Bushwalk Australia

I'm looking for some feedback from anyone who has some experience with the Zpack Arc Blast, currently I'm using a ULA Ohm 2 which I'm very happy with but for a couple of reasons I'm looking to change packs. How is durability going, it's load capacity and comfort, are these cuben packs waterproof or water resistant, what options did you go for that made it more functional?

Just to add, I'm very hesitant with suspended packs, it's been my experience that they tend to fall away from my back making it difficult to balance the pack. How are these in that regard?

Thanks in advance,
Danny

Cool, that pretty much covers it.

Thank you.

I've had mine for just under 2 years now, in happy to help with any other questions.

icefest wrote:I've had mine for just under 2 years now, in happy to help with any other questions.

What's the wear like on your pack? And your typical base weight? The wear on the pack in the video is pretty impressive, yet again, he could have been on a 6 months trek to wear it to that extent.

icefest wrote:I've had mine for just under 2 years now, in happy to help with any other questions.

I'm wondering how it sits with the trampoline back panel, I've tried a pack (Lowe Alpine) with this setup before and had troubles stopping the pack from falling backwards when loaded. How has this been for you? What capacity did you choose and what would your average base weight be?

Danny why not try the cuben ula ohm or are you after the trampoline back for ventilation. I've found the trampoline backs hit n miss. Osprey exos great, north face alteo amazing, lowe alpine one terrible

DannyS wrote:

icefest wrote:I've had mine for just under 2 years now, in happy to help with any other questions.

I'm wondering how it sits with the trampoline back panel, I've tried a pack (Lowe Alpine) with this setup before and had troubles stopping the pack from falling backwards when loaded. How has this been for you? What capacity did you choose and what would your average base weight be?

I like the trampoline. It's not like no backpack, but better than your typical foam. I used to have a small blue foam seat behind it but stopped doing that when I tore the top edge (this is actually load bearing and will destroy the trampoline effect but is easily fixed).

I'm not sure what you mean by falling backwards. I put my sleeping bag at the bottom and the heavy stuff on that at the middle of the pack and don't put a huge amount of weight on the hips. The load lifters are useless to me.

I have the medium size (42L from memory). I should have gone for the big one - I keep ending up with crushed bread for the first day.

The true pack base weight I usually have is about 5kg but if I put in my camera (instead of having it around my neck) and add a weekend of food and water it's at around 10kg.
The heaviest I've had it was at the start of the SCT where it weighed 18kg.

GPSGuided wrote:What's the wear like on your pack? And your typical base weight? The wear on the pack in the video is pretty impressive, yet again, he could have been on a 6 months trek to wear it to that extent.

I usually use mine with a Kathmandu rain cover as an abrasion shield so mine is still doing quite well. It's base looks scuffed the bases of the vertical poles are quite scuffed, and the mesh has a few holes from use as rubbish storage (and one buckle is breaking) but it's pretty good.

It's probably accompanied me on 120 days of walking.
Usual use ranges from daywalks and rogaines to the Mt Anne and Frenchman's Cap circuits.

Bluegum Mic wrote:Danny why not try the cuben ula ohm or are you after the trampoline back for ventilation. I've found the trampoline backs hit n miss. Osprey exos great, north face alteo amazing, lowe alpine one terrible

Hi Mic, yes I contacted Chris at ULA regarding a cuben Ohm 2, he told me that they won't be making them in cuben anymore because of the durability issues of the fabric, he felt the short lifespan wasn't worth the small weight saving.
I wasn't particularly after a trampoline type pack, the medium ohm is too small for me so I need to size up. If I'm going to purchase anything new I always try to go lighter if it's possible? I was thinking of the Arc blast only because it was lighter, perhaps I should just get the large ohm and be done with it, for me it's a fantastic pack.

icefest wrote:

DannyS wrote:

icefest wrote:I've had mine for just under 2 years now, in happy to help with any other questions.

