Bottom line: Excellent small outdoor pack, especially when you want to rock the retro hiker vibe.
High points: Terrific, retro styling. High quality for the prices. Not many fussy points. Simple, easy to use in almost every respect.
Caveats: Price (~$45 new- a touch steep for such a simple pack. No waist strap. Shoulder straps loosen with the slightest tug.
Wishlist: A slightly larger version. A Flashback 22 or 25 would fall into the same range as Tom Bihn's new Guides Pack, but could come in at 40% or less of the cost.
Why I bought this bag: I've had a REI Flash 18 UL for about 5 or 6 years and it has been my go to adventure bag that whole time. The Flashback seemed like a great update to my older bag.
Regrets: Doubting my old Flash 18 UL. While I love the styling of the Flashback, the original flash still fits my actual outdoor needs slightly better, being a touch lighter and slightly more comfortable.
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