ULA Conduit

I've been using a Haglofs LIM 45 (1050g) for most of my recent overnight camps and while it's a reasonably good load carrier with a good capacity, more than it's 45L tag would suggest I wanted something lighter and smaller for overnight/summer backpacking. I had found ULA last year and they appealed to me at the time although back then I was looking for a 45-50L rucksack. When I started to look for something smaller /lighter I found myself drawn to the ULA Ohm and ULA Conduit. Hendrik over at Hiking in Finland had been using the Ohm and that was the one I had almost settled on. I liked the idea of the carbon/Delrin hoop to help transfer the weight to the hip belt and I also liked the top tension/load lifters. The more I though about it though I began to wonder if I really need the load Lifter/Carbon hoop given the weight I expected to carry (Around about 5kg Base Weight) also taking into account that one of the main reasons for getting a new rucksack was to reduce weight I eventually decided on the Conduit.

When I looked at the Ohm/Conduit last year they came as basic packs with the option to purchase a variety of add-ons such as Hip belt pockets, Hydration pocket etc, See Here , I would have gone for the hip belt pockets but by the time I ordered my pack all the accessories were included although the cost of the pack had gone up by about $10. I think it works out better this way as sometimes it's difficult to know what optional accessories you will use until you try them.



The rucksack arrived today, to be exact I picked it up today as there were fees to pay and on initial inspection everything looked good. The quality of workmanship is good as far as I can tell and the pack had all the extra accessories fitted. The shoulder straps have a sewn in D ring which is good as I prefer to carry my camera in a chest pouch, there is also a webbing daisy chain loop. The hip belt has short padded wings and the Q/D buckle is tightened by pulling the webbing forward through a ladeer-lock buckle attached to the hip-belt wings on at each side.

The 1st thing was to remove the extras which were 2 x Hand loops, 4 x Shock-cord/Cord-lock Bottle Holders, 1 x Internal Foam back pad, 1 x small mesh zipped pouch, 1 x Hydration Pouch and 1 x Hip belt pocket (I kept the one on the R/H side and in the end decided to use the mesh zipped pouch)



The next thing to check was if my CCF Full Length Mat would fit inside rolled into a wide cylinder, again no problems, the mat fitted in easily and was lower than the top of the main body of the pack while still leaving plenty of space inside. There are 2 wide elastic straps sew diagonally at the top of the back panel to hold a folded mat in place but I didn't try them.



I was impatient to see if my proposed summer kit would pack in easily so I gathered up my kit and and set about packing. In the 13L orange Sea 2 Summit drybag is my Mountain Equipment Xero 250 sleeping bag, a pair of Mont-Bell UL Down Inner Pants and a PHD Ultra Down Vest. I wouldn't expect to be using the Mont-Bell pants in summer but would normally have my spare baselayer and socks in the drybag instead. With the down gear packed and compressed I was able to place the drybag horizontally at the bottom.



The remainder of the gear shown was packed thus,

1 x Ration Pack placed flat on the sleeping bag
1 x Single Skin Tent placed upright on top of the dry sack against the back panel
1 x Ration Pack placed upright in front of the tent
1 x Pole Set stored vertically between the layers of the CCF mat
1 x Toilet Trowel etc placed between layers of CCF mat
1 x Cooking Gear placed Horizontally on top of Ration Pack/Tent
Wet Gear packed loosely in front of/around cook set
Windshirt/Gloves etc placed on top of wet gear
Wash kit, and other soft items placed between ration pack and front of pack
1st Aid/Spares, Tent Light, Head Torch, Penknife stored on Mesh pocket attached to inside of pack.



Side Pockets held 1 x 750ml Pet Bottle on one side and Bladder on the other side and I hadn't used the hip belt pocket or large mesh back pocket but in addition to the gear listed above I'd have a few other items such as GPS, Compass, maps etc.







With everything packed the top was easily rolled down and compressed using the top compression strap. It looked as if the pack could easily hold more so I placed my Montane Flux belay jacket at the top of the pack, the result can be seen in the photo below.



