25 lbs is not bad. Main thing with your backpack is making sure you load it properly. I could explain it to you but you will get more out of a google search or possibly something someone else already posted on this forum. As far as fine tuning your backpack, every backpack is different and you just need to learn yours and how it fits you best. I am sure you could find a youtube video as well. Good luck and have fun on your trip.