Elemental Horizons Kalais

Mine was made yesterday and shipped this morning. Should get it on Friday. I have to say that customer support so far has been exceptional. I know first hand the time it takes to personally respond to customer emails and I am sure Elemental Horizons has a lot more mail than I do with my business. The fact that Matthew answers emails himself makes it even better.
I look forward to using this customized little pack! My daughter claimed her Ohm, which I had been using since my dog chewed the Hornet that Ken gave me. I stripped everything off the Hornet that I could use and put it in the trash this morning. I also passed on my old Osprey Kestrel to a young woman that is just getting into backpacking.

Got it today:)
The hipbelt pockets are the larger size. The shoulder strap pocket is actually from MLD.
I will be using it at the end of May and then in Switzerland. Will have more to say after that.

For now, I can say it is a beautiful pack and very well made. The stitching and the details are remarkable.

It's a beauty Kat! You're gonna love it.

I ordered mine in purple last year, but when it came it actually was a pretty nice indigo color. If I have a few drinks it looks purple enough in the right light. I REALLY love that pack. Its just absolutely perfect.

"70D silnylon"
FYI, unless Matt changed that recently, the 70D fabric has a PU-coating, not a sil-coating.

Kat, it looks great. Did you get the lumbar pad and it looks like Matthew has put heavier webbing on for the compression straps instead of the grosgrain he was using?

Woubeir, you are correct on the 70D ripstop, I mistyped.

Kat that is one fine-looking pack. The black Dyneema looks lighter than I'd expect – looks smart enough for an urban travel pack. I like the larger pockets. Are those heavier/wider compression straps?

By the way, which BD pole is that tucked in the side pocket?

I'm going for an Aquilo and trying to balance features (like all-Dyneema, side compression straps and larger waist pockets) with weight considerations.

Alex, I believe these are still the very light grosgrain compression straps.
EJ, those are the zpole Ultra distance.

Kalais people, does the extendable pack collar go up quite a bit for when you have some extra volume? Do you think the 50L pack volume takes into account the full height of the collar? I'll ask Matt as well but just wondering if it would be practical to order one with a little bit of extra collar length.

Currently already have a 44L pack so will probably start with the Aquilo, but the Kalais looks mighty nice and would work for most trips.

It goes up quite a bit. I'm wearing the Kalais in my avatar and it's almost fully extended.

Thanks Ken that picture really helps show the depth of that collar. I wonder if that's included in the listed 50L volume – for most manufacturers it's not so it's generally freebie volume.

There's a reason for that: It's only for occasional use as it is ergonomically unwise to use it constantly.

Agreed and brings back memories of a trip eons ago with an old heavy pack and the load hitting me in the head on downhills. But good to know you have some extra room if you need it on occasion.

EJ, I am pretty sure the stated volume does not include the collar. If you look at Will Rietveld's 2011 Aquillo review he measured it with the collar and it added nearly 900 cu. in. to the 3200 cu. in. that Matthew still quotes on the website and it also says as much in the review, if that makes any sense. I would check with Matthew to be sure.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/elemental_horizons_aquilo_review.html#.VT_yHiFVhBc

First and foremost, Elemental Horizons is a standup outfit, and Matthew is an outstanding person to work with. In early 2014, I wanted to compare and contrast his pack offerings and since he was visiting my area, he spent 2 cold and windy hours in a parking lot (REI ironically) showing me all of the packs and accessories. I now own two of them, both constructed of black and green Dyneema.

The Aquilo and the Kalais are two very fine packs, I chose the Aquilo for a few reasons:

As someone making the BPL journey, the Aquilo offers a 1/3 volume advantage for a 4 ounce weight penalty. At least half of my trips constitute 5-9 day solo excursions with no resupply, so the volume flexibility is important,especially in winter.

I'm paticularly fond of the long side pockets,in that one accommodates a TT Notch….perfectly. The other accommodates a solo alcohol stove and pot, plus a small water purification kit..perfectly. Enough room remains to slide a chrome dome umbrella down the side.

Just know that whatever pack you choose, you'll be happy with the choice.

Sweet pack; has worked really well for me. I am glad I went for the heavier Dyneema option including the pockets, since I went through a lot of rock . It has been very comfortable and plenty big for any trip I can imagine. I never filled it even close to capacity and I carry a lot of stuff. The only improvement I would make, and I could have asked before my pack was made had I known, is for the webbing on the side compression straps to be thicker grosgrain. It twisted repeatedly and does not seem like it will hold up with the rest of the pack. Small issue that is easy to bypass when ordering.
I can't imagine wanting a different pack.
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Hmmm, now that my son likes backpacking, I might be in the market for a load-hauler to replace my old Dana Designs Glacier, which felt miserable.

My load for both our stuff was 32 lbs, and the old pack, best I can tell by googling old specs was around 5,000 cu in. Aquilo for a small, total is around 3,000. Visually and weight wise it seems like a fit, but the difference in volume specs concern me.

For reference, there's a picture of my loaded pack in my recent trip report: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=104877

Think the Aquilo could carry it all comfortably?

I'd need a detachable top compartment/fanny pack in a slightly shorter pack.

I have aftermarket side pockets on my Osprey EXOS that strap to the pack. I'd put them on a kalais for the ability to quickly get to certain items like water treatment kit, 1st aid kit, potty bag & trowel, etc.

We all have out own ways of pack use, them's mine Pilgrim.

I am very interested in one of these packs.  I am wondering how folk got on with the sizing process.

Looking for something to replace my 1kg Rei Flash 45 for 3 season use (and a Mchale for winter).

Cheers,

Stephen

Hi Stephen,

I just used Matthew’s guide – medium for 17″-19″ torso size. Fits me great. If you want to check a medium out in person, happy to send you mine as long as you pay shipping both ways and get it back to me fairly quickly.

Stephen, here is Matthew’s page on pack sizing which is right on.  I have a large which fits 20-22″ torso and my actual measurement of the pack from shoulder strap attachment to middle of the waist belt is 21″.  I have a 21.5″ torso and the fit is perfect.

Hi Doug,

Thanks very much for the offer, I really appreciate it, but best if you hold on to it.

Doug/Alex, that’s good on television sizing, I could always measure my McHale also.

My torso measures right at 21 inches and I had the benefit of a custom fitting from Matthew for a large. Fits like a glove.

I went ahead and contacted Matthew, just waiting on a reply.

Got a reply from Matthew, he is out until Tuesday at Trail days.

He said he can work off the measurements from my McHale.

Before I order has anyone advice on custom work or upgrades, I will probably go full dyneema all over and get large hip belt pockets.  I like Kats idea of getting buckles on the side straps.

I have gone through the wringer with lightweight packs not fitting well, I love my McHale but at 1750grams stripped down I am looking for something for 3 season trips.