halfnine wrote:I'd just find the versatility of a jacket so much more appealing than either a pullover or parka

Agreed... unless the pullover is free. Working in the industry has its perks.

IT'S HUGE!!

Mine is bigger than yours...

No, I doubt it. I just bought an Osprey Atmos 50. 3000 c.i. or 50 liters. It's small, but I think it'll be a good size. It's just small enough to fit as a carry-on for most international airlines, and it's large enough (and has enough straps on the outside, haha) for all my stuff and some extra room. I'm finding out what my priorities are for what I really want to pack and have come to the realization that i want to take as little as humanly possible. Books are my one exception, but I plan on just carrying one or two at a time and finding used bookstores for tradage.

I've taken my Eagle Creek 45l + 19l daypack on two long trips and it was perfect, not huge like many i saw but enough to carry the essentials and a few souvenirs. Carry on size, panel loading, tough, and not too flashy. Packin it up soon for another 7 months!

I'm going to Hawaii in November and taking my 33 liter pack. It's like a school backpack but has a full , padded waistbelt. It's a cheap Wenger.

Well, I've got too much stuff for the 33 liter so I'll take my REI Vagabond. It's 44 liters.

I have a 65 + 10 litre which for me is too big and bulky. I used it in south east asia and never once filled it. When i get to a new city /town I like to walk from the train/bus station as it gives me an instant feel for the place. So now I have a 45 litre pack which is so much better with a 10 litre day pack that folds up to the size of a wallet when empty, with main reason for a smaller pack is that it doesnt have to be stored in luggage compartments out of sight. So when i arrive i can simply head to my destination without having to worry if my pack is gonna be there or not.

Well, I'm pretty committed to carry on so I just bought a High Sierra Passport Travel Pack. It's panel opening, pretty well laid out, looks durable enough and doesn't have a zip off day pack (I hate those things) I think if you had to carry it very far, it'd be uncomfortable but , at my age, I don't carry anything very far! It's about 46 liters and can be carried on, at least on the major airlines out of the U.S.

I carry a huge 90 liter pack that never gets more than half full. I like having the extra room in case I find something I want to buy.

40 L. I fly standby all the time and it fits perfectly in the plane. Because I fly standby, I have to wear nice clothes which means lugging an extra pair of shoes. I went to Russia for 2 weeks and didn't even need all the stuff I had in my pack.