The pack seems comfortable enough but until I actually try it on a hike I won't really be able to comment. There are 2 areas that I'm a bit concerned about, the hip-belt attachment point is one. As the hip-belt is sewn in at the extreme edge of the back panel it's difficult to pull it in snug all the way around the waist, theres a gap between the hip-belt and my back (kidney area) that I can't close down but it may turn out to be a non issue.



The other thing is the hip belt pocket attachment method, it's very clever but IMO overly complicated. The front lower corner of the pocket attaches to the yellow tape loop using an open-able oblong D ring, at the rear lower corner the pocket attaches by a captive cord-lock on the pocket to a short length of Yellow shock cord with a knotted end attached to the pack, to attach the pocket you need to untie the knot and thread the shock-cord through the cord-lock before re-tying the knot. The final attachment point is a standard oblong D ring, the shoulder strap webbing needs to be un-threaded from the buckle on the shoulder pad and threaded through the ring/loop on the pocket before being re-threaded through the shoulder pad buckle.



It's all a bit contrived to be honest but of course once you have it fitted you can let it stay on. The biggest problem however is that the pocket tends to flop around as it's really only held securely at the front and rear bottom corners, the top rear corner simply slides up and down the shoulder strap webbing and has a tendency to pull up when you try to open the zip. I have to say that I didn't have anything in the pocket when I tried it so it may be less of a problem that I imagine. That said I feel there's room for improvement on this, if it turns out to be a problem I may simply sew the pocket to the hip-belt, sew a short length of 50mm (2") velcro to the hip-belt/pocket to keep it in place or remove it completely.

I ordered my pack Small/Medium with a Medium Hip belt and it seems fine although there isn't much adjustment left on the waist belt. I'm about 180cm (5' 10") approx and 30" waist. To be honest I haven't weighed it yet as I was more interested in seeing how my gear fitted.

It took a long time making up my mind which pack to get but subject to using it for real I'm very pleased with it.

The total cost including shipping was $162.45 (£110.00 approx) in addition I had to pay £24.25 in fees (£16.25 VAT, £8.00 Clearance Fee)

Edit to Add

I finally managed to weigh the Conduit and the accessories, the weights are as follows;

Pack - 488g (Stripped)
Hipbelt Pockets - 30g each
Handloops - 11g each
Bottle Holder Elastics - 11g each side (2 x Elastics per side)
Mesh Zipped Pouch - 28g
Hydration Bladder Pocket - 36g
Supplied Foam Back Pad - 25g

I intend to use it with one hipbelt pocket and the zipped mesh pouch which brings the total weight to 546g.

Mournes Once Again

I was back in the Mournes again yesterday, 3rd time ever, 2nd this month, I think I'm addicted. I had a vague idea of where I wanted to go this time and had a few potential routes made out using Quo mapping software, now updated with grid lines which means that maps printed off can be used with a compass and a new 1/25,000 scale OS Ni map of the area.

I had some new gear to try out, a Montane Dynamo soft shell jacket that I was given by 'Parky Again' from the Outdoors Magic forum and a pair of Mountain Equipment G2 Lite soft shell gloves that I'd bought in the hope that they'd provide the same degree of dexterity as fleece gloves but with a bit of added water resistance.

I had been using an ME Ultrafleece jacket with a Montane Jetstream windshirt when required but didn't take a windshirt this time. Again I wore a Trekmates Bamboo baselayer set and a North Cape Rhovyl zip neck top and ME Ibex trousers. Footwear consisted of AKU Croda boots, Trekmates Stretch Gore-Tex gaiters and Horizon Merino socks. I also took a Montane Flux as extra insulation and wet gear was a Marmot Essence jacket and Trespass Pack-Away Trestex over trousers. The ME G2 lite gloves and a North Cape fleece beanie dealt with the extremities

I used a 25L Alpkit Gourdon, one of the early type with side mesh pockets and a shock cord on the back. I like the Gourdon, it's got a roll top and is just big enough for day trips although I'm going to make a pocket to fit the waist belt to keep trail food and bits and pieces.

