Thanks for the perspective guys, all advice is appreciated. I may not have mentioned it before, but besides myself I have two sons I'm trying to gear up too, so any $$ decisions have a X3 multiplier My old bag is close to 5lbs (ugh) and very bulky, so if I can shed 2 pounds it will be a big improvement for the near term. Looking forward to Tuesday when UPS comes for a visit, I love to open packages!