I love REI. There's so much to look at, and so many cool gadgets, it's easy to get sucked in and want to buy everything. If you couldn't tell, I'm a huge impulse buyer. Hubs balances me well because he contemplates every purchase before he makes it. We make a good team. So of course before we headed to REI, he's researched a whole bunch of packs, bed rolls, and tents. Shopping informed is a great idea.
I tried on a bunch of packs, wanting to make sure I got one that was as comfortable as possible. REI will stuff them with weight for you, so you can get an idea of what it will feel like on the trail. The associate that helped us was so patient, moving the weight back and forth between packs for me. After a lot of deliberation, and walking around the store with weighted packs, I decided on the REI Flash 52.
We have loved our Flash 18s. They've been a perfect little day pack, with just enough space to throw what we need in. So it seemed like a natural progression to move to the larger Flash. It fit me well, particularly around the neck. I discovered as I tried packs on, that my short torso makes fitting through the upper back/shoulders/neck difficult, but we found that the Flash 52 adjusted well to fit me, and gave me the most room in my neck.
While we were talking to the man who was fitting me, we mentioned, our Flash 18s and how much we've used them. He suggested using it as a bear bag! You can put all your food and hygiene products in there, and then string it up in the trees. What a fantastic idea!
We also got an REI Lightweight 1.5 Women's self-inflating bed roll. It's insulated against the ground temperature, and provides more cushion than a traditional foam bed roll. I'm excited to use it for the first time!
I feel like a real hiker now, guys! I'm so excited!
Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! Please take a moment and like me on Facebook. Happy Trails!
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