Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > REI Flash UL Day Pack > Owner Review by Keith Hultman

Owner Review: REI Flash UL Pack

Date: July 25, 2006

Reviewer information:

Backpacking Background:

My first backcountry experience was a high school canoe trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in northern Minnesota. Since then, my camping exploits have been mostly car camping, usually near rock climbing areas. I have become more interested in backpacking this past year after several weekend trips in Missouri opened my eyes to the beauty of getting away from urban life. Most of my backpack trips thus far are weekend affairs. My final pack weight is usually around 35 lbs (16 kg) but I'd like to experiment with lighter weight backpacking.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI) URL: REI.com Product Name: Flash UL Pack Product Number: 718352 Year of Manufacture: 2005 Size: One size fits all Material: Silicone-infused nylon on body, with double-ripstop nylon on bottom and back. Listed Weight: 10 oz (283 g) Weight as Measured: 9.3 oz (265 g) Capacity: 1,050 cu. in. (17 L) Pockets: 4 + hydration sleeve Features: reversible stuff sack / ruck sack, hydration compatible, sternum strap with integrated whistle, waist strap, top loading, cinch closure, tool loop, daisy chain. MSRP: $25.00

The REI Flash UL Pack (herein referred to as the Flash) is the smallest of REI's line of UL (ultralight) packs. With 1,050 cu. in. (17 liters) of space weighing in at 10 ounces (283 g) it is one of the lighter frameless daypacks on the mass market.

The Flash is designed as a reversible stuff/ruck sack. With the straps on the inside of the sack, it can be used as a stuff sack while backpacking. Turning it inside out transforms the Flash into a light daypack for shorter jaunts. I immediately recognized the use of this for an upcoming basecamping trip. During the hike into camp I could pack my clothes in the stuff sack, and pack this in my larger backpack. Then I could use the rucksack feature as my daypack for hikes and peak bagging to carry my hydration bag, rain jacket, lunch, and other essentials. This was more appealing than carrying along a dedicated daypack because of its lightness and versatility.

Field information:

I've used the Flash as a pack on a handful of dayhikes, as a stuff sack for clothes and other items while backpacking, as a gym bag, and even while rock climbing. I will use a 3-night outing to Rocky Mountain National Park where I used the Flash as both a stuff sack and a rucksack as an example of my experience. Temperatures varied from 52 F (11 C) at night to 83 F (28 C) during the day. Conditions included sunny mornings, daily afternoon thunderstorms, and very windy nights. Elevations were between 9,000 and 12,500 feet (2700 - 3800 m).

As Stuff sack:

I have used the stuff sack for clothes and kitchen items. Both times the sack was only half full. I haven't used the pockets because I worried that items would either be lost (pockets are external in stuff sack mode) or wanted to have access to them while backpacking.

I also placed some clothes into the stuff sack and then placed this outside the tent under the vestibule. During one of the daily thunderstorms, rainwater flowed under the vestibule and then under the sack. Because I had heard that silnylon could be used in drybags, I was surprised to find damp socks and long underwear inside the bag. I didn't expect this to be a dry bag, but I did expect better protection in slightly wet conditions. I suspect the water seeped in at the bottom of the sack were there is double ripstop nylon instead of silicon-infused nylon, or at the seams where the two types of nylon meet.

Another issue I had was after making camp, and then using the Flash as a rucksack, I no longer had a spare stuff sack for the kitchen items that were previously stuffed in it during the backpack portion of the trip. This was easily solved, however, by using my sleeping pad stuff sack for kitchen items while at camp. No stuff sack went unused, which pleased my aesthetic reductionist mind.

As rucksack:

Although the shoulder straps for the Flash are narrow, they are very comfortable for carrying less than 10 pounds (5 kg). The sternum strap can be adjusted by connecting it to one of 3 horizontal loops on the shoulder straps. Because there is no framesheet, the waist strap does not transfer much weight to the hips, and I have mostly refrained from using this strap. I have been tempted to cut it off to save weight and space, however it has been useful in keeping the weight of the pack from shifting while rock climbing and scrambling. Placing an insulated Camelback 2 liter "Unbottle" bag in the hydration pocket of the Flash helped add support for weight distribution.

I am very pleased with the bag's simple and versatile design. The hydration compatibility is simply a sleeve to slide a bladder into. There are no bulky clips for the drinking hose. Rather, the 3 loops for the sternum strap mentioned earlier can be used to attach the drinking hose to the shoulder straps.

The pockets are useful for those smaller items. However, it can be difficult to find which pocket your chap stick is in when the bag is full. I have found that placing a heavier item in the larger pocket will help with distributing weight to the middle of the pack and close to the body (else everything will sink to the bottom).

The first time I saw the adjustable tool strap on the bottom of the sack, I thought it looked weak and useless. I am really glad I refrained from cutting it off, because I did find the tool strap useful for lashing my trekking poles in moderate terrain when I wasn't using them (see photo).

With many materials for outdoor gear there is a trade off between light weight and durability. The Flash is definitely on the lightweight side of the scale. While the pack carried adaquately while rock climbing, I would not recommend this use because of the delicate nature of the materials. Because I usually wear this pack hiking, I would rather it be lightweight than durable, and the materials are well chosen for this purpose.

I have two requests for improvements. While wearing the pack, the top closure does not completely close. This is fine most of time, but rainwater can easily get inside this way. Because I did not want my fleece to get wet inside the Flash while hiking in the rain, I wore my rain jacket over the Flash. I would redesign the top opening by adding a semicircular flap over the opening, so that when cinched, the opening folds underneath this flap, shielding most rain from the inside of the bag. When in stuff sack mode, this flap would be an internal flap helping keep the contents in the bag. The other improvement I would like to see is better water proofing. A seam sealer treatment might also help with this and I will be applying some for my next outing.

Conclusion

Overall, I am very pleased with the Flash. It carried as well or better than my partner's camelback daypack. Although, since she had an external pocket, we could place items we would need fast access to (e.g. bug dope and sunscreen) in her pack. The flash is an excellent stuff/ruck sack for basecamping trips.

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Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > REI Flash UL Day Pack > Owner Review by Keith Hultman