I am preparing for my trip and I dont know what backpack to use for me to carry while on the mountain. I have a mountain hardware daypack) which is about 30L or an older Mammut pack which is 45L and has a built in rain cover. the mammut has better shoulder and waist straps but is it too big? the MH pack has a flimsy strap but smaller.

Also, what should i use for the stuff the porter will carry? A duffel bag or should i give them the 45 L pack if I don't use it?

Thanks for your help.

If you want my honest opinion, I took my Arcteryx Bora 50, and it was a bit of overkill, I never had it totally stuffed...in it I packed my DSLR, couple of lenses, gloves, hat, snacks, fleece, goretex jacket/pants, sunscreen, first aid, sunglasses and toilet paper/shovel and my water bladder...basically each night I removed any items that I wouldn't need for the next day and replaced them with what I would need. For example, the first day obviously didn't have my fleece and gloves, but as days wore on, and it got colder, I added them to my pack, and took out the lighter clothing that no longer served me any use. On the other hand, although the porters carry anything that is not necessary for you during the day, I didn't want to overload them with too much gear...I would probably go with the larger one, more comfortable + the built in rain cover.
As for the bag that the porter would carry, I highly recommend a dry bag...http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_deta ... 044072...I took the 55L one and it worked great, never had a worry that anything would get wet.
Any other questions/inquiries I would be more than happy to help you out! Good luck!