I own one of these packs. I like it alot, but like my ULA just a wee bit more. Keep in mind that most of the marketing photos of this pack show it with the extension collar down where it is probably closer to a 2800 to 3000 cube pack. It's a 3600 cube pack with the extension collar extended (someone correct me if I'm wrong). I would bet that most of the people that use this pack have lots of experience backpacking and have whittled their way down to this smaller pack thru a few years of experience. My experience hiking with newbies is that they tend to bring too much. If they stay with it, they eventually learn like everyone else and then they are ready for a smaller pack. It's a great pack, but you have to be on your lightweight game.