Flight 4500

I really like this pack for a light weight pack. While you can configure it for 1lb 6 oz, that is just a sack with should straps. I usually carry it with the frame and padded waist belt which brings the weight to right at 3 lbs. If you don't care about all the optional attachments, you could cut the weight down more by cutting off all the unused fasteners.



The pack works well for up to about 35 lbs. The strap padding is a bit thin so it would probably not be too comfortable for much more weight (I haven't tried).



Durability seems good although I've only used it for 1 season. Stitching is well done and appears to be plenty strong for any weights I'm going to carry.



When I received mine, it had been shipped with the wrong waist belt. Kelty customer support was excellent and I had a replacement in less than a week.

I wavered between 3 and 4 stars for the Flight 4500, there are too many compromises to really justify 4 stars. I bought this pack as part of an effort to reduce my base pack weight (weight without food and water) to 20 lbs for a 1 week trip. The weight reduction has been successful, for my last trip the pack weighed in at 19 lbs. For pack configuration, I used the main sack with the hip belt, frame sheet w/stays, top lid, and 1 compression strap. I used my Therm-a-rest Guide Lite ¾ for back padding. I don’t have an exact weight for this configuration, but I estimate it is 2.2 to 2.5 lbs. I’ve used the pack now on 3 trips and about 40 trail miles.

Pros:
· Light and simple (with most of the accessories stripped off)
· Tough Spectra reinforced fabric
· Reasonable comfort for light loads
· Reasonable price, last year the Flight could be found for under $120. Much more reasonable than the slightly lighter Kelty White Cloud.

Cons:
· The back panel is the same nylon/spectra fabric as the rest of the sack, very sweaty.
· Comfortable with 22 lbs, but I was unable to find a good hip/shoulder balance with 28 lbs. I ended up with sore shoulders after 10 miles.
· The top lid is only held down by 1 buckle…not very secure for stuffing bulky objects under the lid.
· Ugly! Blue Nylon with white Spectra checkering and bright yellow straps

I’m still looking for the ultimate pack…about 5,000 ci, under 2.5 lbs and comfortable enough to carry 30 lbs for 8 to 10 days.

UPDATE: After more playing with the curve of the stays and adjustment to the hip belt placement (torso length), I've solved the comfort problem. On my last trip, I carried 32 lbs for a week with no problems other than a very sweaty back. I'm uping my rating to 4 stars.