New REI UL Pack

Hi Wade,
I’ve got one of these that I use for dayhikes. It’s a nice little pack and for $25, it can’t be beat! (Note that there is no padding in the shoulder straps.)

Ryan

I actually saw this pack when I was REI last weekend. It is very basic. I thought it was kind of cool when I saw it, but more as a laugh factor. It is like a small duffle bag that one gets when in boot camp, and is just as comfortable (not very). Of course, it is pretty light, but I would not buy it.

It’s pretty small. But it has a “highly organized storage sleeve”, an “efficient drawcord” and “revolutionary” silpreg nylon. Boy, howdy!

Maybe first they can shoot the copywriter.

Don’t forget its best feature
Turn inside out and it’s a stuff sack to help organize your gear; once at basecamp, reverse it and it’s a daypack for short hikes away from camp

Now *that* was funny.

The first thing that went through my mind when I looked at it was…how many loops on the daisy chain…how much weight does that add…what would I be lashing to 6 or 7 loops for a day hike???

The REI Flash UL (9.4 oz) is a nice little pack. I’ve been using it this winter on ski and snowshoe day-trips with up to 10 pounds of gear and it is quite comfortable. It’s well-built and sturdy, and doesn’t show any marks from off-trail brush-bashing. The material isn’t flimsy silnylon–it’s a heavier version with a grid. There is a bit of padding on the shoulder straps, which are a highly breathable mesh.

I’m actually thinking of trimming it up into a stuff sack (remove chest and waist straps, remove hydration bag/organizer flap, use lighter cords, etc.; the weight saved might be 3-4 ounces) for use as a camp day-pack (just like the blurb says!), although this is heavier than having my brother-in-law carry my stuff in _his_ pack because I didn’t bring one ;-)

But for $25, I’ll probably buy another to trim up into a stuff-sack/pack, because I think this one is going to get a lot of use as-is. I’m planning to use it for SUL overnights if I can’t get my low-volume gear list to fit into my Mountainsmith Tour fanny pack (which is almost a pound heavier; hmmm…).

I trimmed a few extras off mine and it is now ~7.5 oz. Nice little pack.

Walmart has something similar for $5.

Erich, are you speaking of the school backpack at Walmart?

I had one when they came out last year..and while a neat idea and fun..I just didn’t use it, so I returned it.
Word to the wise though..if carrying a bladder in it, line the Flash with something like a FedEx padded mailer to stiffen the bag. Works like a charm-and the FedEx pad makes a great padded, waterproof butt pad :-)

No not really a school pack. It looked pretty much just like this pack, but was even more simple. It used rope for shoulder straps and those ropes were also the sinch for the bag. It was interesting, but would not be comfortable for anything over 10lbs.

I love this little pack! But I did make two modification… one functional, one cosmetic.

1. My first complaint was a total lack of structure (no frame). When I loaded my filled Platty, it drooped and felt funny against my back. Then, I cut a small, tapered section of Nightlight (Mt. Washington-style) sleeping pad and inserted it into the bladder sleeve. Not only does this provide a comfy back panel, but doubles as a sit pad on rest stops.

2. I cut off the orange webbing running down the front because it was unnecessary weight and rather ugly.

With these two mods, I now have my favorite day pack ever!

I have one and I hate that orange webbing daisy chain……

A couple of questions about removing it:

Did you remove it from the inside and the outside or just the outside?

After removal, did it leave visible stiching holes in the fabric that it was sewn to?

Thanks!