Like I said, I use it mostly for "luxury/photog" trips. Nothing beats it for carrying heavy camera equipment. And you have the bonus of having access to other stuff too.
I have used it on "regular" trips to see if the redistribution was worth the extra 2.2 pounds. I'm not sure the redistribution doesn't trump the extra weight. It's a close call.
Would I use it on a thru? I doubt it. But it's not too far off, especially if I was having shoulder issues.