It's become clear that I need to get a lot more weight off my wife and onto myself, particularly for long trips. Neither of the backpacks I've had so far are big enough to do this. My mom and dad were very generous and got me a large REI gift card for Christmas, of which I still have a lot left. Looking at large and inexpensive backpacks on their site, the choice seems to come down to this:
http://www.rei.com/product/782949
or this:
http://www.rei.com/product/760601
These are the two that have enough capacity, are cheap enough, and will fit my size. Unfortunately, according to the customer reviews, each has a major problem. The Alps pack apparently squeaks like crazy. The High Sierra Pack has a huge waistbelt. I think I"m probably big enough for it right now, but once I start walking regularly again and lose a bit of weight, it might not fit any more (although the layers of clothing might make up for it.) Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had experience with either of these and could give me more guidance. Thanks.