I am trolling for opinions on packs. I am not sure which way I want to go, & kinda flappin in the wind. Unfortunately, I am not close to any outfitters, so trying packs on is out of the question.
My first glance I was lookin at a Mariposa Plus. I am a big BIG fan of supporting the little guy, & Grant was very responsive to my inquiries about the pack. I got to readin up on it before I pulled the trigger, & decided against it. I was afraid of shredding the pack on some of my hikes, because it is fairly fragile. The other con to it, was the fact that its likely WAAAAAY to large for any of the hiking I will be doing. ATM I cant imagine being on the trail for more than 2 or 3 nights max. So I started looking for something smaller. I am currently looking at these two packs
http://www.ula-equipment.com/conduit.htm
and though not a mom & pop shop
http://www.rei.com/product/747515
the REI pack also comes in a 60 for $30 more. I am trying to get the most bang for my buck on the pack, while trying to stay relatively light.
Thanks much for the input guys!