SectionHiker.com Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs 
The Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor is a top-loading backpack with a unique top lid and two side water bottle pockets. Designed by Andrew Skurka, it has wrap-around compression straps that let you shrink or expand its capacity from 40L to 60L so you can fit more food and gear inside when you go on longer trips. This is complemented by a stiff but lightweight frame that makes it possible to haul heavy loads, far exceeding those that can be carried by similarly sized ultralight or internal frame backpacks.
Sierra Designs made a few minor changes to the Flex Capacitor in this latest update. The pack is now offered in two new colors, white and black, replacing the original silver-colored version. A second mesh pocket has been added to the shoulder pads to hold snack bars and gadgets. In addition, the internal mesh hydration sleeve can be hung on the exterior of the pack for storing wet items or gear you want to access frequently without having to stop and root around inside the backpack. I review these below.
The Flex Capacitor is also now available in two additional volumes, 25-40L and 60-75L, but the number of hip belt sizes available has dropped from four with the original silver-colored pack to two sizes with the new white or black colored version. While I haven’t had a chance to try the 60-75L version yet, my guess is that it will make a super winter backpack when you have to carry a lot more gear, food, and fuel. The Flex Capacitor’s internal frame is very stiff and it can carry 50 lbs or more so there’s no doubt in my mind that the 60-75L model can carry the extra weight.
Specs at a Glance (40-60L)
- Gender: Men’s Only
- Torso lengths (2): S/M (16″-19″) and M/L (18″-21″)
- Hip belt lengths (2): SM/MD (29″-32″), MD/LG (32″-35″)
- Pack Weight: 41.5 (size M/L)
- Mfg. Max recommended load: 50 pounds
- Bear canister compatible: yes
- Fabric: main body is 100D Nylon-Poly ripstop, base is a 420D Nylon Oxford
Internal Storage and Organization
The Flex Capacitor has a large main compartment and two side water bottle pockets. There are two large, solid-faced pockets on the hip belt and two stretch mesh pockets on the shoulder straps. The main compartment has two fabric loops that you can hang a water reservoir from or a separate reservoir sleeve, with a single hydration port behind the neck for a hydration hose.
The main compartment is crowned by a top lid with a U-shaped zipper that flips up to provide access to the inside of the pack. The top lid contains two shallow pockets, sized to hold maps and other thin objects like a cell phone or snack bars. When flipped open, the top of the pack is large enough to swallow a large Garcia bear canister, so no worries there. Both of the zippers on the top lid, the one to the pocket, and the one that runs around in a U-shape around the top of the main compartment are protected from the rain and dust by solid fabric flaps. The U-shaped top zipper has two sliders but has the potential to compromise the pack’s usability if it ever fails. Still, worse comes to worst, you could pin it shut with a safety pin.
Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor Backpack
Comfort
Weight
Suspension
Features
Adjustability
Sizing
Durability
The two side water bottle pockets are reachable while wearing the backpack and it’s easy to pull bottles out or put them back. The side pockets are sized for one 1L bottle, although they stretch enough to also accommodate tent poles or a Tenkara rod that’s lashed under the compression straps and rests in the side bottle pocket. While the outside of the water bottle pockets is made with mesh, the bottom of the pockets and the perimeter around the mesh are reinforced nylon for increased durability.
The Flex Capacitor hip belt has two large hip belt pockets which are large enough to store snacks, water purification drops, and electronics. Both pockets are hard-faced with fabric and quite durable, even when hiking off-trail through scrub, thorns, and brush.
External storage was quite limited on the original version of the Flex Capacitor, particularly for wet items like rain gear, a wet tent, or a wet water filter. Sierra Designs added a feature to the new packs by making it possible to move the interior mesh hydration pocket to the outside of the pack and suspend it from four exterior gear loops, as shown here. It’s functional, but that’s the best thing I can say about it. The pocket is tiny and the mesh is flimsy and not designed for use on the outside of a backpack.
There are a lot of better ways that this external mesh pocket feature could have been implemented that would be more functional and durable. For example, look at the way that Seek Outside adds a Talon Pocket to their backpacks (video).
External Attachment and Compression System
The Flex Capacitor has numerous external straps including two tiers of compression straps, four volume-adjustment straps, and two ice ax loops. Despite this, the straps never feel like they’re overwhelming the pack and they don’t “get in the way.”
The compression straps run continuously across the sides and back of the pack and can be used to compress your load or attach gear to the outside of the pack. They’re long enough and spaced far enough apart so that you can attach snowshoes, skis, packraft paddles, a sleeping pad, secure ice ax shafts, or an avalanche shovel to the pack when you have to haul heavy gear.
The volume of the main compartment is controlled by four compression straps. When loosened, they release the gusseted back of the Flex Capacitor and increase the diameter of the pack’s main compartment, expanding the volume of the pack from 40L to 60L, or whatever fraction you want in between. This is particularly useful if you need to pack a large bear canister in your pack and want to use the same lower volume pack you use for peakbagging or weekend trips. The reverse is also true.
There are two ice ax loops on the bottom of the Flex capacitor, but no shaft holders…you just secure the shafts using the other webbing straps on the back of the pack or thread your own using cord and some cord locks.
Backpack Frame and Suspension
The Flex Capacitor has a Y-shaped, aluminum frame stay that slots into the pack’s hip belt, providing an excellent load transfer to the hips when carrying really heavy loads, up to 50 pounds. It’s really a remarkable frame, given how lightweight and simple it is. The secret sauce that makes it so supportive is the tension in which it’s held in place inside the backpack. While removable, it takes some elbow grease to remove and replace the aluminum stay: this is necessary if you want to change the hip belt size.
However, the back of the Flex capacitor very stiff and less form-fitting than other lightweight packs. While there is mesh-covered padding on the back, it’s quite firm and it takes a while to get used to the pressure it exerts on the shoulder blades and lumbar area of your back. While any discomfort fades into the background eventually, it’s a very different sensation than most multi-day backpacks.
The Y-shaped frame and padding work together to provide a large air channel behind your back through which air can pass, in order to reduce perspiration buildup. Sweat dripping down your back and into your underwear is a key cause of chafing, which is why good back ventilation is important.
Interchangeable hip belts
The Y-frame stay is removable so you can switch hip belts if you need to change sizes, although it takes a bit of elbow grease (and cougar screams) to take it out and reinsert it properly. If you order the Flex Capacitor at Sierra Designs you can specify the torso length and hip belt size of the pack you want. There are two torso length sizes, ranging from 16″-19″ and 18″-21″, and two hip belts lengths: SM/MD (29″-32″), MD/LG (32″-35″).
Limiting the hip belt size to a maximum of 35″ seems small to me and I suspect this is an error in the quoted specs on the Sierra Designs website. My contact there is looking into this and I’ll update this post when I hear back from them. I used a pack with a MD/LG hipbelt for this review and it fits me fine with plenty of extra slack, even though I have a waist size of 38″.
Shoulder pads
The Flex Capacitor’s shoulder straps are simple straps without a lot of attachment points. Both the right and left shoulder straps have a stretch pocket that’s large enough for a small smartphone or snack bars (the second pocket was added in the latest model.) While both straps have an elastic band for managing a hydration hose, there aren’t any daisy chains, plastic rings, or good anchor points for attaching other accessory pockets or electronic navigation tools. If you want to keep those tools handy, you’re best off storing them in the pack’s large hip belt pockets.
Comparable Backpacks
| Make / Model | Weight (oz) | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60 | 30.5 | Speed flap |
| Granite Gear Crown 3 - 60L | 36.7 | Roll top, Top lid |
| Granite Gear Blaze 60 | 48 | Roll top, Top lid |
| Hyperlite Mountain Gear SW 3400 | 32 | Roll top |
| Osprey Exos 58 | 43 | Top lid, speed flap |
| Gregory Focal 58 | 41 | Top lid, speed flap |
| Zpacks Arc Blast 55 | 21 | Roll top |
| Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus 57 | 18 | Roll top |
| Mountainsmith Scream 55 | 45 | Roll top |
| Seek Outside Gila 3500 (57L) | 47 | Roll top, side zipper |
| Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor | 41.2 | Top lid |
| Elemental Horizons Kalais | 37 | Roll top |
Recommendation
The Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor Backpack is a 41.5-ounce lightweight backpack with a rigid, but lightweight frame that is capable of handling heavy loads of 50 pounds or more. That alone makes it a unique offering among lightweight backpacks weighing 3 pounds or less. But the novelty of this backpack doesn’t stop there. It can expand from 40L to 60L of capacity if you need to carry a lot of gear or food, including a bear canister. It’s also easy to attach a ton of gear to the exterior of the pack, which is durable enough that you can take it off-trail without worrying about it being ripped to shreds by thorns and aggressive vegetation. The biggest question you need to ask yourself if you’re considering the Flex Capacitor is whether you need the extra load carrying capabilities it provides. If you need to “go heavy,” then the Flex Capacitor is one of the best lightweight packs under three pounds that can get the job done.
