A few more things to note about Granite Gear: you may have to order it if you are not near a store that carries them. Order from a place that offers a good return policy and this will not be an issue. I ordered a Nimbus Ozone sight unseen - had it come with the wrong belt or straps I could have contacted Granite Gear directly and shipped it to them, and they would have replaced with whatever I wanted - men's , womens's, heavier padding, lighter padding, etc. - and sent it back to me. The straps can be adjusted to fit the length of your back precisely with a screwdriver.

The only place I know where you can try on every single Granite Gear pack, as well as all the Osprey packs, and quite a few of the ULA packs, is at the Down Works in Santa Cruz. You can also look at Western Mountaineering and Montbell clothing and sleeping bags, Caldera Cones, and other equipment you can't find in big box stores. The folks who run it are backpackers too and quite selective in what they have. The first question I was asked - "what gear do you have?" - resulted in a lot of head nodding as I named off cottage gear manufacturers - these folks know their stuff.