From my perspective it's all about individual likes and dislikes. Bottom line is you have to try a bunch of them on, and pick the one that fits you best. Being a 5'2" female, not a lot of packs are made for me, and I tried on a ton before I found my baby [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] Make sure that the waist belt goes small enough to be tight around your waist. When fitting properly the shoulder straps should be comfortable around your shoulders, the weight not resting on them. The weight is carried by your hips, not shoulders. Top loaders can be a pain if you are changing accomodations nightly. Packs that carry the load too far back and wide, and not tall enough, are hard on the body (in my opinion). Also, mine is quite small and I have found it to be quite sufficient for week trips (even took it to Asia for a month quite easily). We saw people with packs twice my size and they were struggling all the time. I can't remember how many litres it carries, but it is about double the size of a daypack only. Don't let any salespeople talk you into anything that doesn't feel right for you. Good luck!