If the Flex Capacitor 40-60L appeals to you, I’d suggest grabbing one of the previous Silver versions of the Flex Capacitor. While Sierra Designs has made a few tweaks to the original pack, it really hasn’t been altered in any substantive way. In fact, the sizing options on the Silver model are better than the new White and Black versions, making this a good opportunity to pick one up on sale.
Summary of New Model Changes
- New Colors: White and Black
- One stretch mesh pocket added to shoulder straps
- External attachment system for hydration pocket, providing external wet storage
- Reduced number of hipbelt sizes: from four lengths to two
Disclosure: Sierra Designs provided the author with a backpack for this review.
Philip – I am assuming a bear canister would have to go in vertically – or does the Garcia fit in horizontally?
Yeah, the Garcia fits horizontally (went back and checked), so that means bearvaults will too.
A BV500 will fit horizontally with the “silver” 40-60 pack expanded to 60L.
It is a snug but not tight fit on mine. A Garcia fits about the same. The given pack sizes are is 28.5/30″ * 13 ” * 10″ and BV 500s are ~ 12.75″ * 8.5″ so that seems about right. The 13*10 seems right but 30 on my M/L seems optimistic.
I tried looking at the new packs specs to compare but the given measurements are confusing and inconsistent and it is unclear if they are with the pack expanded or what.
I have the original version of this pack and really like it. It hit a sweet spot I couldn’t quite get with other packs. It was just the right combination of price, weight and functionality. The adjustable capacity gave me flexibility that I wouldn’t have if I chose a single size and saved me quite a bit of money from buying 2 or even 3 different size packs. I bought it on sale for $150. Fixed capacity packs may save a bit of weight but this is perfectly reasonable. This pack does everything well and I haven’t once felt I’ve compromised anything.
I didn’t have the same experience as Phil; the pack never felt odd to me. Once I had it fitted, it disappeared and carries the load beautifully (that frame is genius simplicity). The extra weight capacity for this pack isn’t something I’ll typically need, but will be welcome on the occasional extended food or water carries, where many other packs in this class begin wilting around 35 lbs.
Now that I’ve owned the pack for a little over a year, here are a couple of notes to some comments I’ve seen online and that Phil touched on. The first thing was a lot of people griped at the lack of external pocket. I’ll say that this is way overblown. In terms of convenience, if the pack were a roll top then perhaps it would be more problematic. But the top lid is so quick that there’s no reason you can’t get to anything you need if you were smart enough to pack such items toward the top. And the slim pocket within the lid is perfect for small items and very quickly accessed. Between the hip belt pockets, lid pocket and easy access to the main compartment, I never once wished I had an external pocket. (Not to mention, those are usually the first places to wear out on packs so equipped.) Like Phil and others, I also took note of possible zipper failure with the top lid, but this really doesn’t concern me since this is not under any strain like panel loaders; it’s just sitting on top. Further, a husband and wife team both using this pack covered 1400 miles on the PCT including all of the desert sections and dirt or dust never phased the zippers.
Similarly, people complained about where to put wet items like a tarp or tent fly. With so many straps, if one can’t figure out how to lash it to the outside, perhaps the outdoors isn’t for them. Furthermore, I also appreciate Skurka’s response where he noted that if you’ve packed your sleep system and clothing in waterproof bags, then shoving wet items into your pack, outside those bags, presents zero problems. You’ll have to air them out anyway since they really won’t dry even if outside the pack. He’s right, of course.
