommends a max load of 30 kilos, which I might agree with. Should you’re on the lookout for a pack that’s much like the Ohm however can deal with heavier masses, I’d encourage you to have a look at the ULA Catalyst, which is designed for that objective.
The Ohm body has two parts: a carbon fiber rod that runs across the perimeter of the primary pack bag behind your shoulders and again, and a skinny detachable pad inside the primary compartment that protects your again from pointy issues poking by.
The carbon fiber rod doesn’t insert into the hip belt and subsequently supplies little or no load switch to the hips. Its major objective is to stop the pack bag from collapsing on itself like an unstructured sack and to supply an anchor level for the pack’s load lifters above your shoulders. The carbon fiber rod just isn’t very robust, so you need to keep away from sitting on the Ohm to keep away from breaking it.
The froth pad contained in the pack is the equal to the bivy pad you’d discover on a climber’s pack. It’s not large enough or thick sufficient to sleep on, however it’s a good supply of secondary sleeping insulation below your torso or below your legs. It’s additionally an ideal sit pad or entrance kneeling porch on your tent, however it’s saved inside your pack and troublesome to get out with out unpacking it, so finest utilized in camp for that objective.
When packing the Ohm it’s worthwhile to watch out to not overstuff it with cumbersome objects, like tightly compressed stuff sacks, since you’ll really feel them poking by the froth again pad. The easiest way to pack your gear within the Ohm is to stack stuff sack horizontally and stuff free objects alongside the perimeters. Attempt to keep away from stuffing an excessive amount of gear in, as a result of the pack tends to barrel-roll into your again by the froth pad. Heavier objects, like a meals bag, are finest positioned about 1/3 to 1/2 up the stack, so that they’re near your waist.
The truth that the Ohm has a body makes it attainable to offer the pack load lifters. These are fairly particular on the Ohm as a result of you possibly can regulate the strap angle relying in your private dimensions. I’m not speaking about pulling on the load lifter straps to tilt the pack ahead and according to your hips, however how you can regulate the strap angle so it’s near a 45-degree angle. To do that, you’d transfer the buckle anchoring the entrance of the load lifter to the shoulder strap up or down, relying on how “lengthy” your torso is. It is a high-end customization possibility usually discovered on expedition packs and really helpful if you wish to personalize a pack’s match.
The Ohm hip belt is the usual large wrap belt that ULA gives on all of its backpacks. It’s hooked up to the again of the pack utilizing velcro, in entrance and behind. Velcro-attached hip belts are a tried and true design ingredient on light-weight packs and make it attainable so that you can attempt on totally different hip belt sizes with the identical pack to dial in a customized match. There’s additionally 2″ of vertical play the place you possibly can place the hip belt (larger or decrease) which provides you the flexibility to fine-tune the pack’s torso size. It is a distinctive characteristic of ULA’s hip belt system which is an actual value-add.
The hip belt has two massive zippered pockets and twin straps that allow you to fine-tune the match relying on the form of your hips. The straps regulate utilizing a Scherer pull-forward cinch, first developed by Kelty, and join at a middle buckle. I feel the ULA twin strap hip belt is the very best becoming hip belt obtainable right now on ultralight type packs and it’s the key sauce that makes the ULA Ohm, the ULA Circuit, and ULA Catalyst (which all use the identical hip belt) really easy to hold. It matches nice, doesn’t slip, and makes for a really responsive and safe carry.
Each the hip belt and shoulder straps are lined in padded spacer mesh which is comfortable with out being too gentle. The Ohm’s shoulder straps are additionally obtainable in two types, J-shaped or S-shaped: J straps work finest on males with common builds, and S straps work finest on nearly all men and women with extra athletic builds or sloping shoulders. See ULA’s Pack becoming directions for a very good clarification of the variations (on the backside of the Ohm product web page).
Suggestion
The ULA Ohm is an ultralight backpack (63L/33.6 ounces) that’s sized for multi-day backpacking journeys and thru-hikes. It’s designed for ultralight backpackers who’ve gotten their base weight down and need a sturdy however streamlined backpack. Made with heavier, extra sturdy materials (400 denier Robic), it is a backpack that may take some critical punishment, making it a standout for backpackers who need a pack that they will use for years, or a number of thru-hikes. Optionally available parts make it simple to reconfigure the Ohm for various types of journeys, and the selection of various type shoulder straps and hip belt lengths means you can personalize the match for optimum consolation. The Ohm can also be obtainable in an enormous vary of much more sturdy materials, colours, and coloration mixtures if you wish to let your hiker trash flag fly. Any means you slice it, you actually can’t go flawed whichever ULA Ohm. Extremely beneficial.
Disclosure: ULA loaned the creator a backpack for this assessment.
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