I like Deuter packs, but for the last 5 years or so I've leaned more toward the lightweight Osprey packs. They just seem to fit me a bit better - and when it comes to packs, fit is everything. For me, Deuter missed a perfect fit by the tiniest of margins - but I know that there's at least one other member here who is just the opposite: Deuter is a perfect fit, and Ospreys fall short. So it's a highly personal thing.

At 70, I've seriously lightened my load (and limited my trips to fit the load I can carry - no more weeklong trips, no more below-freezing camping.) I've used, and liked, the Osprey Atmos 50 (my last "heavy load" pack - great fit, way overkill after I lightened the load from 25 pounds to 15 pounds), Kestrel 48 (but it wasn't a perfect fit, and had too many features I didn't use), Exos 48 (ideal for my needs), and am now using its ultralight sibling the Levity 45 (a pound lighter, no frills, and a near-perfect fit for me.)