The rest of my gear was made up of my Beer can/Cone cooking system, Aquagear filter bottle and as it had been snowing the night before I took my Micro spike trekking crampons for a 1st try out.

I wanted to set off a bit earlier than the last time and arranged to pick Marcus up at 8.30. There was a little snow when we set off but the roads were clear and by the time we reached Belfast there was no snow at all. As we neared Newcastle we saw that there was some snow on the Mournes but the cloud base was low obscuring even the lowest tops. We were parked up at Meelmore lodge and ready to set off by 10.30.

The proposed route was to take us directly up Spellack before heading roughly west to Slieve Meelmore. I've heard about the seven sevens, which are supposed to be the 7 summits over 700m, now whether the newer maps have been updated or whether there's another explanation I don't know but I can only find 6 mountains over 700m, Slieve Meelmore is just a bit lower so I'm guessing that it may have previously been thought to be over 700m. From Slieve Meelmore we intended to make for Slieve Meelbeg then turn south to Ben Crom and from there turn north east to reach the final summit of the day, Slieve Bearnagh with it's twin tops. A final descent to the Hares gap and from there the Trassey track would take us back to Meelmore Lodge, in fact from the summit of Slieve Bearnagh the route would be the same as our route from the previous visit.





The climb directly up Spellack was pretty tough coming as soon as it did after leaving the car, by the time we reached the small cairn visibility was down to 50m or thereabouts and the hoped for view across the Mournes didn't happen.



I decided to try the Micro Spike crampons and found them very easy to fit and very comfortable to wear. I didn't really notice much difference in grip at that stage. The Shelter on the Summit of Meelmore soon appeared through the mist and we stopped for a breather and I gave Marcus the Micro Spikes to try.



After having used them on the way up I really noticed not having them on the descent to the saddle between Meelmore and Meelbeg. Still shrouded in mist Slieve Meelbeg came and went and it was only when we had descended to the saddle between Meelbeg and Slieve Loughshannagh that visibility began to improve.



With the next waypoint selected on the Garmin Geko we set off for Ben Crom which rises gently before falling away steeply to the south down to the Ben Crom reservoir. We had only gone a short distance before the mist began to clear and the mountains that had been hidden made fleeting appearances. The cloud gradually cleared and we were treated to fantastic views of Doan, a nicely shaped hill, much nicer than our destination Ben Crom, and across the valley holding the Ben Crom reservoir to Slieve Binnian and Slieve Lamagan.



We changed direction again and made for Ben Crom across terrain that is more like the Antrim hills with mossy ground and peat banks but we soon found a trail winding through the peat banks and as the ground started to rise it was soon harder underfoot. The sun was shining by now and most of mountains were clearly visible with only the higher tops still capped with cloud.



The views from Ben Crom were fantastic, across the reservoir far below was the Annalong valley running north/south and flanked by Binnian and Lamagan, Slieve Commedagh and Slieve Donard, the big 2 could be seen to the east/south east and behind us to the north were Meelmore, Meelbeg and the final top of our planned route, Slieve Bearnagh.





Leaving Ben Crom for Slieve Bearnagh meant tramping through more peat banks but once we started to gain height onto the lower ridge of Bearnagh the going improved. I was starting to get hungry and we decided to try to find a sheltered spot but ended up on an exposed stony area which although it made a nice spot to set up the stoves didn't offer much in the way of shelter.







I decide to pull on my Montane Flux and with an eye on the dark clouds moving in also pulled on my Marmot Essence. We had only just got the stoves set up when we were hit with a snow/hail shower which lasted almost until we were ready to set off again and by the time I had packed up and removed the Flux jacket my hands were numb, the soft shell gloves having failed on both counts, warm and water resistance.



We started up the progressively steeper slope to the top of Slieve Bearnagh and my hands started to feel painful as they heated up but after about 10 minutes, by which time we'd reached the final summit rocks they were fine.





There was a stiff breeze blowing up from the west side of the summit ridge and quite a bit of spindrift blowing around but without any warning the cloud lifted again, the sun broke through and we were treated to spectacular views in every direction with fantastic cloud formations and the snow covered Mournes virtually clear.