The only thing I’d care about from the new version is the second should strap pouch, but that’s very minor, especially since the side water bottle pockets are easily reached and hip belt pockets are big enough to be useful.
I get the impression this pack is a bit of a sleeper. I think there are a lot of people that would be well-served by this one. Mostly anybody that doesn’t want to spend a lot and could use a good jack of all trades. At around $150, this is a seriously good deal.
Question. I have an Ospery pack and LOVE the suspension system. However, despite the admittedly good ventilation my lower back still gets sweaty. How do you think that the central lumber pad of this pack compares with other packs in this regard? I am considering the levity because as I said, I love the suspension, and I want a simple pack. At 5,10 I have a narrow waist at around 32″, so the small belt size of either pack suits me. The weight difference and for that matter, the extra fragility of the levity is not a major consideration for me as with the latter, lifetime warranty.
Thanks in advance.
Stick with the Levity.
I also own the original and have just one complaint that was apparently addressed with the newer version. The volume adjustment straps (not the compression straps) made slight tears where the strap was connected to the body of the pack. I guess I was pulling too hard on the volume adjustment straps and treating them like compression straps which I’m sure many would do. Anyway, SD replaced the pack without issue. On the replacement pack I applied some seam sealer or other viscous goop at these seams and have had no issue at all. So if you buy the old mode on sale, you’ll be fine if you secure those seams.
Did you ever hear back on the size of the hip belt? I agree that 35″ seems really small and hope that this is incorrect.
I did. They’re sticking with that sizing, but I think their specs are wrong.
I agree. I have a 40-60 Flex Capacitor with a Md/Lg hip belt. My waist (measured around the iliac crest) is 36”. If my waist was even an inch smaller, I would not be able to cinch down the belt tight enough. The Md/Lg hip belt can fit people with waists well in excess of the advertised 35”.
That’s my experience too, that their hip belt specs are way off. I lost a little weight and my Md/Lg hip belt (on the 40-60L “jet” color Flex Capacitor) is now too loose.
If anybody wants to trade a Sm/Md for my Md/Lg, let me know!
Hey guys, thanks for all the info about the old/new Flex, I’m going to take the plunge and get one. Quick query and I know it’s sort of been covered here already, but – I’m almost bang on 32″ hip measurement, I sent an email to SD asking about belt sizing and if I do go for the S/M hip belt, would there be enough belt webbing to go over layers and wet weather gear (live in the Cairngorms,Scotland). Their reccomendation was to go for the larger belt size, but Steve’s point (in this thread) almost sounds like there would be enough extra play if I went for the smaller size? Anyone got the S/M belt that could give me the actual length of the hip belt?
I first bought the old pack with the md/lg hipbelt and I measured 33 inches around my hips and found I had to cinch it all the way up and it only felt good once I was wearing 3 layers (base, fleece, and rain jacket). I contacted sierra designs and they sent me a sm/md hipbelt for the new version since the sm/md hipbelt for the old version is sold out everywhere and it works great. I would say get the sm/md size.
I measure a 47. Ordered the M-L fits with plenty of room. I don’t understand the 35 inch max. Nonsense. I can wear this with winter gear and still have strap left. And again I measure. 47
Could you provide the spacing between the side compression straps (i.e., top of upper side strap to top of lower side strap? I have emailed Sierra Designs and haven’t got a response.
Thank you
Unfortunately, I’m about 2000 miles away from the backpack and won’t get to this for a few weeks.
Thanks Philip.
Whenever you get the chance would be great. Could you also let me know how wide the straps are?
It is about 6 inches on the silver 40-60 M/L.
Hi Phil. Thinking about getting either the 60-75L SD Flex Capacitor or the 70L Cold Cold World Chaos, primarily for longer outings year round. Which do you feel carries and packs better? Thanks!
The Choas is a winter-specific pack without any side pockets or hydration sleeve. It also has an exterior crampon pocket. If you wanted one pack for year-round use, I’d go with the SD,
So I picked up one of the silver ones to see if it will work for me as an alternative to my comfortable but heavy 2008 Baltero 70. If so, it shaves 3# off my base weight which is pretty good for ~$130. I’m intrigued by the different design. I go where the bears are and where they are not and like to keep the bear can inside when carrying it so the capacity variation seems like a good idea. But… I think the lack of brain and external pockets will drive me crazy.
