I don't have every item of gear yet, but my hammock & tarp setup weights 2 1/4 lbs, the stove would be a Jetblast Flash, & the water filtration device would be the Sawyer Mini. So I guess I am going to be packing pretty light, but I know that when I am hiking further up north, I'll need to have room for an under quilt and top quilt so I'll need the capacity at that point.

With that being said, any sales associate I talk to doesn't know anything about Zpacks or any of the other cottage manufactured gear, and I want to buy something that will last me a long time and not tear apart. I am afraid that an ultralight backpack won't be able to handle all I can throw at it....

I had my heart set on the Arc'Teryx Altra and then I found out about the Zpacks which tip the scales at just over a pound...so I need to decide which way to go.

Lastly, I just found out that Arc'Teryx outsourced all their backpack production to the Philippines, and that doesn't fly around these parts. I want something made in North America. I am looking very hard at the Arc'Teryx Naos series of packs. They were made in Canada and are bombproof and completely waterproof. I have spoken with Arc'Teryx and they cannot defend their Altra product vs. the Naos. I need my backpack to be completely waterproof due to the changing weather and flash thunderstorms that roll through Florida.

Any ideas of weather I should go ultralight or go with a Naos? I can't find a Tall Arc'Teryx Naos for sale anywhere....help

I'm 6'3" and 180 lbs. So I definitely need a tall long pack.