ULA Equipment UltraGrid CDT Review

Overview

The ULA UltraGrid CDT is ULA’s lightest, most basic full-sized frameless pack. With a capacity of 50 liters, it’s popular with ultralight thru-hikers, fastpackers, day hikers, and minimalists.

It’s the kind of pack you reach for when your shelter, quilt, and pad already weigh next to nothing — a simple, US-made sack that trusts you to do the hard work of dialing in your kit before you clip the hip belt.

If you’re planning a long-distance thru-hike or want the most internal space possible without moving into a frame-based pack, the CDT is a proven classic.

Key Specs

Spec	Value
Weight	27.1 oz / 768 g (with hip belt)
Stripped Weight	15.3 oz (hip belt, foam panel, sternum strap, shock cord removed)
Volume	50 L / 3,051 cu in
Closed Storage	29.1 L (main bag + extension collar)
Max Recommended Load	25 lbs / 11.3 kg
Frame Type	Frameless (removable foam back panel)
Material	UltraGrid — 200D recycled nylon with UHMWPE grid
Closure	Roll-top with sewn-in Y-strap
Shoulder Straps	J-shaped or S-shaped (gender-specific)
Hip Belt	Replaceable, Velcro-attached, two-tier adjustment
Made In	Logan, Utah, USA
Comparison	See how the ULA UltraGrid CDT compares to similar gear

Performance

Fabric

The UltraGrid material is the headline update over older Robic-construction CDTs. UltraGrid is made from 100% recycled nylon yarns and reinforced with a UHMWPE ripstop grid, delivering a strong, abrasion-resistant surface that’s noticeably lighter than Robic but still highly durable. A UTS coating adds water resistance without the slick feel of PU. In practical terms, this is a fabric that should handle the kind of brush, rock scrambles, and repeated stuffing-and-go abuse that a long trail demands. It’s not waterproof like DCF, but the UTS treatment sheds light rain well enough for normal conditions — bring a liner or cover for sustained downpours.

One note: the hip belt pockets are made of Robic nylon, not UltraGrid, so they are less durable and less water-resistant than the rest of the body. That’s a minor inconsistency worth knowing.

Fit and Carry

While the CDT is not the lightest frameless backpack available today, it is one of the largest in overall volume. It’s available with J-shaped or female-friendly S-shaped shoulder straps and comes in a very wide range of torso sizes and hip belt lengths.

That last point is underrated. Most ultralight frameless packs force you into one or two sizes; ULA actually fits you.

The hip belt is a meaningful upgrade in the UltraGrid version. The new CDT hip belt is replaceable and attached to the pack with Velcro. ULA dropped the sewn-on hipbelt used on this pack in previous versions and switched to a new replaceable one. The new hip belt also has the two-tier adjustment system that ULA uses on their other hip belts, which lets you adjust the tension on the top separately from the bottom. The new hipbelt is much more contoured and therefore better suited to female hips.

There’s a trade-off, though. The lumbar pad at the rear of the hipbelt means the back of the pack is no longer fully flush with your back. While this increases airflow, the pack body moves around a bit more when you walk. It’s noticeable on lighter loads; at or above 20 lbs, the pack settles in better.

On load limits: the majority of the weight will still ride on your shoulders, which is why you want to keep the total weight of the contents below 25 lbs and preferably even less. Past that threshold, the frameless design has nothing to anchor real hip transfer. A user running 28+ lbs on a big resupply stretch will feel it — that’s not a design flaw, it’s just the honest physics of a frameless pack. If you regularly push that range, step up to the Ohm with its carbon fiber hoop.

Pockets and Organization

The UltraStretch front pocket features a pleated design for expanded carrying capacity, meaning it can swallow damp rainflies and tarp shelters, layers, and quick-access gear with ease.

UltraGrid side pockets have been redesigned with pleats, allowing each pocket to comfortably hold up to two water bottles.

