Welcome to the wonderful world of backpacking! Don't let people make you feel doubt about your choices. In the end, what's comfortable for you is the right thing - until you decide it's not. If you want to carry extra weight because you like the pack go for it.

As for me, I went from a North Face (heavy) pack to a lightweight Osprey with more volume, because I wanted to keep pack weight in the 20's and not the 40's. It makes a big difference. Trekking poles help a lot too. I actually don't use all the space in the pack - I let my quilt loft up to fill most of the space and my gear fits in around it or in the side pockets.

If you do decide after using the Eureka for a while that something lighter is called for, I suggest going to REI, getting measured to be sure what you need, and wearing every pack in the store around the store - then order it online for a hundred bucks less. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />