ULA Equipment ULTRA 36L Dragonfly Review

Though we’ve tested the older version of the ULA Equipment Dragonfly, we couldn’t wait to get our hands on the new Ultra 36L model. It has a similar design, more waterproof materials, and an incredibly lightweight footprint. Will it replace our love for the older Dragonfly, or will ULA Equipment have to work harder to unseat the champ? Let’s dive in.

External Components

The Ultra version of the Dragonfly utilizes ULA Equipment’s Ultra fabric, which is crafted from UHMWPE (Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene) and high-tenacity polyester with a lamination to enhance the waterproofness. It is rated to 200 PSI textile, which is a very high waterproofness rating, especially considering how lightweight it is. That was a lot of technical jargon, so let’s get down to brass tacks.

Though the material is highly waterproof and durable, we don’t love how it feels. In your hand, it feels a little icky. It feels cheaper and less effective than X-Pac, though we’ve found it to be just as capable. It feels industrial—like a raw material from a factory. Still, when choosing a backpack for adventures into the wild, wet world, choosing a fabric that feels a little icky is okay, so long as it keeps your gear safe and dry, which this one does.

The front and side pockets are crafted from ULA Equipment’s ULTRASTRETCH™ fabric. Although it isn’t as stretchy as the first Dragonfly’s pockets, it still performs well and feels more durable and water resistant. ULTRASTRETCH™ is a woven blend of Nylon 6-6, Lycra®, and Ultra-PE with a C0 DWR coating for water repellency. This is a fancy way of saying that this backpack can handle tough adventures—great news if you prefer taking the path less traveled.

The zippers are from YKK and feature an AquaGuard track to keep water away from the gear you stow inside. YKK is one of the best brands in the business, and choosing to use them here doesn’t go unnoticed—these things work well.

The buckles and hardware are from Duraflex, another staple brand travelers highly regard. Similar to the YKK zippers, these things just work, so you don’t have to worry about them failing while traveling. Some of our favorite travel backpacks, daypacks, and other essential gear, like packing cubes, use YKK Zippers and Duraflex buckles.

The front face of the pack has elastic drawstring webbing so you can attach gear to the backpack without placing it inside. This is ideal for wet or stinky items, or you can use it if you run out of room inside the main compartment. If you slightly overpack and have to wear extra clothing through the airport to make your bag fit in the personal item or carry on sizer, you can put your coat in the webbing once you’re through the gate for safekeeping.

The water bottle pockets are massive, and we’re here for it. They can handle a 48-ounce Nalgene, which is no small feat. They’re so large that you can fit a photography tripod or other tall, skinny items. There’s also a drainage hole at the bottom, which is handy if you have to store wet gear like an umbrella or rainfly.

Above the water bottle pockets are compression straps, which come in handy for stowing large items inside the water bottle pockets or compressing the pack. They’re easy to use and stay out of your way if you don’t want to use them, which is handy.

There’s a hook-and-loop fastener on the top of the pack where you can attach the ULA Equipment logo or one of your own. Or, leave it blank and let people question whether you lost your patch or if you’re a person of mystery.

This pack is incredibly light. For context, another similarly sized pack we often recommend, the Aer Travel Pack 3 Small, is 28 liters and weighs 60.64 ounces. The ULA Equipment Ultra 36L Dragonfly is 36 liters and weighs 31 ounces. That’s more space, half the weight, and more waterproofness. Nice!

Fit Notes

The shoulder straps have a harsh S-curve, which is comfortable for many body types, but your mileage may vary. The padding is quite dense, and the shoulder straps are malleable, which is great for long jaunts while wearing the pack. There are many attachment loops, and the sternum strap is on a rail, so you can make micro-adjustments to find the perfect fit.

The back panel doesn’t have a ton of padding, though what it does have is dense. There’s mesh to keep you cool on longer, warm journeys and air channels to promote airflow. It can get hot, but this pack is lightweight, which helps prevent fatigue from mass.

The hip belt is removable, so you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. It also features similar padding to the shoulder straps and has aeration, which keeps things cool. It isn’t huge, which we like because sometimes a large hip belt can feel claustrophobic, but that isn’t the case here.

Overall, the harness system is comfortable. It doesn’t have many bells and whistles; however, it works and keeps you reasonably airy.

Inside The Pack

The front pocket takes up the whole front face of the pack, which makes for a solid place to stow gear. This is crafted from the stretchy material we mentioned earlier, so you can shove large items here, like a jacket or blanket. It shares space with the drawstring we mentioned earlier but works well in unison.

The top pocket lacks organization but has a carabiner for your keys. The leash is incredibly short, which we don’t mind much. We either like them to be long enough to open all door locks with or short enough to be entirely out of the way, and this is the latter. It’s a simple design, but it works well whether commuting to work or hiking up a mountain. When you get home, your keys will be there!

The laptop compartment is a simple, top-access design that works well. There isn’t a ton of padding, but there’s a fair amount of extra room, so you can put a case on your computer if you want to. It comfortably fits a 17-inch computer.

The main compartment has a clamshell opening, so it opens on three sides. This allows you to fold the tongue over to get a solid view of what you’ve stowed in the pack. This is handy for hiking, as you might need to grab something from the bottom of your pack or if you’re traveling with a camera and have it stowed in a cube on the bottom of the compartment.

The tongue has two zippered mesh pockets, which are handy for locking down the smaller gear you don’t want to get lost in the hubbub of the main compartment. Because they’re crafted from mesh, you can see what’s inside them, which we like. This is the only organization inside the main compartment, so the rest is up to you. Load all the gear meticulously into the bucket-style opening, or use packing cubes, a tech pouch, and other segmentation devices to keep your gear organized.

Technically, the latter option wastes space in the form of materials for the packing cubes, etcetera; however, it is easier to find a tech pouch with a charging cable inside than a loose charging cable inside a 36-liter pack. The choice is yours!

Overall, we love using the ULA Equipment Ultra 36L Dragonfly. It is intuitive, comfortable, and highly water resistant. You’ll have to handle most of the organization yourself; however, the lack of segmentation allows this pack to be utilized for multiple kinds of travel, as it isn’t tailored for any one thing. Whether you’re going for a hike or an urban adventure, the Dragonfly has you covered.