In practice, two 1L Nalgenes per side is a stretch —

ULA claims the side pockets can hold two bottles, but they don’t specify what kind. Two Nalgenes or two Aquafina bottles don’t fit; likely two Smartwater bottles is what they have in mind.

Both water bottle pockets have drains at their base and an elastic cord on top that can be cinched closed and secured with a cord lock to keep items from shifting or dropping out. The elastic cord is also handy for storing longer items lashed to the sides of the pack, such as a fishing rod or trekking umbrella.

The hip belt pockets are large enough to store a smartphone, snacks, AquaMira bottles, bug dope, and similar items. The fronts of both pockets are hard-faced to prevent tearing, and the pockets feature heavy-duty zippers.

One recurring user complaint worth mentioning: the CDT is hydration compatible with side hydration ports and two webbing loops inside where you can hang a hydration pocket, but there are no hose keeper loops on the shoulder straps, so it can be a little awkward to manage a hose. If you run a bladder, plan for this.

Compression and Structure

The CDT only has one tier of side compression straps above the side pockets. The only other compression is provided by the top strap and the roll top, from the top down.

For a well-packed sub-20 lb load, that’s sufficient. For an underfilled pack, sag is real. The classic fix — endorsed by multiple long-term users — is to fold a Z-Lite Sol into thirds and use it as a back panel.

Folding a Thermarest Z-Lite in half and using it as a back pad inside the pack works phenomenally: it stiffens the pack and adds several inches of rigid padding directly between your back and the gear.

You gain sleep pad access when you stop, too.

The UltraGrid CDT does not have low-profile loops for the removable strap kit system, for a more streamlined carry. Dual ice axe/trekking pole loops come standard for variable terrain and changing conditions.

Strippability

For those looking to strip things down further, the CDT can be ordered without a hip belt (saving 8.1 oz). The foam back panel (2.1 oz), sternum strap (0.5 oz), upper ice axe loops (0.4 oz), and shock cord system (0.7 oz) can also be removed.

Strip it all the way and you’re under a pound. For a pack this capable, that’s a remarkable ceiling.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Exceptional volume-to-weight ratio for a frameless pack at this capacity
• True fit customization: multiple torso lengths, hip belt sizes, and shoulder strap shapes
• New replaceable, Velcro-attached hip belt with two-tier adjustment is a meaningful upgrade
• UltraGrid fabric is durable, abrasion-resistant, and made from recycled materials
• Pleated front pocket and side pockets handle real-world loads without looking stressed
• Highly strippable — get down to 15.3 oz if your kit justifies it
• Made in the USA with a strong reputation for customer service

Cons

• Not the lightest option in its class — if raw weight is the priority, the ULTRA CDT is about 7 oz lighter at matched specs
• Hip belt is thinner and less structured than ULA’s framed packs; load transfer past ~20 lbs is shoulder-dominant
• New lumbar pad causes slight pack body movement on lighter loads
• No load lifters (inherent to the frameless design, not a criticism, but worth noting)
• No hydration hose loops on shoulder straps — bladder use is awkward
• Hip belt pockets are Robic, not UltraGrid — the only durability weak spot on an otherwise consistent build
• Compression options are minimal; a limp load needs a foam pad to behave

Who Should Buy This

This pack is squarely for the three-season ultralight thru-hiker or fastpacker who has their base weight below 12 lbs and total carry consistently under 20–22 lbs. The CDT also makes a good day pack for extended hikes or technical use, and it’s good for travel since it’s frameless and easy to get through security or fit in overhead airplane bins. If you’re still working toward that base weight, or you know you’ll be doing 5–7 day carries with heavy water, look at the Ohm instead — the hoop frame earns its weight there.

Verdict

The ULA UltraGrid CDT is one of the most sensible frameless packs on the market: deep capacity, genuine fit options, a durable and sustainable fabric upgrade, and enough features to stay functional without accumulating unnecessary grams. It’s not trying to win a weight chart — it is one of the largest frameless packs in overall volume, and that’s the point. Keep your kit honest, respect the 25 lb ceiling, and this pack disappears on your back.

Rating: 8/10