I took the 2011 edition Circuit on an end to end hike of the Long Trail in Vermont. I covered 273 miles in 20 days with one zero day. The rugged trail followed the Green Mountains from Massachusetts to the Canadian Border. Each day included multiple ups and downs in elevation changes from 500 – 3,000 ft (154 – 914 m) with the highest elevation on Mount Mansfield (4,393 ft/ 1,339 m). Weather was typical for New England in August with humid temperatures ranging from 60 – 80 F (16 – 27 C) during the day and possible afternoon thunderstorms, to temperatures dropping to 40-50 F (4 – 10 C) at night. The longest day hiked was 21.6 miles and the shortest day was 7.1 miles.

My initial pack weight was 24 lbs (11 kg) with 5 days of food and water. Pack weight dropped to 18 – 20 lbs (8 – 9 kg) afterwards due to increased resupply points along the trail. The Circuit’s recommended max capacity of 35 lbs (16 kg) was not reached on this trip. For a complete list of what I packed, please visit my online backpacking journal.

After hiking the Appalachian Trail, I have a system to packing that I try not to delineate from: tent on bottom without a stuff sack; clothes in stuff sack wedged horizontally beside sleeping bag in stuff sack; misc. stuff sack, rain jacket and bag liner stuffed in free space around these items; with food and water bladder on top. Regularly needed items, such as water treatment, bug repellent, headlamp, and crocs, were placed in the main pocket on the outside of the pack. Socks were also safety pined to the front mesh pocket. Water bottle, fuel bottle, and guidebook were located on either side of the outside of the pack. The sleeping pad was attached to the pack using the handloops. I did remove the internal mesh pocket and hydration sleeve.

After twenty days in the woods of Vermont, the Circuit held up to all of my expectations. The durability of this lightweight pack even surprised me. As advertised, the Cordura bottom panel and 210 ripstop side pockets withstood the constant snagging of branches of varying sizes and briar, which lined both sides of the trail.

I sweat A LOT. I found that the padded backpanel would be completely wet after a long day hiking in humid conditions, but by the following morning the backpanel would be dry even in humid conditions.

The Circuit was ridiculously comfortable as far as weight distribution and load suspension. I noticed that I didn’t have the sore shoulders or back after a long day of hiking that I had grown accustomed to with other lightweight packs. The shoulder straps and hipbelt fit snuggly to my body which strengthened my center of gravity. This increased my ability to balance myself while maneuvering over rock scrambles in dry and slick conditions.

The hipbelt pockets also provided plenty of room to store my daily snacks in one pocket and my camera in the other pocket.

The Circuit looks like I merely took it on a weekend hike instead of 273 miles. It doesn’t even smell of hiker trash. I did notice some material breaking off from the top of the shoulder straps. At first I thought it was salt buildup from my sweat, but after washing it, I realized that it may be some sort of protective polymer on the outside of the fabric.

Overall, I highly recommend the Circuit for long distance backpacking trips with loads under 25 lbs (12kg). It has shown to endure the hardships that are associated with rugged terrain, abusive owners, and lengthy trips in heavy rain and wind.

I would note that I did attempt to use the water bottle holsters on the shoulder straps to carry a Pringles can, but found it cumbersome when hiking with poles during steep ascents followed by steep descents. I did not attempt to use the holsters on level terrain or without poles.