Elemental horizons

[blue indian]

Attachment 20906Here is the picture Matthew sent. It should arrive Thursday, according to the usps.

Thats pretty awesome! I still see some mesh on that front pocket. Was that something you decided or just how it came?

[archie]

The front pocket is the standard front pocket. I wanted the mesh on the front. There is a litttle mesh on the side pockets for drainage. The side pockets are actually the same as the Arduro pockets.

[SCRUB HIKER]

I was thinking that I'd like to have a shoulder-strap pouch on my backpack and was looking around at some of the options, like Zpacks and Zimmerbuilt, but then I remembered that the Kalais hipbelt pockets are removable and are advertised as attachable to almost any strap on the backpack. I fiddled around with one for a while and figured out a very secure way to remove it from the hip-belt and fix it to the shoulder strap. No sliding around whatsoever--the only drawback I think would be that, because these are the size large pockets, it's kind of big and awkward-looking on the shoulder, and the zipper is vertical. But it's where I want to store my camera and other delicates now (so that they don't get banged around when I set the pack down), and there's plenty of room for that. It's hard to explain and the pictures below may not be the clearest illustration, but suffice it to say that if I could figure out how to move these pockets around, pretty much anyone could.

IMAG1025.jpgIMAG1026.jpg

[archie]

Nice pics scrub, thanks. I had been wondering what to get as I use a shoulder strap for my camera as well. I was going to wait and see how those hip belt pockets would work on the shoulder straps.

[Hiking Man]

Cool idea scrubs. Thanks for posting.

[archie]

WooHoo Its here! It got here yesterday. It looks very nice. I love the design it seems very well thought out. The weight is 33.5 oz right on what it is supposed to be with the extras I had added. The craftsmanship appears to be wonderful.

Of course, I havent hiked with it yet-- Unless you count walking around the house and shovelling snow off the driveway with a fully loaded pack hiking!

[SGT Rock]

Sounds like fun. Not.

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[Crusinsusan]

Cool idea Scrub...thanks.

[blue indian]

placed my order with Matthew today. Sweet!

[Crusinsusan]

FYI, I just did a small write up about the Kalais pack on my blog, with pics of the first ever full 210d pack. lol.

Ya, I'm a noob, and the more experienced here won't be interested in what I said about it now (I will have more to say about it as I take it for tests this summer), but there's some pics for those who might be interested.

[AndrewAZ]

FYI, I just did a small write up about the Kalais pack on my blog, with pics of the first ever full 210d pack. lol.

Ya, I'm a noob, and the more experienced here won't be interested in what I said about it now (I will have more to say about it as I take it for tests this summer), but there's some pics for those who might be interested.

Thank you for the pictures and info. I was pondering an all-Dynema Kalais, so this is perfect.

[Crusinsusan]

Thank you for the pictures and info. I was pondering an all-Dynema Kalais, so this is perfect.

Woo-hoo! Glad I could finally give back here.

[FamilyGuy]

Great looking pack! But let's be clear. That is 210 d dyneema gridstop and not full dyneema. Not only would that fabric be almost bombproof, but the pack would be 3 to 4 times the cost.

[jeffmeh]

Does anyone have experience with both the Kalais and a ULA pack, e.g. the Circuit? I would love some insights into comparisons here. Thanks.

[SGT Rock]

I own both. I'll write something when I get to a real keyboard.

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[jeffmeh]

I own both. I'll write something when I get to a real keyboard.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk 2

Outstanding! I look forward to it. Perhaps it's even deserving of its own thread.

[SGT Rock]

Comparison of the Elemental Horizons Kalais to the ULA Circuit

I’ll start off by listing my particulars so you have some comparison of body size. I’m 5’8” 180 lbs, my waist is 34” and my torso length is 19” measured per these instructions: http://www.elementalhorizons.com/packsizing.aspx

Background of experience with both packs
I bought the ULA in 2009 and used it for about 3 years over about 800 miles +/- until I got my Kalais in 2012. I hiked about 400 miles with my Kalais last year +/-. I’ve not had a chance to take it out much this year yet (unfortunately).

