Alpine climbing loads: ULA Catalyst vs Atom Prospector 60 vs Kakwa 55
Hi everyone. I was wondering if anyone could directly compare these packs for me. It’s easy to look at specs and photos, but volume and load carrying specs are unreliable.
I am looking for a pack that can carry climbing gear for 1-5 night trips into the backcountry to set up a “base camp” to climb from. Think backpacking into the Wind River Range, for example. On some trips, this might mean 1-2 nights food and no tent. On other trips, it might mean a tent and 5 nights of food, which can be a lot with climbing gear. I’m posting here because this forum seems most familiar with the packs, even though carrying a climbing rope may not be ultra light :)
The ULA Catalyst seems like it has the most volume and might be the most supportive as well. I have not found good comparisons between the Atom Prospector 60 and the Kakwa or Catalyst.
The Atom Prospector 60 appears a bit larger than the kakwa 55, and similar load rating. I like the Atom a lot, but again I find it hard to compare the real world size on paper.
Does anyone have insights on how these packs stack up in terms of actual volume capacity and load handling? Any other packs to suggest?
Thanks for your help.