"Any suggestions on types pockets?"
I have used a bunch of diffent packs, with and without pockets. I have pretty much settled on 3 or 4 pockets as being the best combination of usability and light weight. They add a bit more weight to a pack, but packing is far easier. Too many bags causes some difficulty on the trail. You alsways have to drop the pack to get water, for instance. An internal hydration sleeve is handy, though I never use it as such. It gets my stakes, pot lid, spoon, aluminum foil, cone (if needed), and other flat items. It also serves to hold some garbage and extra baggies I generate on the trail. Usually I stomp this fairly flat before loding it in.
Material is generally silnylon. It slips by scrub and brush a bit easier than other types and is light enough to only add about an ounce of weight. Mesh works pretty well, but not too fine, it grabs on leaves and scrub, though. Dynema is the most durable, but also causes friction when bushwacking. It handles "pokers" better than silnylon, though.
Buckles seem to be an issue these days with some GG packs. I would ask about them first. I believe that a heavier strap or somewhat tighter buckle will be needed to insure they work. I don't have any problems with the Murmur, though. Grant or Mike may just shrug it off.
Right hand pocket: I get my stove, fuel, cup, and tarp in the right hand pocket. Larger, nearly full length. Often my fishing rod goes in there, too.
Center Pocket: Muesh is good here. Mostly I use this for temporary packing. Stuff, like my fleece shurt, I need in the morning, but not later. It also holds my lunch snacks and rain gear. Sometimes I put my wet socks hanging half way out, I have not lost one in over 10 years, so this is OK. In spring, with all the black flies and mosquitoes, I put my mesh tent in there too.
Left Hand Pockets: 2 on this side; One, the lower one, is used for two .5liter water bottles and with my wife, her cup. The upper pocket is used for trail garbage I pick up and is usually lined with a 1 quart zip lock. Most plastic bits, wrappers, etc I pick up goes here. Cans get stomped flat and put there. Also, in a separate baggie, is my water treatment and crystal lite packets.
My food goes inside over my bag. One is a bear bag and the other is my pillow. My sleeping pad is used as part of the frame and is external in pad pockets. In colder weather, ~32-40F, I bring a large DWR, synthetic jacket, gortex I think. This fits inside on top and rolled into my pot. The ditty bag is small enough to go most anywhere, inside.
No zippers or flap covered pockets. I really don't care if that stuff gets wet. My pad is closed cell foam and doesn't absorb much water. Nothing else much matters, except it can pick up some water weight, especially the mesh tent. But a shake or two before setting it up works fine to make it fairly dry. Note that there are really no extra cloths. Nor extra precautions about water, 'cept the rain jacket.
I developed this system for canoing mostly, but it works really well for packing too. I believe most people do about the same and this is not the only way to do things. With a larger volume pack than I need (harder going in the ADK's) I use a an open sleeping bag and sleeping cloths. Anyway, At around 8-9 pounds, this covers my base hiking kit. I often bring a SVEA, and a second pair of spare socks. This boosts the weight up to about 9-10 pounds. With a 1#8 jacket this makes it just under 11 pounds, if I drop my fishing gear. Good to about 32F, perhaps a little lower, but not much. In the High Peaks I drop the SVEA & fishing gear and bring a bear ball. I am still at around 11#, base. Food for two nights with a partner usually goes about 5 pounds. Solo for two weeks, food goes about 16pounds (foraging on the trail as I go.) I use a Miniposa for that. For a week it is right around 8 pounds.
