Jazz:
What was it about the old UL you liked, in preference to the Tropical (2?)?

I feel differently about the poles, but because my Tropical 2 includes the weather- shield, with its bulk and weight, the UL stood out from the other Clarks for being L, if not truly UL.

Same for you?

Maybe I'm responsible for this, augmenting my UL (relative) cheapie into an NX150 on the light and cheap. (I sewed in my own interior pocket, too.)

Not really; I'm sure Gary Clark doesn't know and could care less. But, he might make an custom model for a current customer. What do you ask Clark to leave out, though? Interior pockets?