ULA Ohm

[Paul Wozniak]

Skeptical, I loaded up this 18 oz beauty. Hammock, over- and underquilts, tarp, bushbuddy and pot, etc + 4 days food made it in! The extension collar accomodated the other 2 days food.

Oh but the load…24 lbs. With water plentiful I opted to carry only a liter. This was gonna hurt. But, lo, the carbon fiber suspension hoop magically transfered most weight to the conforming waist belt (from which I took my camera for a panoramic shot..and a snack). It rode like a Cadillac! I have forgotten all about my 2 1/2 lbs. Osprey Atmos 35.

Days of bushwhacking and nary a nick on this tough dyneema fortress. With dwindling load the compression straps…..wh, what?

It's only a dream? A @#*#! dream? NOOOO! Please Mr. ULA (Croatian?), a teaser. Anything. I'm in pain here.

[kevin davidson]

U.L.A. stands for Ultra Light Adventure. The proprietor is Brian Frankle.
Great dream.

[Jessen Jacobsen]

For a minute there I thought you actually had an Ohm, and I thought, "Not fair!"

I too am anxiously waiting the release on this new pack. My base weights are always in the ultralight range, but I just don't like frameless packs that much. I love my Circuit, but it ends up being 20% of my pack weight. The Ohm looks perfect for me, 18oz with a frame similar to the Circuit's.

[Brian Frankle]

…and for a minute you had me fooled as well! Thanks for the playful reminder that I am guilty of creating Vapor Ware. My apologies!

So…when? Soon? Never? We'll see. Trying to tie up lots of other backordered loose ends before launching the OHM. My intent (read: ideal world, best case scenario) is to do one run before I shut down in August for my annual Fall season absence.

I'll be sure to post if that is the case.

Sleep well, and may your dream sequences be more pleasant!

Brian

[EndoftheTrail]

Posted above — "U.L.A. stands for Ultra Light Adventure."

Perhaps, but to me, it sometimes feels like Ultra Long Anticipation. Compared to the long-talked-about-but-nowhere-to-be-seen ULA panel loader, the Ohm actually feels downright imminent! :)

[Brian Frankle]

Ben-

I knew I'd hear about that %$#&ing panel loader from you some time in this thread… :)

Brian

[EndoftheTrail]

Brian:

It's a reflection of our enthusiasm for your pack designs that we want to see a panel loader from you.

Now, what's that saying about finishing one's homework before going out and play??? :)

[Aaron Sorensen]

But his work is play?

Brian just calls it design testing for the next prodject to come out.

[Gabriel August]

boy i wish i had an out like that. "design testing" could get me out of three or four weeks of work easy…

kidding. i'm sure the weight will be extremely worth it.

[Jason Brinkman]

The anticipation has me checking the ULA website on a daily basis. I might have to make the drive from Boise to Logan, and show up unannounced, to see if I can catch a glimpse of the prototype! Sounds like the perfect pack by the current description.

[Paul Wozniak]

Please Brian, never say never! It may be vapor, but it is perfect vapor.

May I suggest a subtle name change to Om, a complex word and mantra that can mean "pacification of suffering toward the attainment of happiness". I know cause Google told me.

Thanks for posting and having a sense of humor about it.

Paul

p.s. Not Croation? Sure Mr. ULA (wink, wink). Now let's look up that Borat fellow and lift a Vodka to the future.

You're slavic brother

[EndoftheTrail]

Paul:

Careful with what you are asking. OM opens up the entire world of Hindu philosophy — where everything is transitory and nothing is real — just like vapor ware! :)

[Paul Wozniak]

Ben,

And so it seems we come full circle, from nothing, into nothing. OM.

I hear Brian makes nice packs, the last main need to my UL kit. I think this one might just be worth a wait to see if it develops.

I'm pulling for you Brian and thanks for the update.

[Miner]

Brian is finally posting info on his website about the Ohm again. I had heard earlier that Feb.1 was the official launch date so hopefully he'll have the new weight info up this weekend as the specs are still missing.
http://www.ula-equipment.com/ohm.htm

[EndoftheTrail]

Or click here for Ohm

[Andrew King]

I want one! Looks like Brian has addressed all the issues I had with the Amp. I wonder what the weight will come in at? With the new Conduit at 17oz he's only got a few oz to play with.

[CW]

Since it has a suspension I'm thinking it'll be between the Conduit and Circuit in weight.

[Brian UL]

I cant tell from the picture. Does this pack have the same compression system as the AMP?
Ill be waiting for the reviews.

[David Ure]

It appears to have the same suspension as the previous Circuit. The Amp was frameless, wasn't it?

[Andrew King]

Yes, the Amp is a frameless pack. The compression system on the Ohm does look very similar to the Amp, however.

[Sam Haraldson]

I'll be curious to see pack volumes on this. Having carried my Conduit for thousands of miles with loads ranging from ten to forty pounds (the range that ULA's Conduit and Circuit cover) an intermediary pack 'tween these two fills a niche much needed to be filled.

At the beginning of a long resupply with seven or ten days of food ULA's minimal suspension system should provide carrying comfort whereas the small pack-size and minimalism of this new design is going to make this a great thru-hiker pack.

[Brian Frankle]

You guys don't miss much…As always, thanks for your enthusiasm.

Basic specs for the Ohm:

Volume: 3,300 cu in
Weight: 22 oz
Price: $140 w/o options

Don't hold me to it, 'cause I have not used the 'official' scale, graduated cylinder, nor price calculator, but all that will be real close based on previous versions I've messed with. The Ohm is available in MED and LG torso lengths.

The compression is similar to the AMP, but the compression cord DOES NOT come across the front of the pack…each side compresses independently. This was done for a few reasons, but primarily to make way for a front mesh pocket that is easily accessible even when the pack is compressed fully. However, it is easy to rig the compression cord across the entire pack body if you care to.

As a previous poster pointed out, the Ohm does indeed bridge a gap. In my own hiking I was always juggling an underloaded Circuit and an overloaded Conduit. Thus the Ohm. I've used it for 10 day trips w/o re-supply (admittedly overloaded, but it all fit) as well as over-nighters. I have found it to be very versatile.

Anyway, you can judge for yourselves. The website should be ready to take orders in the next few days.

Thanks again for hanging in there with regard to the Ohm…admittedly its been a long time coming for sure!

Enjoy your weekend.

Brian

[Joe Clement]

So that extra 100 cubic inches makes that much of a difference? Seems like it would need to be 3500-3600 to fit the gap.

[Joe Westing]

Well, since the Ohm has a suspension hoop, it should make for a more comfortable ride with heavier loads. This pack seems just right for me as I am looking for a fairly durable pack that would be suitable for longer trips with slightly heavier loads. As stated previously, it looks to be a great thru-hiker pack.

[Steve Parr]

I tend to go out for five to ten days without resupply, so I care more about max pack weight than I do my base weight (which is currently around 15 lbs). The Ohm suspension looks like a welcome addition when my load is at the high-end of the spectrum, while the compressibility is an important factor as the load shrinks during the trip.

I played around with an Amp around Christmas time, but ended up sending it back for two reasons:
1) shoulder straps not comfortable (for me)
2) weight capacity was fine for a weekend trip, but it would keep me from using the pack for my normal trips.

I currently use a custom Moonbow Gearskin, which is very compressible and fairly comfortable, but I'm very interested in the Ohm (pending a few more official details).

[Author]

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