I'm wondering how it sits with the trampoline back panel, I've tried a pack (Lowe Alpine) with this setup before and had troubles stopping the pack from falling backwards when loaded. How has this been for you? What capacity did you choose and what would your average base weight be?

I like the trampoline. It's not like no backpack, but better than your typical foam. I used to have a small blue foam seat behind it but stopped doing that when I tore the top edge (this is actually load bearing and will destroy the trampoline effect but is easily fixed).

I'm not sure what you mean by falling backwards. I put my sleeping bag at the bottom and the heavy stuff on that at the middle of the pack and don't put a huge amount of weight on the hips. The load lifters are useless to me.

I have the medium size (42L from memory). I should have gone for the big one - I keep ending up with crushed bread for the first day.

The true pack base weight I usually have is about 5kg but if I put in my camera (instead of having it around my neck) and add a weekend of food and water it's at around 10kg.
The heaviest I've had it was at the start of the SCT where it weighed 18kg.

GPSGuided wrote:What's the wear like on your pack? And your typical base weight? The wear on the pack in the video is pretty impressive, yet again, he could have been on a 6 months trek to wear it to that extent.

I usually use mine with a Kathmandu rain cover as an abrasion shield so mine is still doing quite well. It's base looks scuffed the bases of the vertical poles are quite scuffed, and the mesh has a few holes from use as rubbish storage (and one buckle is breaking) but it's pretty good.

It's probably accompanied me on 120 days of walking.
Usual use ranges from daywalks and rogaines to the Mt Anne and Frenchman's Cap circuits.

In regards to the falling backwards, I just read Mic's post and she was saying the Lowe Alpines weren't a good experience for her. It's possible I just had a bad pack? Anyway this is what I experienced, because the trampoline pushes the body of the pack away from my back, when loaded I couldn't get enough adjustment on the load lifters to bring it back, so it would fall away from the centreline and the shoulder straps would pull back on my shoulders.
I carry almost all weight on the hips, it sounds like you go more for the shoulders so this isn't going to be an issue for you?

Maybe.

I find the trampoline is often thinner than the padding on many older packs, keeping the bulk of the load close.

DannyS wrote:How is durability going, it's load capacity and comfort, are these cuben packs waterproof or water resistant, what options did you go for that made it more functional?

If you're worried about durability and load capacity why not just get an Arc Haul? The 210d Grid fabric is very durable and the suspension is beefed up.

Thanks Joomy, I ended up staying with my ULA Ohm2. I was looking at lowering my base weight and this looked like a good option, however once you added hip belt pockets, bottle holders for shoulder straps, it ended up being only 130-150grams lighter than the Ohm at a cost of over $450.

DannyS wrote:Thanks Joomy, I ended up staying with my ULA Ohm2. I was looking at lowering my base weight and this looked like a good option, however once you added hip belt pockets, bottle holders for shoulder straps, it ended up being only 130-150grams lighter than the Ohm at a cost of over $450.

Isn't the Ohm like half the volume of the Arc Blast?

Joomy wrote:

DannyS wrote:Thanks Joomy, I ended up staying with my ULA Ohm2. I was looking at lowering my base weight and this looked like a good option, however once you added hip belt pockets, bottle holders for shoulder straps, it ended up being only 130-150grams lighter than the Ohm at a cost of over $450.

Isn't the Ohm like half the volume of the Arc Blast?

According to the Zpacks and ULA websites, the Ohm actually has 63 Litres compared to the Arc Hauls 60 Litres. My Ohm 2 weighs around 695grams after removing the unnecessary extras, the Arc Haul weighs 680grams and doesn't come with hip belt pockets which add 42grams.

DannyS wrote:

Joomy wrote:

DannyS wrote:Thanks Joomy, I ended up staying with my ULA Ohm2. I was looking at lowering my base weight and this looked like a good option, however once you added hip belt pockets, bottle holders for shoulder straps, it ended up being only 130-150grams lighter than the Ohm at a cost of over $450.

Isn't the Ohm like half the volume of the Arc Blast?

