Dayhike Hydration

maybe just sew a mesh side pocket on your flash 18? keep one bottle there and the rest in the main compartment.

That's a very practical idea. Thanks. I'm still interested in hearing other ideas while I start to think about how I might add a pocket onto the Flash.

Lots of daypacks and some hydration packs come with mesh side pockets…I have an old mountainsmith hydration pack that has them on both sides, and has plenty of capacity for dayhikes, also works well for biking etc. So maybe just look for something like that on craigslist, thrift shops etc. A running pack would also work – but will be more expensive. Most have pockets on the front for water/food etc. Check the Nathan and Ultimate Direction websites. If you get one of these you may have a sudden urge to run though, so make sure you are OK with that! ;)

Matthew, Although I have a few other small daypacks, I tend to reach for my MLD Burn (no hip belt) for the very reason of having those side bottle pockets. I'm in the PNW and so always carry at least a windshell (and maybe a light fleece and rain shell) and those can be loosely stuffed to fill out a pack like a Burn, a Gossamer Gear QuikSak, the Zimmerbuilt, etc. Nice thing about those packs is that they still carry well as a near-empty daypack or can be used as a 1-3 day pack, depending on your kit.

This is my current daypack 3.17oz with a single stretchy side pocket. Osprey Ultralight Stuff Pack The side pocket is quite spacious, holds a nalgene 1L bottle easy. The pack stuffs into its own tiny pocket if you want to bring it along for a longer trip.

I sometimes use a bottle sling — nylon, super lightweight, bought from REI. Have also got a neoprene bottle holder with a belt loop — I just run the hipbelt through it. It's ancient/no name brand, but I'm sure there are newer options. The neoprene is nice for keeping water cold. With both options it's easy to grab a drink without stopping. (But of course this sounds like the perfect opportunity to buy a new pack…not that I'm an enabler or anything).

I'd find a local seamstress and have them add a pocket to your pack. We found one locally that can do all kinds of stuff-she converted an old Kelty bag into a quilt for 7 bucks…

Get one of these for your shoulder strap: http://www.camp-usa.com/products/packs/bottle-holders/ (that price is for two, you can buy a single from awesome specialty ski mountaineering shop skimo.co: http://skimo.co/camp-action-bottle-holder) Their bottles with straws are kind of cool but I use mine with a specialized purist bike bottle for minimal plastic taste/leaching. I'm sure it would fit the right sized smartwater bottle as well, i've also used it with a platypus softbottle. The advantage of having the bottle on your shoulder strap is that it doesn't bang around and hinder your stride even when running and it works well with a small pack where the waste belt is pretty inconsequential and may sit high. You could also look at an ultra running vest from ultimate direction, patagonia etc which is basically a light pack with the shoulder strap water bottle holders built in. Some bigger ski mountaineering race packs from camp, dynafit and others also include this feature. Edit: and I usually keep one bottle in the front and then a larger bottle/bottles in the back main compartment to refill from.

Really becoming fond of my REI Stoke 29 pack. Works great as a tenkara pack as well, because of the side pockets and gear bungies/hooks. It has worked well with a little or a lot. On sale: http://www.rei.com/product/848005/rei-stoke-29-pack-2013-special-buy …the Flash 22 could be an option as well: http://www.rei.com/product/877567/rei-flash-22-pack HTH KJ

MLD makes some nice shoulder strap bottle holders, I think zpacks does as well- if you like the pack otherwise, but be worth a shot

I like carrying bottles on my straps. I've done this using the stock system on my ULA pack and I've got an MLD pocket. The "daisy chain" on the straps of my Flash don't have bar tacks to keep the MLD holder from slipping down. I don't have much confidence in my sewing skills but maybe a couple bar tacks would make everything ok. Maybe a safety pin would work for my hike tomorrow morning to see how it feels on this pack…

"it seems funny to walk around with a basically empty main compartment." I do this for dayhikes using my main pack: a GG Gorilla. Sometimes I add a rain jacket or even numerous items just for more of a workout.