Generally I unload the main bag of my pack when setting up camp leaving water filter, raingear trowel etc, microspikes and a “brain” full of miscellany in the pack since I don’t need those things. With this single bag pack I have to empty it all then throw the things I’m not using back inside. Then get them out again to pack out so they can be near the top …Hmm!
Hate to add the weight back with stuff sacks…but I keep these things in external pockets for a reason…
I would really prefer to keep the trowel etc in a separate pocket (particularly the etc if packing it out). I guess I can be OK keeping this in the pack in its own bio-hazard stuff sack but…
I like to keep rain gear in its own pocket to prevent punctures and tears from getting ruffled around. A stuff sack would work as well I guess.
Water filters leak after use so it’s better in its own pocket where it can drain and evaporate and very handy to get when it is needed. This is going to be slightly annoying.
The microspikes have their own bag but if used tend to be wet and dirty. I don’t have a problem storing them with the trowel etc in an outside pocket where they can tuck in the bottom of the pocket but they will need to be separated if rattling around in the main bag.
I’m going to need a solution for all keeping all the brain junk (first aid kit, repair kit, headlamp, buff, gloves, map, compass etc etc.) accessible. Does anyone know of a less expensive version of the something like the Hyperlight Mountain Gear Pods. Seems like having one of those on top of everything could serve the same purpose as the brain pocket, particularly if I could attach it inside but $50-60 starts to make this pack look less of a bargain.
Anyone have any suggestions or is it just bung it all in and hope?
It always takes a while to adapt to a new pack architecture. Give it time and get yourself some mini-biners to hand stuff off the compression straps.
Six moons copied the HMG pods and they’re a less expensive option.
https://www.garagegrowngear.com/products/pack-pods-by-six-moon-designs
Cool. Thanks. Pack pods look like just the thing though one would be sufficient. More too good to throw away stuff in the gear box…
I’ll consider biners but I don’t like things hanging from the outside unless there is good reason (eg: a z-light pad (which I so far don’t use), trekking poles if not in use (only in the car), sandals (obviously) are about the only excuse for strap on items in 3-season imo). Things tend to fall or get scraped off and are annoying if they wave around plus the extra windage is not helpful.
Still it will provide some entertainment seeing if it works.
Also for anyone missing the back mesh pocket there is the Dutchware pack-back…
https://dutchwaregear.com/product/pack-back/
…basically a large mesh sack with shock cord attachments in the corners so you can attach it to, say, the load lifters at the top and around the shoulder strap attachment points at the bottom.
It is not quite the same thing as a dedicated pocket but seem like it would serve most of the same purpose and apparently only adds less than 3 oz.
Plus you can remove it when bushwhacking is on the cards or for use on a different backpack. Possibly a way to get someone else to carry your stuff without them noticing.
You can also use it as a light weight pack for who knows why or attach it to a tree so you can forget all your stuff when you leave camp.
For $30 it needs some justification. Not sure about the choice of .9 NoSee-Um mesh since that is not stretchy as far as I know…but maybe that is a good thing.
Or you could just use the hydration pocket they provide which hangs on the outside of the pack and get the same thing for free.
I always used to think I liked pockets galore on my backpack because I’m so OCD organized. Then I got the new Flex Capacitor because it was on a great sale. I immediately started to collect small sub-packs or “packing pods” and then I found perfect pods made from DCF and sold by PackBackDesigns on ETSY. I collected a couple in every size and started experimenting. I only used the zipper-based ones, and not the stuff sack type. Given that the PBD uses water proof zippers and the pods are DCF, everything is stored waterproof in the giant tube of the Flex Capacitor 70. I don’t ever fidget with lashing anything to the outside of the pack … unless its super wet or dirty. I have come to really love this approach. I don’t mind unpacking the Flex Capacitor because its only 7 or 8 items in pods, each of which is water proof so they can be on the wet ground. I spend a lot less time digging for stuff. I love the simplicity and light weight of the Flex Capacitor. Having a nice big collection of DCF storage sacks of varying sizes is a game changer. If I could change anything about the Flex Capacitor it would be to angle the water bottle pockets forward.
