Elemental Horizons Kalais pack?

Has anyone here had experience with the Kalais pack? If so, I would be interested in hearing about it. From what I can tell from their website, it looks good.

None here, either, but based on the website specs and the reviews I've read, it would be #1 on my list should my current pack (Six Moon Designs Comet discontinued in 2006) decide to fall apart (no signs of that yet, so not likely I'll be trying the Kalais anytime soon).

Enthusiastic reviews of the Kalais are here and here. Somewhere on YouTube, Sgt. Rock, author of the first review, has a video, although it's rather dark.

My #2 choices would be the ULA Ohm 2.0 and perhaps whatever emerges from the new partnership of Ron Moak of SMD and Brian Frankle, former owner of ULA.

Whichever one I'd finally pick would, of course, depend on a try on and several hours' hiking around the house with all my gear plus a week's food and water, since pack fit is almost as individual as shoe fit. (Pika, I know you know this very well; I'm just throwing it in for the less experienced among us.)

I have had a Kalais for a few months. These are my observations:

* The lower back pad is not centered on my pack. It's not a problem because the hip belt can be centered, and the padding isn't thick enough for my back to notice at all, but it does make it look less professional.
* I don't like the roll-top closure that buckles down the sides. I would have asked for a drawstring if I'd realized it had that style. I had to switch out one of the side buckles with a top buckle so that I could close it like a dry bag, because it had both female buckles on the top and both males on the side. The female buckles only have one slot for the strap, so after switching them out I can't tighten that side strap. I don't plan to use the side buckles anyway, but it would be better if the pack could be closed either way.
* The hip belt has very little structure, which is fine for me at the loads I plan to carry. I don't think I've had more than 17 pounds in the pack.
* The back pocket doesn't have too much room when the pack is full since it doesn't stretch.
* The side pockets are large but the elastic top keeps things in pretty well. I usually carry a 1L Platypus in each one and that leaves a lot of extra room. Too much room sometimes since they can slide away from my back if there's nothing else in there.
* I haven't tried it without the stay yet. The "V-stay" is not really a "V", more of a squared-off "U" and it doesn't go out to the edges of the pack.

Let me know if there is anything specific you would like to know.

It seem like a lot of cottage manufacturers are closely resembling Granite Gears' Blaze pack. I'm not accusing anyone of stealing another company's design, it just to achieve such lightweight, it must be a frame with a large hole to hold all of the gears.. Interesting looking pack..

Kind of like the tents which look so much alike--especially the Lightheart Gear tents and the Six Moon Designs Skyscape series--both very much like a tent that was popular some years back (senior moment--forgot the name). There are only so many ways you can shape a lightweight tent or a lightweight backpack or clothing or.....

At the ALDHA West gathering Ron Moak of Six Moon designs had all his various tent models set up in a small meadow next to the meeting hall. I swear that from 20 feet away I couldn't tell which was which--they all looked almost identical. If I'd had my ZPacks Hexamid set up next to them, you couldn't have told that one apart either, except for its being cuben instead of silnylon.

Of course each of these tents has individual features that set them apart, but you have to get right up close to see them. The same is true of a lot of packs. How many ways can you do closures, shoulder straps, the basic bag, hip belts....

Granite Gear is another company whose packs just don't fit me, BTW. So there are some differences.

If you'd be so kind, where is the stay housed, to what is it anchored and how is the "V" formed? How does it compare in effectiveness to a perimeter hoop-style frame?

That website talks about the stay quite a bit without showing it; likewise the Klymit frame insert, which is discussed as a critical element (purchased separately) but neither illustrated nor described. Nor sold, evidently.

Cheers,

The stay is held in with a partial vertical sleeve on each side and little sleeves for the tips at the bottom. The top is held in with a velcro flap. I'm not sure if I am explaining it very well. It is about the same length as the pack but doesn't go out to the edges. I don't know where the "V" name comes from because it is does not look anything like a V to me. I'll try to post some pictures later.

Thank you, that actually helps a lot!

Cheers,

Here are a couple of pictures. The "V" stay makes more sense when I look at it in the pack. The pockets that hold the bottom pieces are closer together than the top so it bends the pieces in toward each other. It's more square when removed.

Okay then, V becomes U and all is explained.

Great pictures that completely demystify the suspension. I'm far more interested than I had been (I find this sort of suspension much better than typical stays.)

Thanks!

That looks much like the stay setup that is used with the Six Moons Design Starlite and Swift. It works quite well.

I'm not really familiar with the Kalais pack's, but I currently use a Sixmoons Starlight pack. The hoop stay (or U stay depending upon how you look at it) is what finally sold me on it. Being able to add this stay when you want adds a level of flexibility I find advantageous. I've hit the trial with as little as 18lbs and no stay, and as much as (not recommended :D) 48lbs with the stay. Very comfortable both times and I could feel the added stability. I find it to be a clever use of materials.

I checked out the Sgt. Rock video and despite it being dark, the pack design looks promising. Would be really nice to see one in the flesh. Although the pad pocket hoop stay arrangement of the Kalais is similar to the Starlight, there does appear to be one significant difference (although I could be fooled by the video). On the Kalais, it appears that the pad pocket is wider than the stay where as the pad fits just inside the stay on the Starlight.

I'm curious Slowfoot, how do the pad pocket and stay interact with each other in this pack?

This does appear to be a "golden age" for this cottage industry. Creative and inventive things are coming out all the time.

Chris,
I just ordered a Kalais pack so I will let you know how different it is from the SMD Starlite. I have put a lot of miles on my late, lamented, Starlite (I wrote a long review of it on Trailspace). I should be able to make some direct comparisons between the two. The Kalais won't be shipped for about a month though. I just got my JMT permit so the Kalais should be put through the wringer in late-August. I should have the pack in time for my early-May Grand Canyon trip too.

The Kalais is smaller than the Starlite. 42 liters (total including pockets) vs. 67. I presume you noticed that.

I'll be waiting to hear how the Kalais works for you!

SMD Starlite....of course. THAT'S how you spell it. Charles, I will have to look up your Trailspace review on the Starlite pack. In the meantime, I'm glad everything is coming together for all your trips. The Grand Canyon should be a great shakedown trip for the Kalais.

As my gear has evolved the Starlite got bigger than I needed. One of my "cons" for the Starlite is the mediocre, at best, compression system. I have a 47 oz, 4000 cu in. Golite Quest I can use for heavier loads. It is a great pack but is now too big unless I am hauling a lot of water which I do on many occasions here in Arizona. I am getting the Kalais pack for my August JMT hike. For the Sierra, I can use a smaller pack, even with a bear can, I won't need the water hauling capacity. I have also considered the ULA Circuit and the GG Mariposa among others, the Kalais looked to be among the best of those I evaluated. I'll let you know.

The stay doesn't go out to the edges of the pack. The stay and the pad pocket don't really interact at all. The sleeves for the stay and the pad pocket attach to the pack at different spots.

I was curious if Pika got his Kalais pack yet? If so, what do you think about climbing with it; as a mountaineering pack? I'm assuming that the material couldn't take much abuse/rock rubbing, but I like the weight. If the compression system works well, I was thinking I could control the shape somewhat to allow for such activities.

Same here, Pika--waiting to see what you think of it!