A pack for the Missus

You could check the Comet from Six Moons Designs. I've been using their Starlite for several years. It's a similar design and one of the best packs I've ever tried.

Other options get kind of expensive, but a thru-hike is an expensive endeavor.

My own lovely wife spent about a year looking for a lightweight pack to replace her Gregory Z pack (which in turn had replaced her Lowe Sirocco). The Z fit and rode okay, but it was a Royal PITA to use. I think she tried on every light and ultralight pack out there — the Six Moons packs, the Gossamer Gear packs, a bunch of Golite packs, etc. She ended up with an Osprey Ariel 55 — not even remotely an ultralight pack at 62 ounces. But, it fits her better and carries a load better than anything else she tried.

The point of this story is that fit and function are important, and vary according to the individual. The Jam2 may be the perfect pack. But if it were me, I'd want to take all my gear down to the outfitter and try on a bunch of packs, and then do it again at a different store. (And then wear it loaded around the neighborhood and be willing to return a pack that doesn't work after an hour or two of walking.)

The Gregory G pack (smaller than the Z-Pack) is nicely made, available in different torso lengths, and often on sale for <$100.

Various Granite Gear packs get very high marks from hikers. The Vapor Ki is their women's specific model. (Yes, MLW tried that one too.)

The Osprey Atmos (men) and Aura (women) series also get good reviews. Again, they are usually on sale somewhere.

Oh, and if you want a great deal on a Gregory Z Pack, size Small, just let me know.

–Ken B

How about the GoLite Quest? On sale for about $119 at a couple of places, including travelcountry.com.
It weighs about 3 lbs. for 4000 cu inches.
It's pretty light, has a lot of good attributes, and takes a beating with aplomb.

My problem is that I live across the street from an outfitter's, but their selection is CRAP! There is barely any ultralight stuff there. It's a long ride up to REI in Phoenix, but that's a sacrifice I'll happily make.

I live over 40 miles from a store! The nearest REI outlet is over 90 miles away! Thank heavens!! ;-)
I shop almost exclusively online. Can't you? Just pick a source with an good return policy.

I have a brand new Fanatic Fringe Thomson Peak pack, size medium and comes with the optional waistbelt. Its Green with black,(nice and stealthy), has a great expandable extension collar for re-supplies, and is durable as all heck, check out the pack at fanatic fringe's website.
I have so many packs! please take this one off my hands for $50
if she doesnt like it, you get a refund. I take paypal.

I feel your pain. Yes I do almost all of my shopping online. That's where the best deals are! Ebay is my savior. My problem is that I can't justify paying shipping both ways to try on a pack and decide I don't like it.

Frankly, with gas prices what they are, I'm still better off online shopping. :-/

Margaret-

I have a brand new GG Vapor Ki that I bought for my wife. She's not much for the outdoors, so I'm going to sell it. It still has the tags on it, and it's a medium. I'll let it go for $100 if you are interested. Let me know!

You're certainly getting a lot of food for thought and offers.
I will say that I have a GG Vapor Trail (2 actually) and I love the weight but I missed the pockets and such and now use the GoLite Quest almost exclusively for my trips over 3-5 days. I especially enjoy the roomy belt pockets.
If you are at all interested, give GoLite a call. I found them to be friendly and informative.
Good luck and feel free to pm for additional info if you like.

The Thompson looks like a mariposa. Are they comparable?

I just may take that Vapor Ki, hold onto it for a few days.

the two packs are nearly identical in volume, but thats where the similarity stops. IMHO, the Gossamer Gear packs have NO place in the southern deserts of Arizona. If I took a silnylon pack to the Superstitions, it would fall apart faster than a Chinese motorcycle. I do own sil packs, so I have experience there. at least consider the fragile nature of the mariposa when buying your next pack.
The FF packs are made of 1.9oz nylon and 200 denier oxford. There are no goofy gimmicks like stuffable shoulder straps or a pocket for holding your z-rest, but you will save the weight and time consuming nonsense that comes with the Mariposa. also she may have to adjust to packing the Thomson, by using a pad for a "virtual" frame. If she's down with that, I dont see why you should spend $50 more on something else. If I had to comment, I would compare the Thomson to the Jam, since they are more similar.

>> IMHO, [silnylon packs] have NO place in the southern deserts of Arizona. If I took a silnylon pack to the Superstitions, it would fall apart faster than a Chinese motorcycle. I do own sil packs, so I have experience there. at least consider the fragile nature of the mariposa when buying your next pack.<<

FWIW, I used a homemade sil-nylon pack on my first thru-hike of the Grand Enchantment Trail. Despite plenty of painful low-desert bushwhacking on that maiden voyage (mostly unintentional) I found that the pack held up fine… probably better than I did! It did not end up shredded to bits on thorny desert vegetation, I suspect because of the slick nature of the fabric granting thorns little purchase. More critical, it seems, to a pack's long-term survival is how well it's put together, and although mine was homemade by an at-the-time total amateur, my construction methods were (out of sheer self-doubt) methodical and redundant. I believe that ultimately saved the day for me.