Ultralight Adventure Equipment Ultra Circuit Review

The ULA Ultra Circuit is a great pack with a large range of volume adjustability, a high load limit (that's still comfortable to carry), and an excellent set of features that make it our favorite option for long-distance thru hikes. Its external materials are water-resistant, abrasion-resistant, and strong. At the same time, its internal capacity can be scaled up and down to match you just as well on the first day after a restock and the final day before your resupply.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

Although the Ultralight Adventure Equipment Ultra Circuit looks devastatingly serious with its Ultra 200 fabric, don't let that fool you into thinking that this pack's primary goal isn't to let you carry your multi-day load in comfort. Dialing in your perfect comfortable fit starts with the ordering process, where you can pick out pack size, hip belt size, and shoulder strap style to fit your specific body type.

The hip belt also features dual buckles to fine-tune how the pack load hits your hips. Hip belt padding is quite generous for an ultralight pack. Back padding is embedded within the pack itself and cannot be removed. It's joined by a carbon fiber suspension hoop and a single aluminum stay located in the pack's center. Shoulder straps also have load lifters to help as your pack weight changes. The load limit is set at 35 pounds by the manufacturer, which we feel is conservative — hauling a bit more certainly is doable without sacrificing too much comfort.

We had an excellent time testing the comfort limits of this pack on a late spring peak-bagging odyssey on Colorado's Front Range.

Ease of Use

The ULA Ultra Circuit scores well in this metric, though not at the top of the pack. There is a learning curve to some of its advanced features in order to use them effectively. This also includes understanding when it's appropriate to remove components of the pack to save weight on some trips. Those with long-distance backpacking experience will be attracted to its more mature feature set.

All that said, if you already have the rest of your ultralight kit dialed, adding the Ultra Circuit will get you off to the races with little messing about. Newbies and veterans alike will appreciate the well-thought-out design decisions, such as the stretchy elastane tops of the center and side pockets that help keep your gear securely in the pockets and not dropped on the trail, miles back. The waterproofness of the Ultra fabric can help your gear survive a downpour before you have a chance to regroup from running to the closest dense group of trees. After thoughtfully picking out the right size for yourself, dialing in the fit is just as conventional as most any other pack.

Weight-to-Volume Ratio

The Ultralight Adventure Equipment Ultra Circuit is one of the lighter packs for the volume it provides in our roundup.

This low weight is thanks to clever design and the use of the tough Ultra 200D and 400D fabric. Our size medium came in at 35.9 ounces or 1,018 grams — fairly close to the manufacturer's stated weight. The breakdown of the weight we measured of all the disparate parts of the pack is as follows: the main pack is 24.2 ounces (685 grams), the hip belt is 7.5 ounces (214 grams), the aluminum stay is 2.8 ounces (79 grams), and the suspension hoop is 1.4 ounces (40 grams)

In our laboratory ping pong ball volume tests, we measured the internal volume of the main compartment at about 37 liters when the pack was fully closed with three complete wraps of the roll top. This is not too different from the 39 liters or 2,400 cubic inches stated by the manufacturer. These measurements demonstrate that the Ultra Circuit offers 0.65 ounces per liter for the main compartment alone.

Adding up all the volume measurements for the main pack, side, and center pockets equals approximately 48 liters. To visualize the side pockets' capacities, we fit four 700-milliliter Smartwater bottles in each. We measured the hip pockets holding around 0.9 liters each, which will fit five Clif Bars. With a stated load limit of 35 pounds or less, these are killer stats and good use of the materials that make up the pack itself with little, it seems, going to waste.

Adjustability

The ULA Ultra Circuit can be ordered nearly custom-made for your exact body type, with torso sizes ranging from S to XL, hip belts from XS to XXL, and the option of either "J", or "S" shoulder strap styles. Our lead tester is 5 foot 11 inches, 190 pounds, and wears 32" x 32" pants and size Large t-shirts went with a size Medium torso, Medium hip belt length, and S-shaped straps, which worked just about perfectly.

Once you've ordered your perfect pack, the Ultra Circuit has a few tricks to help you dial in details for your adventure of choice. For day trips, the side cinches can help condense the main pack to a manageable size, and the rolltop can be further tightened down. The hip belt is easily removable, though the back padding cannot come out of this pack. Load lifters on the shoulder straps easily assist with varying load weights throughout your trip.

A bear canister handily fits inside the Ultra Circuit. The top strap can also be employed for the task, although slippier canisters may prove too slick for the single strap, as opposed to a Y-strap.

Should You Buy the Ultralight Adventure Equipment Ultra Circuit?

The Ultra Circuit is definitely an investment in an ultralight pack. Still, it's one that we think is worth it if the goal is an enjoyable time on the trail, be it for an overnighter or an entire summer hiking thousands of miles.

What Other Ultralight Backpack Should You Consider?