REI Flash 55 Ultralight Backpack Review

The REI Flash 55 Backpack is an ultralight, roll-top backpack with an elective high lid pocket.  Weighing 2 lbs 13 oz, it has a mesh again panel to assist preserve your shirt dry in heat climate and quite a few pockets and straps, known as “packmods”, that may be eliminated or reconfigured to lighten it additional, as much as 6.4 oz on our scale. The pack has two mesh water bottle sleeves along with two aspect pockets which can be giant sufficient to hold 1L bottles, a entrance stretch pocket, dual-side compression straps, and twin daisy chains working up the size of the pack’s seams.

Specs at a Glance

• • Volume: 55L
  • Weight (complete): 2lbs 13 oz (dimension medium)
  • Weight (stripped): 2 lbs 5.6 oz (dimension medium)
  • Gender: Unisex and Women’s accessible
  • Frame: Internal, Perimeter Wire
  • Adjustable Torso Length: Yes
  • Pockets: 10, together with the primary compartment
  • Bear Canister Compatibility: BV 500 and the Garcia Backpacker’s Cache match vertically in the primary compartment, horizontally within the extension collar, and horizontally below the floating high lid pocket; BV475, BV450, and BV425 match horizontally on the backside of the primary compartment.
  • Torso Sizing: (S: 17-19 inches), (M: 18-20 inches), (L: 19-21 inches)
  • Hip belt Sizing: (S: 32-40 inches), (M: 34-42 inches), (L: 34-46 inches)
  • Maximum beneficial load: 30 lbs
  • Materials: 100D and 210D  recycled Robic Nylon
  • Optional Add-on Pockets and Straps (accessible individually) – Waterproof shoulder pocket, solid-faced hipbelt pocket, mesh-faced hipbelt pocket, and further accent straps.

Backpack Storage and Organization

The REI Flash 55 is an ultralight-style roll-top backpack with an elective high lid. The benefit of utilizing a roll-top is that it enables you to compress hundreds from the highest along with the perimeters utilizing compression straps. This is beneficial in case your load expands and shrinks throughout a visit, like if you resupply your meals on the town on a thru-hike or part hike.

The good factor about having the elective high lid is that you may add it when it’s wanted, in cooler climate, for instance, to hold further gloves, navigation gear, or smaller gadgets which can be useful to have simply accessible on longer hikes.

The Flash 55 high lid can also be a floating lid, which is vital as a result of the pack has an extended extension collar that extends above the highest of the body. Having a floating lid enables you to elevate its top, so it sits correctly on high of your load. It additionally enables you to wedge gear between the highest of the primary compartment and the underside of the highest lid, like a bear canister, tent, sleeping pad, and so on, with out having to place it into the primary compartment. That drastically expands the pack’s utility on extra distant or technical journeys when carrying awkwardly sized gear is important.

The most important compartment of the Flash 55 is big and it’ll maintain lots of gear and meals (it feels far bigger than 55L and the amount most likely doesn’t account for the extension collar). It has a hydration pocket inside with a central hold loop, however the remainder of the house is unstructured with high entry solely.  A rain cowl isn’t included with the pack, so that you’ll wish to line the inside with a pack liner or trash compactor bag.

The Flash 55 has a entrance (strong) stretch pocket bordered on the perimeters with sturdy mesh that makes it simple to retailer damp or often accessed gadgets, so that you don’t should cease and open up your pack to entry them or put them away. The high of that pocket additionally hooks onto a plastic dongle for added safety. Daisy chains run alongside either side of the entrance stretch pocket and lengthen up the aspect seams all the way in which to the highest of the body. These can be utilized to lash accent gear to the surface of the pack, like snowshoes (MSR Lightning Ascents match), and likewise function anchors for the aspect compression straps so you’ll be able to transfer their anchor factors up and down the perimeters of the pack.

The Flash 55 has two mesh sleeves (positioned immediately behind the hip belt pockets however hooked up to the pack sides) to make it simple to succeed in the bottles or snacks when you’re sporting the pack. The bottle sleeves are sized for tall skinny SmartWater bottles (proven above) or Nalgene Bottles (proven beneath) and it’s simple to drag them out. The sleeves have snap closures in entrance to carry the bottles in place, however they are often troublesome to re-snap closed when sporting the pack. One hack to make tall bottles safer is to decrease one of many aspect pack mod straps so it covers the bottle’s cap.

The Flash 55 additionally has strong paneled aspect pockets behind the water bottle sleeves for holding gear and longer objects, like tent poles, chair kits, fishing poles, and so on, and lashing them to the aspect of the pack with a compression strap. It’s an vital characteristic, particularly on a pack that will likely be used for long-distance journeys. These pockets will not be reachable when sporting the pack. Note: you’ll be able to run the aspect packmod straps over these aspect pockets or via them.

There are 4 detachable pockets on the Flash 55, all of that are elective.  The high lid is hooked up by buckles and could be simply eliminated, in addition to the straps holding it to the pack. These straps could be repurposed for different capabilities and at different places on the pack.

The hip belt pockets are additionally simply detachable. One is mesh-faced and the opposite has a strong cloth entrance. They’re fairly giant sufficient and sufficiently big to carry my iPhone 14 Pro plus snacks. They’re held on with a intelligent webbing strap/toggle system that holds them in place and prevents them from flopping as you bounce down the path. It is yet one more instance of the “packmod” philosophy behind this pack’s customization ethic.

