I know absolutes tend to be frowned upon but IMHO there's nothing to match Lowe Alpine, particularly at the larger end of the pack scale.<br>It's the back system, particularly on the "crossbow" models that really swings it for me, but the general build quality and attention to detail is also superb. They manage to provide all the features that you're likely to need without being "fussy" and I appreciate that.<br>For extended trips I use an Alpamayo 70+20 with the addition of a pair of Lowe generic side pockets if I've lots of bulky stuff to haul around. <br><br><br>Nick in Belfast