Glenn and yourself nailed it on the head smile

I too have the Osprey Kestrel 48 for the longer trips, and a Kelty Redtail 1800 for overnighters and day hikes - and school books for that matter. The Kestrel is an excellent pack, and can take a heavier load. Though recently I have been a light backpacker with a base weight around 18 - 20 including everything excluding water for a few overnighters. So the pack performs very well.
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"To me, hammocking is relaxing, laying, swaying. A steady slow morphine drip without the risk of renal failure." - Dale Gribbel