At this point I'm between the Granite Gear Crown VC60 and the ULA Circuit. My pack usually weighs around 25 pounds fully loaded. What points should I consider regarding these packs? Are there any huge differences or characteristics that I should base my decision on? Will one carry heavier loads better than the other? Is one more durable? Thanks, any input will certainly help.

I havent' personally used either. There are a number of threads here and reviews of the Circuit because its an older design. There are one or two threads on the Crown but its newer.

Backpackingtestgear.org has several reviews of the Circuit (available for free).

I can tell you a bit about durablity. The ULA is made of heavier duty material so all other things being equal it should be a bit more durable. I don't think the Crown would be too fragile though unless you plan on doing so serious bushwacking.

I have owned both and personally prefer the Crown, but both are great packs.

I prefer the rolltop of the Crown to that of the Circuit. It has a stiff half-inch of material on top that makes it much easier to roll when full compared to the circuit.

The Circuit has more external space, but the Crown still has side pockets along with a back pocket and cording to lash items outside the pack.

The fabric on the Circuit may be a little more durable, but to be honest, I find the Crown to be fairly comparable in durability.

I find the Crown to be more comfortable at heavier weights than the Circuit, but that comes down to fit, which is pretty personal.

All in all, I don't think you can go wrong with either.

i have not seen or used the granite gear packs but i have a ula circuit

in large with large hip belt i must say i love this pack it has handled heavier
and lighter loads up to 35 lbs with no issues

i really dig the rear mesh pocket on the back of the pack as it makes it great for loading my wet tent/tarp/bivy without getting anything else inside the pack wet or dirty even my footprint goes in there when i pack up to head out i also keep my alcohol for my stove in there in case of a leak

i think if i went to a different pack for lighter loads only it would be a golite jam 2 or z packs cuban pack but im tall at 6-1 and a 20 inch torso so most of the packs that fit me handle bigger loads well

you will not be dissapointed with the circuit it is a very well made pack and pretty tough too

kevin

My only issue with the Crown is that the torso is not adjustable and I am between sizes and the shoulder straps (the padded portion) are much too short.

The Circuit however has up to 3" of torso adjustment and 2" longer shoulder straps so simply fits me better. Plus it is made int he USA, if that is a consideration.

Otherwise both are well made packs. Pick yer poison.....

The best advice you will get is to simply try them both, and keep the one you like.

Dont have any experience with the crown. The circuit is a good all -around pack, thats why its popular. It has great load carry ability, to about 40 lbs , for a UL pack. This "just in case" ability is why a lot of people who carry 20-25 lbs still use a circuit. Need to carry extra water or food, no problem. Want to take a 2 wk trip without re-supply? no problem if you can fit the food, you can carry it.

ULA is top notch to work with and will customize your pack for you. You can get the circuit with a drawstring closure instead of the normal top closure. You can get the stretch fabric back pocket like the ohm instead of the durable mesh thats normal on the circuit. just ask.

And they will fix it for free as long as you own it, and also can modify it later too if you need.

Gripes. The bottom is tapered so it wont stand up by itself. The coarse mesh pocket material can abrade fragile UL tent and raingear materials, the normal top closure is a pain. Its made so all you do is snap it down most of the time, and just roll over once if its raining. But its a bit hard to roll, even once , with stuff in the extension collar.

I have the same problem as David, I have a 21 inch torso which is directly between the Crown Sizes. The Long was way too large for me and the regular the straps were alittle too short for me. I just ordered a circiut and I'm hoping it fits better.

Thanks for the responses everyone. How are the compression systems on these packs? I noticed the Circuit doesn't have a bottom compression strap. Has this been an issue for people? Do these packs cinch down when the pack is not filled to capacity? Thanks.

I forgot to mention I still have the crown and will be getting the circuit in the mail on thursday so when the ULA comes in I'll try to report back with a side by side comparison.

For what it's worth I love the design of the crown, it just doesn't fit me correctly.

I have a 2008 Circuit that I comfortably can carry 30 pounds, though normally it is 18-25 w/food n water. I love the side pockets, and a large comfortably fits my 20.5 inch torso.Myself I like the compression system, and top strap. They pop up FS on the Buy and sell board here from time to time, which is how I got mine in 2009.

"Thanks for the responses everyone. How are the compression systems on these packs? I noticed the Circuit doesn't have a bottom compression strap."

Luke, the Circuit is not shaped the same as the Crown - i.e. like a symetrical tube. It is shallower at the bottom and wider at the top which maximizes the center of gravity. As such, there is less of a need for a bottom compression strap (in my experience). The Crown compresses flat but has more room at the bottom.

I find the Crown easier to compress down to smaller sizes. Two compression cords on the sides, two attached to the rolltop, and two on top of the pack.

Edited by aaronufl on 04/29/2012 10:21:41 MDT.

IMO, there is no need for compression on any pack. My compression straps just get used to hold my poles upright when I stick them in the side pockets. Just dont put sleeping bag or quilt into a stuffsak, it will expand to fill the pack. It only compresses as much as you compress it by putting other stuff in.

now if you are carrying a bowling ball around, maybe youd need it, but UL gear doesnt try to shift, and works fine without compression straps. The only heavy thing is the food, and when its gone, theres nothing heavy left to need stabilizing.

Edited by livingontheroad on 04/29/2012 13:39:00 MDT.

I'll repectfully disagree and say I like some compression, especially with a larger pack like the Circuit. The bigger the load is the more you want it stablized. Also a Circuit is pretty big. Even without a stuff sack I doubt my gear would fill a Circuit for shorter trips.

One idea would be to contact ULA and see if they'd add bottom compression straps for you. I know they've done other custom options for other people, they might do it for you.

Funny you say that Luke because I find the Circuit main bag actually quite small. In fact, about the same as the Jam as a comparison. The Crown main bag is definitely bigger.

Just to clarify David I wasn't comparing the Crown and the Circuit anymore I was just saying for a pack that large I want some compression. An uncompressed quilt might "fill" my pack but I find that denser items like my food bag and water bottles shift around in a loose pack. My Absaroka pack is too big for my gear in summer and assuming the specs are correct, its smaller than the Circuit.

I actually e-mailed ULA about adding an extra strap near the bottom to aid in compression when I bought my Circuit. They said it would be easy enough, but I opted not to get one in the end. Seeing as the how bottom part of the Circuit is really quite small, I don't think it's necessary. Once I get my sleeping pad and bag into the pack, the bottom is already well filled out.

I do wish the main compression straps on the side were located about 2 inches lower and that they were longer and had buckles so I could actually use them to secure things like my shelter to the side better (think GoLite Jam).