I want to thank Ultralight Outdoor Gear and Sierra Designs for their excellent customer service. As you know, I like to see how gear works, so I removed the Y frame in my Flex Capacitor rucksack. It was very difficult to put back in place. So much so, that I broke one of the connectors on the frame. It was my fault as I tried to force it back into the pocket that secures the top of the frame.
I contacted UOG to see if I could get a replacement. In short order, they contacted Sierra Designs who posted to me two new connectors. The new ones are a new design. They are solid rather than hollow, making them stronger. Maybe there have been other failures too? The pair are 3g heavier, but who cares for such a trivial increase?
Having disassembled the frame, removed the existing connector and the broken piece (with a Swiss penknife) in the other screw hole, I screwed in the new connectors and replaced the two Y arms. After reinstalling the frame, I used a spoon handle to lever the top of the frame garage over the end of the frame (both sides). It was pretty easy to do although the fit is very tight. You need to wiggle the garage around a bit to get a secure fit before engaging the Velcro tabs.
There is a video on YouTube on how to do this. However, it looks like it’s an earlier version of the pack and you have to do it slightly differently. You insert the spoon handle into the roof of the garage, then ease the top of the garage over the top of the frame. It requires a little bit of effort but is not difficult.
Anyway a big thank you to Damon at Sierra Designs and Rob at UOG for rescuing my pack. Unless you have to, it’s probably best not to remove the frame! I’m itching to use the pack but it probably won’t be until February now with the long winter nights.
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