NEVER buy a backpack you haven't personally tried on WITH a dummy load approximating what you will carry. I don't care if it's promoted as the pack that climbed Annapurna or given 5 gold stars by an outdoor magazine review, especially based on magazine reviews. Those guys live on advertising dollars. If you think they are going to be totally impartial your mistaken. You also need to try different frame systems which are broadly divided into external and internal. Better bags also come in different sizes for a more custom fit. You should think about just how much stuff you realistically can carry. People see all that space and shove stuff in with the religous ferver of a scribe illuminating the Book of Kells. Are you hiking or entering some IRONMAN contest? If your on a budget think Surplus, with several caveats. Never buy anything unless it's rated new or excellent. Everything else is junk. Never buy anything with the phrase 'service like' or 'type'- catchphrases for cheap copied junk. Some systems are almost anathema to people who have used them. Mention Alice packs and you might get one thrown at you <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />. research surplus as much as you do commercial. My german army ranger daypack in Flektarn got PC worried looks from my Sierra Club hiking friends. The group leader kept nervously reminding me about the no fire policy and I couldn't cook my MRE things. Then it rained. I had the group under my siltarp, two fat bottles of english ale, bread,cheese ,Salami and chocolate out AND my other junk still packed for lesser priorities like mountain lions. The ladies looked at the John Muir wannabe group leader 's granola mix and gatoraid. Then they looked at my 'MREs' <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Always remember the pack is only as good as how comfortable it is and whats inside <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />