Cuben Fiber Pack Choices

[Eli]

Looking to purchase a 2400 cu" cuben fiber pack with an internal frame. Right now my top choices are Hyperlite Mountain Gear's Windrider and ULA's custom Circuit pack. Looks like a small in the ULA and a medium in the HMG offering. Thoughts?

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Really like my Cuben Circuit, though HMG does have a loyal following and they look like great packs. My 2009 Circuit has just seemed perfect on the trail in every way, and now that I've upgraded to the Cuben version...I don't really feel the need to even try anything else out in a pack this size. The Windrider does look nice, but not sure how I'd feel about giving up load lifters, the mesh back panel, and the 4 way, inward-pull hipbelt of the Circuit.

[Dogwood]

Huh? The HMG Windrider is a 2400 cubic inch main body hybrid cuben back pack w/ 600 additional cubic inches in outside storage pocket volume making it a 3000 ci backpack in med length torso. But the ULA Circuit, regardless of the backpacks main body construction material choice, is a 4200 cubic inch backpack. :confused: Seems like you're comparing backpacks with quite different total volumes. Am I getting something wrong?

Just curious, why are you prioritizing cuben material in a backpack?

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Looks like they offer the Windrider in 3 different size variants, the 2400, 3400, & 4400 - Each model name referring to the size of the main compartment...Add 600 cubic inches for the mesh outside pockets in each case. The Circuit is listed at 4200 cubic inches total including the hipbelt pockets (100 each) and it doesn't look like Hyperlite Mountain Gear includes these in their specs, so at least on paper the Windrider 3400 appears to have about the same volume of the Circuit from what I'm seeing.

[Dogwood]

Got it. Thx Aaron. That 'looking for a 2400 cubic inch backpack' part didn't seem right to me.

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Yeah, at that size & with a frame the OHM 2.0 would be a little closer comparison size wise in ULA's lineup, though still with more capacity all around. I can see how it could be confused at first glance though, since the Circuit is listed with a 2400 cubic inch main body, but that doesn't include the extension collar adding another 500...