Kerry wrote on Dec 7^th, 2012 at 10:06pm:

I currently have two packs that I use on long trips - a Granite Gear Nimbus Great Northern, which is an internal frame pack that is no longer in production, and what Ostrom now calls their Winisk II.  While the Granite Gear is certainly a good pack it pales by comparison to the Ostrom.  Ostrom packs are incredibly well built and are designed to fit and make heavy loads manageable.  They will last a lifetime of hard tripping.  However, as in most things, the best don't come cheap.  Here's the Ostrom site so you can see what the top end is and then make your choice of where you want to be on the price spectrum based on what is essential for you and what isn't.  One other thing about Ostrom packs is that, even though they are most definitely "modern" packs with adjustable, padded shoulder straps and hip belt and, in some cases, internal frames, they also include a tump line, which for me is a deal breaker.   (You need to Login or Register Though expensive I can definitely say that with Ostrom you do, indeed, get what you pay for.

They're expensive as hell but I absolutely have to "second" what Kerry says about the Ostrom line of packs.  Personally I use their Wabakimi (see:   (You need to Login or Register ).  Of course, I didn't exactly jump to "top-of-the-line" gear overnight.   I sort of worked my way up, using lesser lines for a few years, selling them for whatever I could get for them, & then upgrading to something better made.  "Better made" can be a bit subjective, I suppose, and, at some point, the "value adds" may not make financial sense.  However, for me, given some worsening "back issues" I've been experiencing, Ostrom products have been worth every penny.  Thus, I particularly like the way Ostrom does the internal frame on its Wabakimi Pack.  For other folks, this feature & other Ostrom "extras" may simply not be worth the premium you pay.

It's taken me a few decades to trade "up" (again, "up" being a bit subjective) but I'm very happy with the features, construction, & durability compared to the various models I've been through.

As for Granite Gear - mentioned a few times in this thread - I've used it with satisfaction for years, though I can't say I've used the Superior 1.  The ONLY Granite Gear pack I really did NOT like was a now-discontinued model that featured an interior frame.  I found GG to be very durable (I STILL use a bag that must be 30+ years old) but, perhaps, lacking the "fit" I have come to appreciate with the Ostrom line.

Just my 2 cents.

Jimbo   8-)