REI Flash 62
Picked one up off REI Outlet for $96. I thought it was a good deal. Anyone have any thoughts on this pack?
Also recently picked up a REI Flash pad as well. Any thoughts on those would be appreciated as well. Both of these items were purchased to lighten my load on a budget.
I used it on my thru, as well as several others:
One: You love it or hate it, ain't any inbetween on this pack.
Two: the waist strap will loosen, this can be fixed by using to strap stays on either side, yes it will limit Adjustabiliy but that is not really needed much once you got it dialed in.
I loved it, as soon as I donned it I knew it way my AT thru pack, yes it needed modifications along the way, but was very comfortable.
Last edited by Starchild; 03-07-2014 at 17:49.
I've had an REI Flash for a few years now. Compared to the Kelty I used before, I don't thing the REI Flash has great durability. You need to baby it a little. Make sure you pickup a loaded pack by the handle and not the shoulder straps... and take care not to stuff the inside unless you've got a liner (with just a little bit of use, I wore through the coating on the inside of the pack... but now that I use a compactor bag as a water proof liner, that shouldn't be an issue any more).
Bottom line:
1. The pack has one of the best volume-to-weight ratio.
2. It needs a little pampering.
3. Most definitely worth it if you can purchase it at a discount (mine was $160 and I consider it worth that... so at <$100, it's worth trying).
I fall into the category of the people that hate it. It just can't support much of a load. I returned it and swapped for a Gregory z65, little more weight but much more comfortable.
Well I got the pack in today. The green color isn't as bad as I thought it might be. I loaded it, reloaded it...and loaded it again. I wore around the subdivision for a bit. I gotta say, so far, I'm really liking it. I'll go out tomorrow and put some miles on it. I'm thinking this could be my new pack. Not bad for 96 bucks.
I bought a Flash Pad last summer to replace a Neo-Air Trekker. Spent two weeks hiking with it and love it. It is lighter than the Neo-Air, quieter as well, and the one-way valve makes it easier to inflate. I added some silicone spots on the bottom of the pad and some silicone stripes on my tent floor to keep the pad in place at night.
I have the flash 62 and it beats all the other packs I have owned. A lot of thought went into the pack design and they kept making little changes to improve the pack. I would keep the load under 30 lbs, as the pack does have some weak points and will pull apart. I had to send one back as the shoulder strap pulled out. The only bad thing about this pack is the color, Yuk why do they make packs out of yuk colors.
That's a great idea UofWHusky. I'll have to do that. I"m glad to hear of someone that like the pad. I was a little skeptical at first but I just went with it.
I think you'll find a pattern: people who love it carry too much weight, people that hate it don't.
The fact is that 62L is really easy to overload with too much weight for the amount of support the pack provides.
Awwww. Fat Mike, too?
I also picked up this pack on sale. Got my gf the Flash 52 as well. We'll be taking them out in a few short weeks. Can't wait to see how our new budget kit treats us!
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BTW, the Flash 45L (the large size is 50L) is on sale for $89 as well, a pound lighter and still plenty big enough for most of us. If I needed a pack right now, I'd seriously consider the Flash 45.
I don't know about the 62, but i have a flash 50 from 08 that ive used on long section hikes on the pct in oregon, the at from nj to vt, and the adirondacks in upstate ny, and it never let me down. i find it very comfortable and am more than satisfied with its capacity; im thinking of trying a 35l pack for next time since i usually have alot of space left even with the absurd amount of food i usually carry (5+ days worth). after all this use, the pack is still in great shape. i would buy another one but the 50 is not around anymore. there is a 45l that looks really good though; why not try that one? right now im looking for something a little lighter but i don't know if im ready for a frame-less pack. early on, i threw away the brain of the back to save weight and got rid of most of the ties and zipper beads as well. after that, the pack was even lighter.
If your on a budget i would definitely recommend this as a intro ultra light pack. maybe, once your comfortable, you can try to transition to an even lighter foam frame pack like the Golite jam, though i hear bad things about the new shoulder straps, or Gossamer Gear packs like the gorilla or the G4.
Ok, ive been reading a bit more about the flash 45 and im really liking it. minus the brain and some minor adjustments to remove superfluous bits, the 45 might just squeeze in at under 2lbs.
the real deciding factor is how much space do you need? if your using a tarp and carrying only what you need, you probably don't need the 62; though, that opens you up to the question, do you really need anything, which is a more philosophical query. if your using a tent and like to carry a little extra just in case, then maybe the 62 is for you; just try to think about what you really want to do. if you like hanging around camp and chilling out alot, maybe go bigger so you can carry more warm clothes and other comforting things. if you want to move around alot and cover big distance or are out for a longer journey, maybe the lighter pack would be better.
We really need to know what you plan to do to give better advice.
Perhaps other people are different, or perhaps I am missing something, but I did not find that if I had extra room in my pack I brought more stuff, I just had extra room. It did mean I didn't need to compress my down sleeping gear as much or pack hyper efficiently. It also meant that sometimes I wanted to pack hyper efficiently just to see how small I could get my pack, and it does compress down very well, but if you wanted to go longer between resupply this pack can also expand quite a bit.
I'm really liking the pack. It's very comfortable and carries well for me. Yes I do have a little spare room but that doesn't bother me. I'm a tent guy, but fortunately I have a tarptent moment and that doesn't take too much space. I bought the 45 as well. Although my gear did fit(may have been pushing it to fit food) I didn't like the way it carried. I'm a big guy and it just felt so small and tight on my back. Anyway, thanks for everyone's thoughts.
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I like the flash, but make sure you keep the straps clean so they stay grippy. Once they start getting sweat/dirt/grime/etc. on them the hip belt slides loose over time. This is true for a lot of packs.. I would take the tails and tie them in a knot to discourage slippage.
Thanks for the advice. I'll do that.
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