For the new version yes, although it’s not all that as far as I can tell. A good idea but a bit of a lazy effort. Also I the old one and it doesn’t. The pack-back is a bigger and seems more generally useful…more what the new version should be.
Spending $130 (or even $200) to save 3# and still be able to carry 40#+ was a no brainer, but it seems I am between sizes on this pack and it doesn’t work for me so they are both going back.
Briefly, My torso length is ~19′ which is supposed to be the top end for S/M and the bottom end for M/L. The shoulder straps on the S/M are obviously too short because the pouch is in an unusable position and the torso length on the M/L is too long because the shoulder strap attach to the bag too high up. Walking my 1.5 test hill with 30#, the hip belt rides down because of that probably not helped by its flat and floppy design (or my washtub abs). I do like the idea of the Y “frame” and it seems like it could carry well but with a brief test and incompatible sizing it is hard to say how well it works on a real hike.
The hip belt pockets are very generous which somewhat offsets the lack of other closable exterior pockets but I’m not so keen on the rest of the bag. Having played around with it I think the zipped lid is just a bad design, especially for a pack that purports to accommodate varying volumes of gear. Its smallish pocket expands down into the pack which means you can’t put anything hard or bulky in it and be sure you can close the lid zip. I wasn’t all the impressed with the flex sizing which just fussy to deal with. The bag is actually a bit small once you put a BV500 in it. I can make it work but since that is “normal” for most of my trips, having to making it work is not really good enough for me. It needs to be a bit bigger or have some auxiliary pockets or it needs to be smaller and provide a way to attach an empty bear can on the top (which is not really my preference).
Since it won’t fit there’s no point is trying the new 60-75 but I’m not convince that pack takes things in the right direction for me anyway since I’m not sold on the bag design. Back to looking at quilts I guess but I’m having a hard time getting excited about a $500 bag of feathers just to save 1.5#.
“Back to looking at quilts I guess but I’m having a hard time getting excited about a $500 bag of feathers just to save 1.5#.”
Look at the Hammock Gear Economy Burrow. Much less than $500, works great, and saved me 1.5 lbs over my down sleeping bag.
I second the HG Eco Burrow. Light, and my 30 degree with 1 oz overstuff took me down to 25 very comfortably. I feel I could have gone down to 20, and still been fine.
Did you ever get an update on the hip belt size issue? (A typo saying the max hipbelt size is 35″?) I’ve ordered one of these, but I sit right around 34-36 depending on time of year and my training
SD claims their sizing is correct.
I have the Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor original (silver grey) version, and I love pretty much everything about it.
Visually / aesthetically I think it’s very stylish-looking compared to other packs. (I know that’s superficial but there you go – the reality is it’s a factor for me.)
Functionally.
– I love the lower back ventilation provided with airing of the back, and any sweat channels away.
– I like the way the weight of the pack is really cinched in and secured by the straps, and the firmness of the foam lumbar pad and scapular pads. the whole weight just rides very securely.
– I like the hip belt pockets which are generous and can fit snacks in them, a headlamp, or whatever else I want in my hip belt pocket.
– I like the front pocket for a small water bottle which is just so handy to quickly get at water.
– I like the horizontal cord that you can clip something to – in my case my Garmin Inreach clips onto there so it’s quick front access if I did ever slip and fall and break a leg and needed to activate it for a rescue.
– I like the generous side pockets. I can actually fit my tent in one side pocket if I wish to, for quick access when I get to my camp site. And I keep a water bottle and 2 sections Zlite as a sit pad in the other.
– I like the easy zip access to the top. The pocket at the top is not big but it’s enough to keep my Deuce of Spades trowel and toilet paper in a large thick zip lock bag, and my headlamp, etc.
– I like that it will do short weekender trips, or 6 day hikes expanded all the way out.
– I like that the weight carrying capacity of the internal Y-frame gives me flexibility to do heavier load trips if I’m going out with my daughter carrying much of her weight (as she’s only 4 and a half).
