Thanks, oldranger... I am slowly working my way through the site (plus several other forums as well as books and websites) to update my knowledge base.

As for my sanity, that is debatable but you are correct that I have no desire or intention of packing staggering loads. Philosophically, I am firmly in the ultralight camp and figure my routine pack weight will be under 25 lbs with full consumables... I'd just like to know my gear and I can manage an occasional overload condition of perhaps 40-45 lbs at the start of a particularly long or dry leg. I tend to think a light external frame will work best for that, with some good approach to adjusting the pack volume... but I may change my mind by the time I get to the point of settling the pack design/selection.

While I said in my profile that I am not a gearhead, I love making things myself. With a background in engineering and lots of time free, I intend to make most of my gear unless I can find a more cost-effective way to do it. The design of an external frame and pack seems pretty clear to me, as does the frameless pack using a CCF pad as stiffener; the internal frame approach is much more muddy in my mind.

– Sam