Questions about 2011 ULA Ohm, 25-30 lbs.

[Richard D.]

I know the hipbelt has been a point of contention in the past, but the updated version seems a lot better. Can anyone comment on how comfortable the pack is now in the 25-30 lbs. weight range? Particularly in the hipbelt area?

Background: I am looking for a lightweight pack comfortable to about 30 lbs. for long-distance hiking in Europe and possibly the US, and that means a frame pack. I like that the Ohm has an effective design for load transfer to the hips.

[wander lust]

I like it. I'm tall and thin and don't have strong shoulders.
I absolutely loved the transition from a frameless pack to the ohm.

It really brings the weight to my hips and the new hipbelt is great.

Everything under 20 pounds is a dream, you hardly notice it.
I only have tried mine with not more than 25 pounds but I still found it very comfortable.

[Raul Perez]

Same here no more than 25lbs so far but it rides very nice!

30lbs may be pushing it but I hear it is doable.

Raul

[David Ure]

For moderate days you should be fine with close to 30lbs. All day comfort for me was at 25lbs. (this was with the original version with the skinny belt)

Just for sake of comparison, it carries much better than the Vapor Trail over 20lbs. Amazing what a true frame can do!

[Lucas Boyer]

I've got the old version w/ finicky hipbelt and just returned from an outing where I loaded it down w/ 40+ lbs. This pack carries like an old external frame pack. It's amazing what that little hoop frame distributes. As for the hipbelt. I've still never modified it. I just make sure the padding gets shoved under the webbing each time I strap it on. It also helps to avoid pants w/ abrasive waistbands for me. Seamless type undies, tights, shorts, etc. I will probably carry this pack until its failure forces me to buy another. Doubt there will be any like it available by that point. Count me in the legions of Adoring Ohm Fans. I've hiked this pack well over 1000 miles and can't find a reason good enough to replace it. Sure I get curious and my eyes wander, but my old standby is hard to beat! If you don't like it, there's always the gear swap and someone will graciously take it off your hands after you've tried it out. Good luck.

[Scott H.]

I havent used the pack with 30 lbs. But I can say it will be hard to find a lighter pack that will be as comfortable around the 20-25lb range. Although I am pretty skinny and have heard that the pack fits small people better because of the "narrowness" of the pack.

The 1 ounce carbon loop really does a great job of transferring weight. I think you will be fine up to 30. Plus for long distance hiking your pack gets much lighter everyday. You will only be pushing the limit for 2-3 days at most.

There are not many 23oz packs that have a frame, multiple pockets, compression, hip belt pockets, etc.

[Richard D.]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'm pretty sure now this is the pack for me. I'm kinda tired of doing 6-day stretches in Zpacks and my MLD Zip with up to 30 lbs on my back. It's really hit me that discomfort with these packs begins as low as 20 lbs and the hipbelts are only of limited use. My ULA Catalyst is overkill for most of my hikes, so I only use it when I absolutely have to.

The big thing for me with the Ohm is that the hipbelt and the shoulder straps connect directly to the frame. This is a lot better at transfering weight than Zpacks' new stiffening rods or even how the GG Gorilla is attached to its frame.

[Anonymous]

"30lbs may be pushing it but I hear it is doable."

This has been precisely my experience over 2 seasons of use, first with the original OHM and then with the 2010 OHM version with the updated hipbelt. As I approached 30 pounds and then continued on up to 32, I noticed that the frame begins to sag a bit down low. Not super uncomfortable, definitely bearable for a day, but not the supremely comfortable carry I experienced up to ~27-28#. The new hipbelt is definitely more comfortable than the original, IME. I don't have much padding on my frame, and the old belt required frequent adjustments to keep it from becoming a distraction as the days wore on.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

I have the current version of the Ohm. In September I used it for a 9 day trip where I carried most of the food for my wife and I. At the start of the trip I had a total pack weight of about 40 lbs.

At 40-42 lbs, the frame hoop still worked reasonably well. I was able to get the strong majority of the weight on my hips if I wanted to. However, the overall size of the hipbelt is just too small for this sort of load on ones hips. You can transfer probably 30+ lbs to your hips, but it won't feel great with a small-ish hipbelt like this, which is to be expected as the Ohm isn't designed for these loads. I ended up adjusting the pack so I had as much weight on my shoulders as I could reasonable handle (~15-20 lbs) and then the rest was on my hips. It wasn't super comfortable, but it was okay.

As the trip progressed my pack weight dropped a lot since most of the weight was food. At an estimated 30 lbs, the pack felt like it was being used properly. If you adjust it so you have maybe 10 lbs on your shoulders and 20 lbs on your hips then it carries quite well. Below 30 lbs and it carries like a dream.

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