Construction & Features

REI Flash 22 Pack weighs only 14 oz, and we classify any daypack less than 16 as ultralight. Therefore, you’re getting an ultralight pack for just $60. Not bad at all!

The 22L internal compartment opens and closes with a drawcord cinch, and is covered by a lid with a zippered pocket, handy for storing snacks and useful knickknacks. There are two tall side pockets for water bottles, which are very secure and deeper than average. A large zippered bonus pocket (with a sub-pockets inside) is situated on the wearer’s right, paralleling the back panel. The only downside to this is that it shares volume with main compartment, so as you fill one pocket, you lose room in the other.

For a mostly structureless pack, it’s comfortable too. Though if over-stuffed, it takes on a barrel shape that can slightly dig into your back. We like the breathable, spacer mesh shoulder straps and hip belt, which is widened to disperse pressure. The backside has two spacer mesh panels running along the zones which directly contact your back.

What structure there exists is derived from a removable foam sit pad that can be extracted from inside the top of the main compartment. This helps blocks lumps while wearing, but is quite thin as sit pads go. What’s more, removing it requires a non-trivial amount of pack disassembly work that will largely deter most people from using it on short breaks.

While we hate to pick flaws in a pack that’s this lightweight and affordable, the lack of a front mesh external pocket is an obvious design error. By simply adding a front mesh pocket with room to store a rain jacket, we would change our assessment from great to excellent.