Lemme tell you, when you have a real toilet seat on a "backpack" trip, LIFE IS GOOD! (Just be sure to remove the frost in the morning! Ouch!)
I enjoyed my HPG Kitbag again this year, as well as the Kuiu Spindrift jacket. Both good pieces of gear.
Not entirely thrilled with my Eberlestock J107. It worked fine, is completely functional, and well built IMO. It's just that, with an empty weight of almost 9 pounds, when you add field dressing kit, first aid kit, poncho (just in case), jacket, lunch, etc., you know, just typical stuff you'd put in a day pack, before you know it, you've got twenty pounds you're carrying all day to hunt.
I can see why people pursue light weight packs. I just can't quite make myself drop 6 bills +/- on a pack.
