I bought a Mamut Crest Heron 40 liter back pack. It's not the biggest one, but will do nicely for one-day hikes and weekend hikes. I really do like the fact that it is water bladder compatible. That it has an extra compartment were you can keep your dry cloth of for stuff that you need quick access to is definitely a big Plus in my book. The rest of the back pack is pretty much average. At least there is not much special about that back pack than other packs I have owned. The shoulder straps are much thinner than those of my old back pack. But they divide the load surprisingly well, without hurting or cutting into your shoulders. The hip belt has an extra pouch to out surf in, like a camera, phone or GPS. That will come in very handy in the future. The designers of this back really put a lot of thought into the hip belt. Because this belt does carry the majority of the weight, thus releasing your shoulders from carrying weight and making the hiking experience much better. Even a full bag doesn't drag you down on the shoulders and gives you lots of free movement. I like that very much about my new back pack. I just wish this back pack would come in greater variety of colors.
When it comes to the drinking system. It's fairly easy to put in. I can see the usage of carrying and additional supply of water especially on dry stretches or when hiking in limestone mountains. But that is at far as the drinking system goes, at least as far as I'm concerned. Using a water bladder like the Platypus it just doesn't seem to work for me. It's just too much of a hassle. Of course there is as well the possibility that this water bladder was just a cheap rip off of the original Platypus, since it only cost 15 bucks. During me hiking Rax it was just easier taking my pack off and drinking out of my regular 1,5 liter drinking bottle. Not sure yet if I'm gonna try it with a original Platypus water bladder and see if it works any better.
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