Regards the one large compartment, I have a 40 Litre Sea to Summit pack liner (but you could easily just use a compactor bag) to keep my down quilt and clothes etc in, and I have a ditty bag thrown in there for electronics battery charger etc, and a medical bag. On the outside of that pack liner, but in the main compartment I have my food bag. Tent can fit inside bag or I can strap it to outside or have it in a side pocket depending on which tent and how big it is.
Is there anything I don’t like about it?
No I can’t think of anything actually.
Maybe a second water bottle holder on the other front strap which I think they added to the new version.
I like the idea of the Dutchware mesh backpack addition to buy and attach potentially to dry out tent in the sun on the outside of pack. I think maybe Sierra Designs could do something of similar quality.
But really for me this is the backpack that does it all. My base weight is under 7 kg now (used to be more like 8.5 kg), and then add to that I would have potentially 4 kg of food, stove fuel and consumables not counted in base weight on a 6 day hike. So I’m say 11 ish kg total – not an ultralighter, but nor am I have heavy backpackerer. If I have my daughter with me I’m carrying more weight for her.
So this one backpack does it all for me. Weekend hikes, 6 day hikes, solo hikes, hikes with daughter. And just adjusts, cinches in, carries the load well, add weight, subtract weight.
And perhaps my favourite thing out of everything is that it holds the weight so stable. If I have to cross a river, or rocks or any precarious situation, the weight is not pulling me backwards or bouncing around.
Hi!
I have a question about the FLEX CAPACITOR 40-60: Where is the diameter of the waist and torso straps measured from?
I need to know if the combination waist belt (S / M), and torso belt (M / L), works for me. Hoy I can measure it? My measurements are (full diameter): 111cms Weist, and 118 cms Torso
Thanks
If you can get that answer from Sierra Designs let us know. They’re pretty clueless.
This is part worry, part complaint: mainly when I pack more than 20kg in the pack, tightening the load lifters mainly bends the frame and don’t actually adjusts the position of the pack. This makes for sharp protrusions where the top ends of the DAC-poles connect to the fabric. In part I worry about the fabric not lasting and in part it doesn’t allow for effective use of the load lifters.
The problem doesn’t seem to be the vertical flexibility of the frame but rather that the top segments of the frame rotate in the hub producing a Y extending in 3 dimensions instead of just 2. :-)
Has anyone experienced this and has anyone figured out a way to stiffen the hub in this way (basically preventing the poles from rotating in the hub)?
Thanks!
Nils
What size and which model do you have?
Thanks for a very reply!
It’s the latest 60-75 liter model.
I’ve never encountered that issue. In fact, I can’t really understand how it could occur unless you took the frame out and misplaced it somehow.
Have you contacted SD customer service to see what they say?
I guess I should contact SD. It’s really not that strange: the upper poles can rotate in the hub and when they do, they do so to become more aligned with the force the load lifters exert on them. I think it shouldn’t happen if you carry something more rigid in your pack because then the hub/pack is effectively stiffened.
I can confirm that the protruding poles ended up being a problem, at least for me. About 60 miles in, the seams of the exterior fabric started to rip, close to the top of the y-frame, as well as close to the hip belt. Maybe this is a one off – SD is sending a replacement!
Thank you for all the comments. I just ordered the 60-75L version as I’m hiking the JMT this summer. All my packs weigh 6-7 lbs so wanted to go lighter. This seemed like a good compromise in weight, capacity, features, and price. Looking forward to trying it out.
Hi Phil. For many weeks with warm/hot weather (Europe between May and September under 1500msl) and an average load of 30 lbs which backpack is better between Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 40-60l and Granite Gear Blaze 60? I’ve also considered Gregory Focal 58 and Osprey Exos 58 but i’ve read that a 30lbs weight is almost the real weight limit in the long run. I’ve also thought about Zpacks Arc Haul but the price (with shipping and taxes) is huge.
I happen to like the Blaze better than the Flex capacitor although both can easily handle 30 lbs. I like the Blaze better because it’s a rolltop with a removable floating lid, it has a built-in external mesh pocket, 270 degree compression/attachment points, an adjustable length torso, replaceable/multi-size hipbelts, the list goes on. But either would be fine. Hope that helps.
Thanks! If i was able to reduce the weight to 25 lbs maybe i could think about something else against the hot weather.