The basic stats and price:

The ULA Circuit has a total volume of about 4,200ci, weighs ~39 ounces depending on options, and has a base cost of $225. The Kalais has a total volume of about 2,920ci, weighs about 26 ounces (depending on options, and costs about $230. The Kalais does not come with hip pockets attached, so to get an equal rating there, you would have to add two of the EH large hip pockets which would add 2.8 ounces in weight, 96ci in volume, and $36 in price. So the overall the Kalais is going to be a little more expensive, weigh more than half a pound less, and have about 1,200ci less volume. In my experience with the packs, the volume is pretty much slightly smaller in all areas of the pack, but especially in the outside pockets. If you use the exterior pockets for a lot of your storage, then this may be an issue for you. I did have to change how I pack things in outside storage when I switched, but it wasn’t a show stopper. On my Circuit I always had lots of interior space left over, even when hiking heavy winter loads for 5+ days, so getting into a smaller pack was not hard for me. You will have to evaluate that for yourself. My preference is with the Kalais because I must stay disciplined to keep fitting in the pack. I’ve been able to load it up with all my winter gear and 5+ days food and I am at the max capacity of the pack.

Also, sort of in this area, the Kalais has the EH exterior pocket system, so if you wanted to add volume to the pack, there are points on the outside of the pack for a couple of extra side pockets which will add to the volume, weight, and price. It is a cool system and I even made some outside pockets to work with my pack, but that said, I found them more than I needed and stopped using them.


Load carrying. Without a stay, I found that they both carried about the same. I thought the CF hoop of the ULA would provide more support/stability than it did, but it never seemed to work out that way. The EH internal pad pocket did add more stiffness to the pack than I expected based on experience with other packs that try to make a pad work as a frame sheet. I did add a stay to both systems and found a huge difference in feel. The Circuit used a single stay system, which added weight to the pack and didn’t seem to help the carry much. I had borrowed the stay so I don’t have it to quote weight now, and when In looked at ULA’s website I couldn’t find mention of the stay so maybe they don’t have that option anymore? On the Kalais, the “stay” is more like a frame of tube aluminum that adds right about 3.99 ounces and costs $20. The Kalais was a load hauler with the added stay, and if I were going to do a trail where I would have to occasionally carry large loads (like crossing the Mojave with 7 liters of water) I would take the extra 4 ounces of stay – it is absolutely worth ever ounce. At one point I carried over 40 lbs with my Kalais and a frame and it did it very well despite a max recommended load of 35 lbs with the stay. The only issue I ran into when hauling that much weight was some slip on the straps, but it wasn’t too bad and I could adjust them as I walked.


With the carry I’ll mention the profile of the two packs. The Kalais is more narrow across the width of the pack than the Circuit, so there is less sticking out to the sides of your torso. That may or may not be important to you. The Kalais does have a slightly larger overhang to the rear, but not by much.


The hip belts of both packs use an “X” system on the center buckle. This helps get a more comfortable and efficient compression around your hip bones. The top on mine is always slightly tighter than the bottom, and this seems to work well. The Kalais does seem to hold that better, and I suspect that has more to do with how the hip belt attaches to the pack than it does with anything else. The pockets of the Circuit are sewn to the belt which is a better system IMO, but it may not be for you. The Kalais has a very sturdy and stable system to attach pockets to the hip belt so you can change pockets, or have a pocket on one side and a water bottle holster on the other, or a fishing pouch, or whatever you can dream up and make on your own. But for me, I always want two pockets, and it would be lighter to have just sewn pockets to the hip belt. Hip belt is a mix, for me the Kalais fits better, but I like the pockets of the Circuit better.


The rest of the straps are your standard padded shoulder straps with sternum strap. The Kalais were more anatomically curved for correct fit, the S curves were very well done. The Circuit straps are curved and work, I just liked the Kalais better. I’ll add that the newer Circuits have some sort of bungee system on the straps which I absolutely hate, and would be one of the things I cut off when I got the pack home if I were to get a new one.


