I see that ULA divides up volume numbers between the main body, side pockets, outside pocket, etc.

Does anyone know if the main body volume on the Catalyst is the same size or bigger than a Jam?

Holy customer service ULA!!!! Chris you're awesome.

What's the response?

I was just saying holy customer service because less than 30 minutes after emailing Chris on the ULA website I had a response from him. That right there, doesn't happen when you email a big company.

Oh...and it's still a toss up between the Catalyst and the Circuit.

Edited by DirtbagLiving on 05/30/2010 23:06:17 MDT.

I ordered an Ohm a few days and even though I haven't gotten it yet, I love it. Due to Chris' customer service. I've emailed him too and everytime I get a very prompt and very helpful response from him. I don't think I've had better customer service, ever! :)

I would say that the main body (2100 ci) + extension collar (500 ci) on my ULA Ohm is about the same or slightly bigger than the Jam (I had one last summer). Since the Catalyst (2600+600) is quite a bit bigger than the Ohm, I think it's safe to say that it will be bigger than the Jam.

Brian, you'll be stoked with the new Ohm. I got one about a week ago and I love it. I've been out with it for 3 nights already but they were all 1 night trips so I never loaded it above 15 lbs. The new hipbelt seems awesome and the pack is very professionally made. It's got all the little touches. I've got mine setup like this:

Basic Ohm pack (med/med): 19.89oz
1 Water Btl Holder (for bear spray): 0.20oz
Back Pad: 1.13oz
Frame: 1.66oz
TOTAL: 22.9oz

That's pretty darn light for a framed pack with a back pad and hipbelt pockets.

Edited by dandydan on 05/31/2010 01:44:40 MDT.

Dan, so if I like the size of the Jam but want a frame, I should probably go with either the Circuit or the Ohm? It sounds like the Catalyst is too much.

you can't go wrong with any, but the Circuit is a full featured backpack that can do anything from overnighters to 7 days out without a resupply. It can handle a fair amount of weight-for the people on this site-with no problem. I thru hiked with a Catalyst and loved it, but it was a little too big for me. If I were to do it over again, I'd buy a Circuit.

My Catalyst will swallow my loaded Jam. I use my Circuit a lot more, just because I rarely need to carry the kind of volume that the Catalyst will.

The reason I ask is because I've decided it's time to pick up a new hobby. Or I should say ad another one to the list. And it's going to add 5 or 6lbs to my base weight. Thank you Mr. Dial. :)

"My Catalyst will swallow my loaded Jam." I am surprised given the main bag dimensions for both packs are the same. Is the Catalyst under rated in these terms?

Yes you would load way more in a ULA catalyst main compartment than in a jam2.

My wife usual pack is a talon 44.
But one year ago we wanted to be able to pack 2 weeks of food + her winter down bag (900g of 850+down...).
She tried a jam2 and found the capacity difference with her talon 44 not really noticeable.
I bought her an ULA catalyst and the main compartment swallowed all the gear/food without problem and without using the external pouches except for her rain clothes.

Edited by Fre49 on 05/31/2010 10:44:56 MDT.

I should just buy the Epic and 5 different sized dry bags. There I go making things even more complicated. Circuit? Catalyst? Circuit? Catalyst?

So then the Jam, rated at 3200 cubes has smaller cubes. Good to know.

so if I like the size of the Jam but want a frame, I should probably go with either the Circuit or the Ohm?"

Yeah one of those or the Gossamer Gear Gorilla. That pack is a bit smaller though according to the specs.

I went with the Ohm (22.6oz )because it's a lot lighter than the Circuit (36oz) and rarely will I be approaching the weight limit. The Ohm is rated at 30 lbs max versus 35 lbs for the Circuit. With the Ohms new hipbelt, I bet you could push it a bit past 30 lbs though. The Ohm also has the superior compression system which is nice if you're going to have small loads sometimes. The Circuit would probably be the ideal choice if your pack is usually going to wind up in the 30-35 lbs range.

It seems to me that the ULA packs may be larger than claimed, as opposed to the Jam being smaller than claimed. My previous pack (MLD Revelation) was rated at 2000ci + 400ci and my new Ohm is rated at 2100ci + 500ci. You wouldn't think there would be a large difference, but my Ohm is way bigger. I can now carry my 2 person double wall tent inside the main pack bag and still have as much or more room left over for food. With the Revelation I carried my tent externally.

Edited by dandydan on 05/31/2010 12:12:45 MDT.

I'm GG is out of the question. Mainly because Chris has been awesome and I'm definitely going to put money in his pocket. I think I'm going to get the Catalyst mainly because there are going to be times I'm gonna have to shove a wetsuit in with my things. That along with my soon to be bought packraft and I know, I know, this is a UL forum, my tent.

Again you guys are awesome. Maybe someday one of you will teach me to love the tarp.

And can attest to it being a stalwart pack. I emailed Chris and asked about some repair caused by my abuse over the course of a thru-hike. He said he would fix the stays without charge (I had offered to pay - honestly, I think it is fair to pay for repairs that probably could have been prevented had I taken a little more loving care).

I love the Catalyst. I also have recently purchased an Ohm for shorter trips where I carry less gear and don't have a need for a large bear canister.

Let us know how it works out for you!

Dirk

Edited by dirk9827 on 05/31/2010 14:04:20 MDT.

I think my Circuit seems close in size to the Jam, but if I ever get back home, I'll load the Jam up and stick it in my Catalyst just to be sure. Just for David!

Heh, heh.

Can someone explain the frame that the circuit and ohm use?

I'm imagining straight delrin rods running vertically, which would certainly provide support, but I can't see how it would fit someone's body very well (say, compared to molded sheet frames like Granite Gear uses).