 This Product
Ultralight Adventure Equipment Ohm 2.0 | |||||
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| Awards |  |  |  | | |
| Price | $260 List | $285 List | $200 List | $104.96 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $221.81 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Carries both light and heavier loads in comfort, large side pockets, very durable construction | Durable, comfortable, well-designed pockets, carries light and heavy loads well | Simple design, inexpensive, durable | Very light, large volume, versatile compression system | Great for medium loads, inexpensive, thoughtful set of features, external storage and lashing options |
| Cons | Relatively heavy, delicate carbon frame rods | Large capacity makes it less versatile | Foam pad falls out easily, shoulder straps lack support | No frame, poor comfort for medium loads | Heavy, less durable than others |
| Bottom Line | One of our favorite packs with its comfortable waist belt, large side pockets, and a volume that is just right for ultralight backpacking | This pack wowed us with its perfect set of features, comfortable design, and carrying capacity | A lightweight, simplified version of our favorite pack from this same company, making a durable, well-designed option | For the ultimate lightweight pack, this pack steals the show with its entirely frameless design and streamlined set of features | This incredible pack has tons of features, carries medium-sized loads well, and is comfortable to boot |
| Rating Categories | Adventure Equipment... | Gossamer Gear Mariposa | Adventure Equipment... | Granite Gear Virga 2 | Osprey Exos 48 |
| Weight-to-Volume Ratio (35%) | |||||
| Comfort to Carry (25%) | |||||
| Features (20%) | |||||
| Adaptability (10%) | |||||
| Durability (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Adventure Equipment... | Gossamer Gear Mariposa | Adventure Equipment... | Granite Gear Virga 2 | Osprey Exos 48 |
| Measured Weight | 31.4 oz | 30.5 oz | 24 oz | 18.5 oz | 37.6 oz |
| Stripped Weight | 20.4 oz | 30.5 oz | 23 oz | 18.5 oz | 33.9 oz |
| Claimed Volume | 63 L | 60 L | 54 L | 50-58 L | 48 L |
| Measured Main Pack Volume | 41 L | 48 L | 45 L | 41 L | 40 L |
| Measured Volume Total (minus hip belt and shoulder strap pockets) | 48 L | 64 L | 53 L | 49 L | 59 L |
| Measured Volume Stripped (minus hip belt, shoulder pockets, and removable lids) | 48 L | 59 L | 53 L | 49 L | 53 L |
| Average Weight-to-Volume Ratio (grams/Liter) | 14.5 g/L | 14 g/L | 12.8 g/L | 10 g/L | 18.9 g/L |
| Carrying Comfort 15 pounds | Great | Great | Great | Good | Good |
| Carrying Comfort 30 pounds | Great | Great | Poor | Poor | Great |
| Frame Type | Simple Frame - 1.2 oz carbon fiber / Delrin active suspension hoop | Foam pad/ removable stay | Removable foam pad | None (foam pad) | AirSpeed Suspension Frame, adjustable |
| Fabric | ULA 210 Robic nylon | 70 & 100 denier Robic nylon | 210 Robic nylon, 400d Robic Bottom Panel | Cordura | 100D & 400D high tenacity nylon ripstop w/ DWR |
| Main Pack Pockets | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Hip Belt Pockets | Two | 2 | 2 | None | 2 |
| Single Hip Belt Pocket Capacity | 8 Clif Bars | 4 | 2 cliff bars | N/a | |
| Shoulder Strap Pockets | No | No | No | No | No |
| Whistle on Sternum Strap | No | No | No | None | Yes |
| Internal Hydration Sleeve | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bag Sizes/Torso Lengths Available | S, M, L, XL | S, M, L | S, M, L, XL | Long, short, regular | S/M, M/L |
| Mix and Match Hip Belt Sizes | S, M, L, XL | S, M, L | S, M, L, XL | No | No |
| Can Easily Strip Off Frame and Hip Belt | Yes | Good | No | No | No |
| BearVault BV500 Compatibility | Just OK | Good | Ok | Ok | Just OK |
| Lid (aka Brain) | No | No | No | No | Yes, Removable |
The ULA Ohm 2.0 earned our second-highest overall score due to the ability to comfortably carry a variety of loads, very durable fabrics, and a good set of features.
Most packs from smaller manufacturers are available with mix and match sizing options, and this is true for the Ohm 2.0. We tested the medium pack and belt with S-curve straps.
The Ohm 2.0 has quite a few modular parts - more than other contenders. The waist belt is notably heavy, with large pockets and ample padding.
Our total weight listed above is every single modular component included with this competitor. For weight-to-volume calculations, we used a total weight that does not include the hand loops or removable internal pockets. We believe most weight-conscious users will choose to leave these parts at home the majority of the time.
This pack excels at 15 and 30 pound loads. Along with the Editors' Choice award-winning Mariposa, the Ohm is one of the few packs that received a "Great" in both load categories.
ULA's designers seem to be torn on the feature set they want to provide. Aside from the permanently attached external pockets and hip pockets, the rest of the feature set, including the side compression cords, are removable. Some folks will be happy with all these removable features. They make it more customizable pack than one like the HMG with a permanent set of simple features.
This simple frame pack includes a removable internal foam back pad and a simple drawstring closure for the main bag. Unlike other models with a large central exterior pocket, the Ohm's is one of the smallest, and it's not stretchy. It also tapers in at the bottom where the huge pack fabric side pockets meet it. The hip belt pockets on this pack are huge, nearly twice the volume of others. Large enough, in fact, we found they could get in the way of our arms swing when filled to capacity.
Four buckles tighten the oversized waist belt at the sides adjacent to the pockets, which we found slightly over-complicated. Rather than compression webbing, this pack uses 2mm cord that zig-zags up the sides of the contender. Two loops with cord locks up top and on bottom center below the main exterior pocket provide options for stowing poles or an ice axe.
The Ohm also features an internal removable hydration bladder pocket and has left and right ports to route the drinking hose over either shoulder. There's also a small detachable zipper pocket can secure your valuables. Large D-rings up high on the shoulder strap provide attachment for the removable hand loops, and a set of two bungee loops with cord locks provide attachment points on both shoulder straps. The sternum strap buckle does not include a whistle.
While we described the Ohm as one of the packs relatively easy to strip down to no frame and hip belt, you certainly wouldn't want to be adding and removing these components frequently.
This pack earned one of the highest durability scores we awarded. Both the pack fabric and attention to detail in construction are top-notch. Ultralight Adventure Equipment is a small company that hand-makes their packs in the U.S., and they seem to pay attention to detail at every stage. We do have one primary durability concern, and that is the carbon rod frame. You don't want to sit on this pack when loaded or haphazardly toss it around when traveling. When we removed the frame for stripped-down testing, we noticed one end of the carbon rod had some splintering, and the other was missing its sealing plug.
This pack is one of the more affordable top scorers in our review. As long as you don't break the carbon frame rod, this pack will last for many thousands of miles.
The ULA Ohm 2.0 is a high scoring pack. It does an excellent job carrying a variety of loads and is built with very durable fabric.
There are several options when purchasing the Ohm 2.0: four main bag sizes depending on your torso length, five waist belt sizes, and a choice of three colors for the 210D pack fabric, or two colors in a burlier Cordura 500 fabric. In addition, you have the choice of two different styles of shoulder straps. Guidance for sizing and options can be found here.
The Ultralight Adventure Equipment Circuit is a larger volume cousin with a very similar design. It both carries heavier loads in more comfort and more easily accepts a bear canister.
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
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