As to durability, they both seem about the same. That said, every Kalais is going to be made pretty much when you order it if you go through Matt. If you want to go bomb proof, he can do that. He can also do pink, green, purple blue, cammo etc. I notice that the Circuit is available in some other materials as well now.


I hope that helps. For me, the Kalais is the pack I choose. It may not be for everyone.

[jeffmeh]

Nicely done, SGT Rock. Thanks.

[MuddyWaters]

Did you do any volume check on the kalais? I know when BPL reviewed the Aquilo it was reported to be huge, much larger than expected.

ULA still uses the aluminum stay, and has it listed about at 2oz. My circuit medium with small belt weighs 34oz with water bottle holsters,hand loops, rear elastic cord, internal pocket, and hydration pouch all removed. (all useless stuff IMO)

By your #s, the Kalais would come in at about 33oz with hip pockets and stay for a closer comparison. So they are really MUCH closer, not a half pound difference, that is somewhat misleading.

I think they both are good due to the hipbelt design, which I expect to see others begin to duplicate in their packs designed for ~30 lb loads. At the time I started using a circuit several yrs ago, the hipbelt was specifically what made the difference in pack selection for me, it simply had the capability to carry 40lbs, where other lightwt packs failed at 25.

[SGT Rock]

Did you do any volume check on the kalais? I know when BPL reviewed the Aquilo it was reported to be huge, much larger than expected.

No I didn't do any specific volume test other than load them both up with the same gear and note that the Circuit has more room. I can't attest to the volume claims of either.

ULA still uses the aluminum stay, and has it listed about at 2oz. My circuit medium with small belt weighs 34oz with water bottle holsters,hand loops, rear elastic cord, internal pocket, and hydration pouch all removed. (all useless stuff IMO)

By your #s, the Kalais would come in at about 33oz with hip pockets and stay for a closer comparison. So they are really MUCH closer, not a half pound difference, that is somewhat misleading.

I don't feel it is misleading to list the manufacturers claims of weight for both packs. If I started cutting parts of a pack, those would be my choices of what to do with that pack. But if someone bought a Circuit with stay, that would be 39 ounces. If someone bought a Kalais, then they would have to add on things to get a heavier weight. Those are both their choices of what to do. But base weights for both packs are over a half pound different based on manufacturers claims. But it is a good thing to point out that the weight can be trimmed down in very specific ways and I agree with all your choices.

I'll also say that as stay systems go, the EH system is much better at carrying weight IMO. It is very similar to the Gossamer Gear stay system. If I were going to get a Circuit again, I would probably try and figure a way to change the stay to a similar design. I recently sewed a backpack and made a carbon fiber copy of the EH aluminum stay that comes in at about 1.64 ounces for my DIY winter pack.

I think they both are good due to the hipbelt design, which I expect to see others begin to duplicate in their packs designed for ~30 lb loads. At the time I started using a circuit several yrs ago, the hipbelt was specifically what made the difference in pack selection for me, it simply had the capability to carry 40lbs, where other lightwt packs failed at 25.

I agree, the hip belt sold me on the Circuit when I bought it. When I got my Kalais, I was looking for a slightly smaller version of the Circuit since I felt that extra space was wasted weight. While reading reviews at BPL magazine I wanted to see how well my favorite (at the time) pack did against other packs in that category. I've found BPL reviews to be some of the most thorough and most objective, out there. Anyhow, I was astonished to find them listed as "average". I had to see what packs were getting their best ratings, and in that category Sixmoons had a pack, and Elemental Horizons had the Aquillo. I've got a Sixmoons pack, so that didn't surprise me. But I'd never heard of EH, and figured I would never get a chance to try one of those packs. Fast forward a few months and I accidentally meet the guy that makes the EH packs with the latest pack he is coming out. He has a Kalais there and I fell in love with it. It was exactly what I had been looking for. Well, OK, I always look for something lighter.

If anyone hasn't read my in-depth report on the Kalais it is here: http://hikinghq.net/gear/elemental-horizons-kalais.html