I've been a fan of my Flash 18 pack for the past two years, using it for bike rides to work, beach days, and packed it inside of my large Osprey to use as a day pack for some camping/hunting/fishing trips. It worked great for all those uses, but I had a few desires that weren't quite met and with an upcoming backpacking hunt trip, I was considering modding it to fit my needs. I then discovered the new Flash 22, and also the Stuff Travel Day Pack. The colors available in the "STDP" appealed to me, as well as the weight and simplicity, not to mention the price($30). It lacked a sternum strap, and hydration bladder compatibility. The Flash 22 offered a hydration sleeve and port, as well as a nice top lid for small item storage, but the exterior daisy chain is worthless to me from past experience with the Flash 18. And it's also about 7 ounces heavier than the "STDP"… Sold…
The upcoming trip is a pack-in 3 day trip into a wilderness zone in pursuit of a very elusive bird that lives at elevations upwards of 10,000 feet. I'll be packing in with my Osprey Atmos 50, but didn't want to lug that around for the day hikes, in which I'm expecting to cover a lot of ground. I'm intending to carry a lunch, a layer or two depending on what I'm not wearing at the time, binoculars, camera, water filter, a few shotgun shells, headlamp, sunscreen, and a few of the survival basics. Water will be plentiful so I'll be taking a 1L Camelbak, and then my new Sawyer Squeeze setup. It's lighter than carrying an extra liter, and also allows quick refilling without removing the bladder from the pack. I can simply fill a 1L Platypus bag and plug the outflow nipple of the Squeeze into the mouthpiece of the drinking tube and fill it back up. The mesh side pockets will work great for carrying a bird if I'm successful in harvesting.
So, the mods are…
I added a few small loops of grosgrain on the inside of the top lid, and then ran some small cording through it, with a toggle for cinching it up. I also sewed in a piece of 1.1oz Silnylon against the inside of the back panel and stitched it to tightly hold my Camelbak 1L bladder in the small of my back, which has proved to be comfy thus far. You'll also see the single elastic strap across the middle of the inside back panel, and the mini s-biner at the top seam. I did this to allow me to carry my Osprey 2L bladder if needed for other trips. For the hose portion of the bladder, I simply had to take a seam ripper to about two inches of the inner drawstring top, as well as the side panel of the top lid. This is a great setup as there are two separate layers that rain would have to work it's way through to get into the hydration port openings. I reinforced the edges of stitching where I removed the original stitches. I then added a few elastic guides on the left shoulder strap(to keep the right strap free for shouldering a shotgun with the pack on). Also added a simple and non-adjustable sternum strap with some double layered 3/4" elastic. The stretch is forgiving enough to allow it to "fall" into the sweet spot of my shoulder contours. I also trimmed some of the webbing and added a triglide to the free end of each of the shoulder straps to keep them from dangling. Very happy with the outcome, and pleasantly surprised at the weight, as it's only 1.2oz heavier than my factory Flash 18, and offers more storage and versatility.
Pack shown here stuffed with three down jackets in the main compartment, a full 1L bladder, and then a rain shell folded and secured inside of the top lid webbing.
This shows a Patagonia Torrentshell jacket folded up and secured inside of the top lid. Easy access to the main compartment of the pack without having to re-pack the jacket every time, also allows for quick de-polyment of the jacket.
