ULA recently started offering a new version of the great Ohm pack. The change is that it comes with the Circuit/Catalyst hip belt. This belt offers a wider, more comfortable belt, and a top-and-bottom pull buckle strap. It is now also possible to change the hip belt size if one shrinks or grows. Finally, one can get a few inches of adjustability of the hip belt up or down with the Ohm 2.0

Since I had shrunk out of my large belted Ohm 1, and think the Circuit/Catalyst hipbelt is about the most comfortable anywhere, I ordered one right away. It arrived yesterday!

Here's a few pictures of the Ohm 2.0 being used as a Marmot Hydrogen stuff sack:

The front is identical to the regular Ohm.


The back shows the change - look at the lower back where the belt intersects the pack.


Here's a closer look at the belt/pack interface.

Thanks for posting those Stephen. Isn't the Ohm 1.0's backpanel the 210d ripstop? Looks like the 2.0's is the 70d like they use in other areas of the pack. Maybe they were trying to offset some of the weight gain of the hipbelt.

p.s. - That hipbelt looks very comfortable!

Ryan

Edited by ViolentGreen on 10/16/2011 08:05:45 MDT.

No clue on fabrics - it's certainly ripstop, but beyond that I wouldn't know.

Can you tell me how to distinguish the two?

Thanks for the photos. I have an original Ohm and a Circuit, and I think I need to trade both of them for one of these. Hmmm.

EDIT: I wish there was some sort of knit wicking fabric on the back of the Ohm, I find the green ripstop very sweaty.

Edited by ken_bennett on 10/16/2011 12:03:42 MDT.

I like that wicking material on my SMD pack. Ken Thompson has an original Ohm and the back panel material doesn't seem to bother him. It seems everyone is different in that regard.

So does the carbon hoop still sit in pockets in the hip belt? If not, how does the pack not bunch up at the bottom under load without the aluminum stay the Circuit has? Why remove all that Dyneema X? :[

The carbon sticks and delrin hoop are entirely inside the main bag.

The belt has very heavy hoop/loop patches front and back, same as the Contrail and Catalyst. If my loaded Catalyst hipbelt doesn't creep out of position, I doubt the one on the Ohm will go anywhere!

Lose dyneema to lose weight?

Looks like a superb pack! Reminds me of the first generation Circuit that was 32 oz.

The Catalyst has two aluminum stays for structural rigidity along the spine… So if the belt is no longer connected to the frame, will there be worse weight transfer to the hips despite the larger belt?

I was one of the crazies that emailed ULA wanting a circuit belt on the Ohm, but this doesn't seem to be the way to do it.

" So if the belt is no longer connected to the frame, will there be worse weight transfer to the hips despite the larger belt?"

I have exactly the same concern since I looked at the pictures. I, too, think this is not the way to go about it. My Xmas wish is that they'd go back and look at the way Mountainsmith did it with the Ghost. That pack carried superbly with a hip belt much less beefy than that of the Circuit married to a very similar Delrin/CF stay.
Just an amateur's 2 cents.

I wonder if it will be possible to convert the Ohm 1 to this hip belt? The Hoop would be the issue.

The way the hip belt rides is the only thing I don't like about the pack, I think the pack carries too low. I have been trying to figure out how to modify mine for a more wrap around hip belt that raises the pack up some.

nm

Edited by FamilyGuy on 01/01/2012 10:11:05 MST.

"The frame does not have to attach to the belt as long as the belt is stiff enough. I am going to take a wild guess and figure that ULA has considered this."

I dunno, David. Take a look at the pictures, above. The hipbelt wings are canted inward, suggesting the hipbelt material behind them that slides thru the slot in the pack body is not very stiff.

"I would direct you to Mchale, where the belt does not attach to the stays but is stiff enough to provide structure through the length of the belt to the main bag where the stays then take over."

I've owned 3 McHale packs down thru the years, as well as a Circuit, and I can say with considerable confidence that the Circuit hipbelt ain't no McHale.

The original OHM was effectively an external framed pack where the frame would have 'floated' if it had not been attached to the belt. Because the frame is now located inside (I am assuming the ends are in sleeves to hold the frame steady), this internal framed pack can do away with having the ends attached to the belt. Of course, I do not have the 2.0 version in my hands so am assuming the construction is as described above.

Someone e-mail Chris.

Eh, all this speculation and analyzing means nothing. The original 1st gen Ohm that Frankle designed worked just absolutely fine for the intended loads that it was designed to carry, the revised hipbelt change about a year ago was a nice improvement on an already great pack. I don't see the purpose of this new 2.0 change, want a beefy bear hugging hipbelt? Get a Circuit.

"I don't see the purpose of this new 2.0 change"

To provide a better carry for those who don't want a 23 oz pack or a 36 oz pack. This cuts the difference. You can still get the 1.0 version of the OHM so what is the problem here?

"I've owned 3 McHale packs down thru the years, as well as a Circuit, and I can say with considerable confidence that the Circuit hipbelt ain't no McHale."

No, the Circuit hipbelt is better.

Edited by FamilyGuy on 01/01/2012 10:12:14 MST.

Problem? No problem, just observations.

There is a delrin hoop that is attached to nothing, what's the purpose of the hoop if the hipbelt isn't mounted at that point as well? Am I missing something?

The previous design had the hipbelt attach at the sides where the delrin hoop mounted into the notch in the belt, this makes sense and carries very well.

"There is a delrin hoop that is attached to nothing, what's the purpose of the hoop if the hipbelt isn't mounted at that point as well? Am I missing something? "

It is mounted internally at the same level at which the belt attaches, so yes, at the same point. It does not, hoever, have to attach to the belt for proper load transfer as it would no longer be classified as an externally framed pack but instead, an internally framed pack. All internally framed packs are like this.

"The previous design had the hipbelt attach at the sides where the delrin hoop mounted into the notch in the belt, this makes sense and carries very well."

+1

This is an ultralight pack.

It is intended to be used with a CCF pad folded against the backpanel for additional support. Read the info on the ULA website if you dont understand. It has straps inside to hold it there. When you pack that CCF pad in there that way, you get incredible rigidity of the whole pack with loads up to 20-25 lb

ULA packs dont work as well with burrito style because the bottoms are not flat,you end up with a big gap under one end of the pad at the bottom.

The carbon fiber stay gives the load lifters something to pull against if you arent packed high and full, keeps the sack from collapsing so its easier to pack. If you have a 24" wide CCF pad, you wouldnt need anything else. 20" CCF pads are 4" shorter than the ht of the load lifter attachement points.

The regular OHM is good because the stay connects to hip belt wings. There will be more sagging without that definitely as there will be more relative movement between the center of the pack back and hipbelt.

The bulge where the velcro is will be a little uncomfortable. The circuit has a foam panel that covers that, unless you remove it like I did. My ohm is noticably more comfortable there without that.

The circuit has its Carbon fiber stay inside too, just like this new Ohm. THe reason for the aluminum stay is because that isnt enough. THere is just too much sag in UL packs without some kind of stay connection to the belt above ~20 lbs unless there is a good packing job with a CCF pad inside. EVA pads like the gossamer gear really "stick" tightly to the coated pack interior

Edited by livingontheroad on 10/18/2011 21:24:17 MDT.