Thenaturalmedic Adventures
Hello there, and thanks so much for joining us here! You are probably wondering what this podcast is all about? In this podcast, we will talk about all sorts of outdoor adventures, but primarily, for now, we will focus on hiking and backpacking. No other outdoor adventure is so accessible to so many people! So please join us as we talk about how to hike/backpack and learn how to hike any length trail from your local neighborhood parks to those long trails such as the Appalachian and others worldwide! Remember... "in every walk with nature; one receives far more than he seeks... - John Muir " See you on the trail!
Thenaturalmedic Adventures
Is the REI Co-Op Flash 55 Pack Right for YOU? Quick Review / Overview
Video Version: https://youtu.be/n6WPd4F1QSE
If you want to upgrade your pack as a backpacker, look no further than the Flash 55 from REI Co-Op. In this week's episode, I review the basic features of the pack and help you understand how it works better with an overview. Make sure to like and subscribe for more great content!
#backpackinggear #rei #flash55
Hello there! My name is Craig thenaturalmedic. On this podcast, I help you build the skills, understand gear choices and review trip destinations in a budget-friendly manner to help you enjoy the outdoors safely. I primarily focus on hiking and backpacking, but I am certainly not limited to those topics. Instead, I try to give you the best possible information based on my experiences and opinions from my decades of outdoor adventure travel. Thanks for being here!
I try to keep active on social media in addition to my podcast. Plus, you can find my support links here: https://campsite.to/thenaturalmedicadventures
You can check out any products I use, mention, or promote below. You should assume any links below provide me with some compensation. If you click these, it helps support the podcast at no additional cost. Thank you!
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REI Flash 55 Product Link
https://www.rei.com/product/148589/rei-co-op-flash-55-pack-mens
Copyright FourGreen LLC, 2019-2022.
Hey folks. Welcome to the Natural Medic Adventures. My name is Craig, and on this week's episode, we're gonna talk about the Flash 55 if you're new to the channel. Thanks for being here. We talk about tips, tricks, adventures, product reviews, everything to get you out there safely in the outdoors. Without further ado, let's get started. I needed a new pack, and so I decided on this one at the end of last year. I didn't actually take it on the trip though until April of this year when I went to Caney Creek Loop up in Arkansas. Now I'm about to go back to Eagle Mountain Loop, which is kinda located in that same vicinity in the Ouachita National Forest of Arkansas, between Hot Springs and Mena. Really this pack has everything that I need and more. So first off, it's called the Flash 55 because it's a 55 liter pack, so it has a very large capacity main compartment, no dividers, just one big compartment. See if I can show that to the camera. Just one big compartment. It does have a nice area. If you want to use a water bladder not everybody uses one, I use one sometimes, not all the time, but it's available if you want it with a nice sleeve right there and you have out output for the tube on the right or the left, depending on your preference. This particular one is a large pack. I'm a tall guy. I'm six foot two. Have a, large torso, I guess long torso. And so this is the one that fits me. They do not have this color in the store, so I had to order this special but didn't cost me anything extra. And of course there'll be a product link that you can review for yourself down in the description, be low. As of this time when I'm filming, I'm not an REI affiliate. So it's just a link down there to check out this pack if you need a, if you're in need of a pack. So looking at the back here, let's look at that first, besides talking about the capacity as 55 liters. It's got a nice vented back. So it keeps, it keeps your back generally cool. I'm pretty much a sweater though, so it just, it doesn't prevent me from sweating completely. I do still sweat but it at least provides some ventilation and it's very comfortable. Okay. I haven't had any issues with this. The second trip I took this on was when I went to Lake Catherine up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, up in the Sangre De Christo, and it was very comfortable then, didn't have any issues with it. It does have a rain shield pocket for a phone. My cell phone does not fit very well in this with a case. Without the case, it fits fine, but with, what's the point of that? And it does have a magnetic kind of snap there. I added on the chicken tramper one liters like smart water bottle deal right there. It's nice and convenient, but it does also have some pockets here on either side that allows you to put your water bottle in there and you can easily. Get it without having to take your pack off. It's a really nice feature. You also have two other pockets, very deep ones for other things on the outside here in addition to two hip belt. The straps are comfortable. I think there are plenty for what they are. The pack is considered, I would say a lightweight pack. My old pack was a Lafuma pack, which probably a lot of you out there watching this have not even ever heard of before. The brain itself, of course, is on the top and it's a rain Shield pocket also, so it's more, more heavily insulated against rain and it's removable. If you don't wanna use the brain, you can of course roll this part down and cover. Clips just like this very easily, but you can keep the brain on there if you want, or you can take it off up to you. So that's a nice adaptable option there. Of course, you have adjustable straps here on the side to help you with your load and on the little bit lower as well, on both sides. If you use the brain, of course you have straps here. Connect it just like this very easily. On the front, this is the most interesting thing I thought was this big mesh pocket. It's pretty stretching and adaptable. And good for stuff that you want quick access to or you don't wanna put in your main backpack to mess up like wet shoes or a wet rain jacket or wet clothing, for example. Something like that fits really easily on the outside and has a little toggle right there. You can close it up with, or you can just leave it open. Most of the time I just leave it open. But anyway, you can carry quite a heavy load in this. The biggest load I've had is a little over 30 pounds in it. Super comfortable overall, I'm pretty pleased with this purchase. Now, of course, you can spend more and get a lighter pack, and that lighter pack may or may not be as comfortable as something like this and may not be, as large or be as adaptable as this pack is. But for my needs, this one suits me very perfectly. So if you're looking for a pack, the REI flash 55, I encourage you to check that out if you have questions about this. Make sure and leave a comment below. If you enjoy the video, give it a thumbs up. Consider subscribing to the channel for more content like this. Hope this was helpful to you. I'll see you out on the trail.