It’s a surprise that extra ultralight backpack producers don’t undertake an identical pocket attachment technique, since individuals have very completely different wants at completely different occasions. I favor having a alternative over which pockets to connect to my backpack as an alternative of being compelled to make use of one that’s completely affixed.

The Flash 55 additionally comes with a mesh shoulder strap pocket that’s hooked up to the shoulder pads utilizing the identical webbing/toggle system utilized by the pockets. It’s sized slender for a Smartphone, an inReach  Mini 2. or a small digital camera. It is secured on high with velcro. Earlier fashions of the Flash 55 has a water-proof shoulder strap pocket which was significantly better, however can nonetheless be bought as an add-on. You also can add a third-party pocket, just like the Gossamer Gear Shoulder Strap Pocket to the Flash 55 shoulder straps fairly simply.

Backpack Compression and External Attachment System

The inventory REI Flash 55 comes with an elaborate however easy-to-use compression and exterior attachment system. You can use it out the field, as-is, take away the quite a few straps (with out having to chop them off), or transfer them round any means you want.

The 4 vertical corners of the pack have daisy chains loops working down them, carried out utilizing twine, as an alternative of conventional webbing. This is an more and more widespread characteristic discovered on path working backpacks, but it surely hasn’t actually caught on but with mainstream ultralight backpacks.

All of the straps and attachment factors on the pack are loops (girth hitched) to the daisy chain as an alternative of being sewn into the pack seams. This enables you to detach them, transfer them to a distinct location, or change their angles, as wanted.

REI even features a mesh sack with the Flash 55 so you’ll be able to retailer the straps you’ve eliminated between makes use of, and never lose them. Directions for attaching the straps are printed on the surface. Thoughtful.

All of the detachable straps and pockets weigh 6.4 oz on our scale. If you’re making an attempt to scale back your pack weight, the most important bang for the buck is available in eradicating the pockets, not the straps.

• the floating high lid w/2 straps (3.3 oz)
• 4 aspect compression straps (0.8 oz)
• strong hip belt pockets (0.8 oz)
• mesh hip belt pocket (1.0 oz)
• shoulder strap pocket (0. 3 oz)
• 2 extra quick straps (0.2 oz)

The drawback with eradicating the aspect compression straps is that you simply typically can’t anticipate if you’ll want them to lash gear to the aspect of the pack. If you take away the highest lid, you’ll be able to do away with as much as 4 straps, although I’d nonetheless suggest conserving two of them to carry down the perimeters of the roll high. There are lots of variations doable, although.

Backpack Frame and Suspension

The REI Flash 55 is an adjustable-length backpack with a mesh again panel to assist preserve you cooler and your shirt drier in heat climate. The torso size is lifeless easy to regulate, by transferring the shoulder strap yoke up or down horizontal webbing straps organized down the center of the again panel and labeled in inches for ease of match for those who already know your torso size. See the right way to measure torso size. 

The again panel mesh is stretched throughout mushy dorsal and lumbar padding and built-in with the pre-curved wings of the hip belt. This gives a cushty back-hugging match, however gained’t pull you backward and off-balance. While it’s not as breathable as a curved ventilated backpack just like the Zpacks Arc Ultra Haul 60 or the Osprey Exos Pro 55, it does a reasonably first rate job at serving to you keep cooler drier in sizzling and muggy climate.

The Flash 55’s body is a light-weight, 360 diploma metal perimeter wire (not detachable). It gives nice torsional flex, so it strikes with you, in addition to the horizontal rigidity that’s vital for correct load lifter perform and hip belt load switch. The hip belt is sewn on to the pack in order that the load is carried very near your core muscular tissues and hip girdle for max effectivity, whereas the mushy lumbar pad and pre-curved hip belt wings grip the iliac crest. I’m actually fairly impressed with the hip stick with it the Flash 55, which is comfy and doesn’t slip down.

The hip belt closes with pull-forward straps for mechanical benefit, with a single central buckle, which I favor on packs as a result of it may be used whereas sporting gloves and since it’s higher for winter use when snow will clog smaller buckles.

The shoulder straps have a unisex J-shape, with a rail-based sternum strap. They’re thickly padded and lined with a breathable mesh to wick away sweat. Both shoulder straps have elastic hose keepers in addition to a pair of quick horizontal webbing straps to connect the shoulder accent pocket, which could be simply moved to the opposite shoulder strap.

The sizing ranges for the lads’s Flash 55 pack are fairly slender when it comes to torso lengths though the hip belt sizing is extra versatile. Still, I’d encourage you to attempt on completely different sizes to zero in on a cushty match. If you’re between torso lengths, I’d undoubtedly suggest sizing up.

Comparable Ultralight Backpacks

Recommendation

The REI Flash 55 is a extremely configurable, backpacking pack that weighs 2 lbs 13 oz however could be stripped right down to 2 lbs 5.6 oz by eradicating a number of elective parts. If you’ve by no means owned a backpack that’s this light-weight, the Flash 55 is an efficient ultralight pack to chop your tooth on as a result of it’s so reasonably priced and simply personalized for various journeys, seasons, or locales. Fully configured, out-of-the-box, with its high lid and full compression system, you should use it so long as you don’t exceed its most beneficial load of 30 lbs or gear, water, and meals weight. If you wish to experiment with eradicating the lid and simply utilizing the roll-top, or eradicating parts, you are able to do that if you’re prepared. Regardless, I believe you’ll nonetheless be impressed at how properly the Flash 55 carries in comparison with a heavier-weight backpack with a extra substantial body. This pack is a winner.

Disclosure: REI donated a backpack for overview.

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