Thanks Mitch, I will check those out as well, I see lots for sale but the small/small are a bit hard to find. Figures I would look for a used for awhile before I look to buy new. Do you have any issues with the weight of the pack empty, I am not near Bozeman to try one, a lot of people say the sheer comfort makes the weight less noticeable, that's what I am hoping anyways!
This is my two cents on pack weight and I know a lot of guys would disagree and I don't want to start a 9 page debate on a sale add. I feel pack weight isn't near as noticeable as gun weight and if your pack is built right you won't notice a few extra pounds. A few more pounds going in makes 80 more pounds coming out a hell of a lot easier. The waist belt is the key to a good pack and i've seen several high high dollar packs have there waist belt sag or roll only one canyon into a pack out. Mystery ranch is know for being built like a brick [bleep] house and with that comes weight. I don't think you can make a pack that can comfortably carry 80+lb loads without having more weight than a regular day pack, The key being COMFORTABLY. A illegal can carry a 80 pound brick of weed across the boarder with nothing but a piece of garden rope, so naturally any pack with two straps and a belt can carry 80lbs, but the key is doing it comfortably over and over for years to come without having to buy a new pack.
The pack is so over built you would literally have to be trying to make a part of it fail. I had a sitka pack (total crap) and had a shoulder strap completely rip off turning my pack into a purse. I had a k2 dana pack with rip-stop rip right down the middle spilling a meat load and taking every bit of rope I had just to make it back to a road. So naturally when I first saw a crew cab i noticed the extra weight when I had it in my hand but once on my back I didn't notice any difference compared to any other pack and I definitely noticed how over built it was. All of the tie off points and load straps are in the perfect spot and you can literally stand on the pack and use all your weight to tighten a load and not have to worry about ripping a strap.
I would buy the day pack lid, its small and opens up a ton more room/uses on the pack. If you do a over night trip, I tie my sleeping set up to the bottom with the load straps and put all my food/night gear in the day pack lid and try and go in with the middle empty so I can hopefully come out with it full.
I will never ever ever understand why people hike in a couple miles with a day pack or "fanny pack" and have no means of taking a animal out without a added trip back out and back in. we always joke that guys with fanny packs/water blatter packs 2 miles in sight see and take great scenery pictures for there living room and guys with meat frames/load packs 2 miles in kill.