The views were an extra bonus and much more than we could have hoped for when we started out and especially welcome on the final hill of the day. We were sheltered from the breeze as soon as we set off down the ridge towards the secondary North Tor of Slieve Bearnagh and the camera was in constant use.











We soon reached the final descent to the Hares gap but although it had been icy I hadn't worn the Micro spikes as Marcus didn't have any and I didn't want to lead him into icy areas where he'd have no grip. We decided to wear one crampon each after Marcus slipped on a snow covered rock and while one crampon isn't as good a 2 it made a significant difference and we were very soon at the hares Gap with only the final walk out on the Trassey Track to reach the car.







Of the gear that was being used for the 1st time the micro spikes earned their keep but unfortunately for Marcus the seller I bought mine off hasn't any listed at present. The only problem I had was that they tended to ball up were the snow was wet.

The Montane soft shell jacket worked really well, much better than I expected, it doesn't insulate as well as my Ultrafleec jacket but I didn't need a windshirt, even if I had the Marmot Essence would have worked as it was completely dry inside when we reached the car so it must be breathable enough which is strange as my Montane Jetstream while not strictly speaking waterproof is less breathable.

As before the bamboo baselayer and North Cape Rhovyl zip neck worked fantastically, so well in fact that I'm going to order another bamboo top and North Cape zip neck.

The cooking system is better than last time as I'm now using a taller cone windshield, the 3mm closed cell cozies work as well if not better than alu bubble wrap while being lighter and the beer can pot and mug are super light.

The only gear that failed to live up to expectations were the ME G2 lite gloves, unfortunately they aren't significantly (if at all) more water resistant than my fleece gloves but don't provide as much insulation, I'd still need shell gloves if it's wet which makes them pointless in my view.

I don't know when I'll get out again but I'd like to have a wild camp in the Mournes soon, in the meantime I'm in the process of making some anti-balling plates for the crampons and I may need to make a waist belt pocket for the Alpkit Gourdon unless I get a new rucksack before then. A new rucksack is on the cards, I have one in mind which should have enough capacity for year round overnight camps or longer duration summer trips but be about half the weight of the Haglofs LIM 45, about the same weight as the Alpkit Gourdon as it happens. The LIM 45 will still be my general heavier/bulkier load carrier and if I really need to load up I'll use the Gregory Z55

New gear Reviewed, Gregory Z55

When I came home after my April trip I decided to upgrade some of my gear before the next trip, the 3 main items were rucksack, sleeping bag and sleeping mat but I’d also changed boots, trousers, waterproof jacket and base layer.

Rucksack - Gregory Z55

Initial Impressions

I choose a Gregory Z55 based on the back system but when I got it I wasn’t too impressed with some of the features. It’s a fairly fussy design in a few areas and I didn’t particularily like the hip belt pockets as they prevented me from adding belt pouches of my own for cameras and so on. As they were mesh that ruled out their use for anything that might need to stay dry. I wasn’t keen on the large front pocket/pouch or the lack of a separate snow lock extension and the lid flap seemed to offer little protection as it didn’t extend far down at the sides. The hip belt design seemed pretty strange as there was a square pad right in the middle which felt as if it kept the hip belt from fitting snugly in the kidney area. The Vango Air Canyon packs from a few years back had a similar style back system but without the pad, the hip belt being a floating type held away from the frame, a better method IMO. One other thing that I hadn’t taken into account was that the curve of the frame made it tricky to pack the tent poles vertically, that isn’t so much due to the pack in my case as it’s more to do with the end struts on the Terra Nova Laser. The bottle/side pockets are a bad design IMO, on the Gregory website it looks like the bottle pockets are short and made from mesh which would make it easy to grab a bottle when wearing the pack, in fact they’re not pockets as such as the mesh part is attached to the grey stretchy material which is in turn part of the front pouch/pocket. The height of the opening makes it impossible to either remove or replace a bottle on the move. In addition the side compression straps cross over the pocket at an angle both trapping anything in the pocket and failing to compress the pack properly if there’s a bottle in the pocket.



