REI Flash 65 Pack
The review's headline was that a house brand won an award, which was mildly surprising in 2009 and is not at all surprising now: REI's own gear competes properly with the name brands and usually undercuts them. The Flash line is still made.
What a 65-litre pack is for. Multi-day trips, three to five nights, or longer if your kit is light. It is also about ten litres more than most people now need, which is the main thing that has changed.
Gear got lighter, so packs got smaller. A load that needed 65 to 75 litres in 2009 fits in 50 to 60 now: tents halved in bulk, sleeping bags and pads compress further, and clothing is thinner for the same warmth. If you are replacing a 65, seriously consider a 55.
What to check on any pack this size:
- Torso length, measured, not your height. Then load it with 15kg in the shop and walk.
- Weight on the hips. Sore shoulders mean the fit is wrong, not that you are unfit.
- Whether the lid and pockets let you reach things without unpacking. Top-loaders are lighter; panel access is kinder to your temper.
The one thing the original got exactly right: a lighter pack is worth more than a cleverer one. Every 500g of empty pack weight is 500g you carry all day for nothing, and this is where the marginal money is best spent.
Part of the guide to backpacks and daypacks.