According to the Zpacks and ULA websites, the Ohm actually has 63 Litres compared to the Arc Hauls 60 Litres. My Ohm 2 weighs around 695grams after removing the unnecessary extras, the Arc Haul weighs 680grams and doesn't come with hip belt pockets which add 42grams.

Yeah buuuut ULA and Zpacks don't appear to measure the same say. ULA claim the Ohm main pocket has 35L and the rest of the pockets somehow add up to another 30 litres or so by including the hip belt pockets and the throat. Zpacks say the main compartment has 47L and the other pockets add up to 13L. Zpacks don't include the throat or the hip belt pockets, so by ULA's measures you could probably add another 10L there.

My guess would be that the Arc Haul actually has a fair bit more usable space than the Ohm 2, but I could be wrong.

Yes I see what you mean, the Arc does have a larger main body. When I've had to carry 8 days food that extra space in the collar is very helpful, is there a reason you don't feel the throat/collar is a natural part of the main body? If that is naturally included there is not a lot of difference in the main bodies, maybe a litre or so?

I'm just saying the Arc Blast has a collar/throat too, but Zpacks don't include it in the volume whereas it seems ULA do.

Joomy wrote:I'm just saying the Arc Blast has a collar/throat too, but Zpacks don't include it in the volume whereas it seems ULA do.

Yes I see what you mean, so really the Arc Blast potentially has a larger capacity, although I couldn't find any reference to what the collars capacity is?

DannyS,
The Arc Blast collar is about 30% the height of the body of the pack when the collar sits upright, fully open.

Keeping in mind, that you'd want to roll the collar at least 2- maybe 3 turned before fastening down the velcro, you're realistically gaining about 15 or a few more percent, capacity. In practical terms- as tested just now:
With the pack fully packed to "level with the main metal stays", you can fit four of those "Sistema" 2 litre storage containers you get from the stupor-market above your "stuff" and still have enough scope to roll the collar down 3 turns. In our kinda practical terms as bushies, it would translate to bulky over pants and goretex jacket sitting up top there no problem.

I hope this helps, pictures can be so misleading sometimes. The storage containers were stacked 2 across and 2 high, for this exercise.

My experience with this pack over nearly 3 years hasn't been quite as positive as those of the guy in the video- but happy enough that I'll replace it with another one. Scrub won't kill the pack- handling it, especially @ airports- seems to have been the problem. The weight limits Joe gives should be strictly followed- any heavier and the shoulder straps start to tear away from the body.

The fabric is tough- way tougher than you'd expect from a fabric so light. The thing weighs next to nothing and has outstanding comfort… worth the few shortcomings.

cheers
WildLight

wildlight wrote:DannyS,
The Arc Blast collar is about 30% the height of the body of the pack when the collar sits upright, fully open.

Keeping in mind, that you'd want to roll the collar at least 2- maybe 3 turned before fastening down the velcro, you're realistically gaining about 15 or a few more percent, capacity. In practical terms- as tested just now:
With the pack fully packed to "level with the main metal stays", you can fit four of those "Sistema" 2 litre storage containers you get from the stupor-market above your "stuff" and still have enough scope to roll the collar down 3 turns. In our kinda practical terms as bushies, it would translate to bulky over pants and goretex jacket sitting up top there no problem.

I hope this helps, pictures can be so misleading sometimes. The storage containers were stacked 2 across and 2 high, for this exercise.

My experience with this pack over nearly 3 years hasn't been quite as positive as those of the guy in the video- but happy enough that I'll replace it with another one. Scrub won't kill the pack- handling it, especially @ airports- seems to have been the problem. The weight limits Joe gives should be strictly followed- any heavier and the shoulder straps start to tear away from the body.


The fabric is tough- way tougher than you'd expect from a fabric so light. The thing weighs next to nothing and has outstanding comfort… worth the few shortcomings.

cheers
WildLight

Thanks for a very complete response WildLight. That really covers everything, much appreciated.