Lid really cutaway at the sides (Plastic strap Keepers Added to Keep the straps under Control)




Hipbelt Pad



Pockets and Compression Straps


Modifications/Additions

The only modifications/additions I made to the pack were to unthread the top tension straps and slip a plastic dog clip on each side to enable me to attach a chest pouch/camera pouch and to add some plastic webbing clips to stop the various straps flailing around. I also added a loop of shock cord to the dog clip on the right side to hold the feed tube of my hydration system.



Dog Clip Added to Shoulder Straps

In the Field

I have to say I was surprised by the Z55, it held everything I intended to take with room to spare. It’s always tempting to use the smallest pack possible but while it’s easy to pack gear efficiently at home it’s more difficult when you’re trying to strike camp in the rain so a little extra space is worthwhile IMO. I found it very comfortable with around 15kg, the shoulder straps are thin enough to actually form to your shape (in my case anyway) and while it’s never going to be as stable as a climbing sack with a alloy spar reinforced foam pad it wasn’t a problem for me as I wasn’t scrambling/climbing. I don’t use a rain cover but my Duvet jacket was stored in a basic nylon stuff sack at the front of the pack and stayed dry. I found the hip belt pockets useful for sweets/snacks (right side) and other odds and ends (Left Side) I used a small CCS 2 pocket pouch to carry my CardCam and Compact camera, it sat horizontally on the left shoulder strap with the strap D ring clipped to the dog clip I’d fitted to the top tension strap.



CCS Pouch attached to Shoulder strap and secured by Attaching to Dog Clip

Conclusion

I’ll probably keep using the Z55, the design isn’t perfect but it’s comfortable and that’s probably more important. It’s not unreasonably heavy at 1575g but it still feels tough enough to take a bit of abuse. Considering I only paid £70 in the Cotswold sale so I’m happy enough.

Classic Simplicity

I'd been after an external framed pack for some time and eventually picked this one up. I never had one before but I packed it up with everything that I'd carried in my Karrimor Condor 65L and to be honest it was surprisingly comfortable. The main problem is the hip belt insofar as it's really only to stabilize the pack rather than be load bearing. I'm pretty sure they must have made external frame packs with a load bearing hip belt as we have a Karrimor Papoose that we used to carry our daughter and it has a padded shaped belt. Unfortunately while I could remove it I can't get it to fit the other pack.

Frame type aside the thing that I like about the old Karrimor is the simplicity of design, one compartment, 2 side pockets and a lid pocket. In addition it's blessedly free from additional straps/flaps and other IMO unnecessary add-ons. There is no way to reduce the size of the pack as it has no compression straps but to be honest does anyone actually use a 65L + pack compressed to 20L so that they can use it as a day pack? I doubt it.

I've looked at plenty of packs recently and it seems that you can get a very simple pack but with little more than a foam pad as a 'frame' or you get a pack that has any number of add-ons which to be honest must practically double the overall weight.

The closest I've seen is from the Golite range, something like the GoLite 2009 Quest 72L or GoLite Pinnacle 72L or from OMM in the shape of the OMM Mountain Mover

The problem as I see it is that they all have a 'Frame' based around a foam pad, with the old external packs there's a minimal amount of pack/back contact and as such a reduction in sweaty back syndrome. As far as I know until recently the arctic troop RM still used external frame packs for both their load carrying ability and the improved airflow, in fact they may well still use them.

So the question is will any of the mainstream companies ever go back to a modernised external frame, minimalist design pack or will it be left to the UL movers in the USA to think outside the box. For all the talk about a lightweight revolution theres little point in making the actual pack from ultralight material and then adding the same weight again through the addition of foam backpads, compression straps, a multitude of internal and external pockets clips and other paraphernalia.

What I'd like to see is a basic lightweight single compartment bag with tunnelled side pockets that poles could be slipped behind, an ultralight external spar frame (Carbon/Aluminium) load bearing hipbelt and unpadded tension adjustable mesh back pads similar to the Vango Air Canyon packs from a few years ago but without the unnecessary moulded plastic frame (the biggest problem with them was that the moulded plastic frame curve reduced the internal space of the pack)