Right pack for my situation?

I'm awfully fond of my Ohm.

I think the rate-limiting variable on it is more volume than weight. On a five-day trip it was at its limit (no thanks to my bulky synthetic puffy).

My base-weight tends to be around 12/13 lbs. I know I've gone up to 21lb full pack weight. It's always been comfortable.

If you're camera stuff is more dense and heavy than bulky, it could work.

Check on out IRL. I can't keep the names of the outdoors stores straight, but the one, east, close in (Next Adventure, I think?) has them in stock.

Someday I'll probably need to carry a canister and will need to get a Circuit.

Edit, Duh, I thought you wrote ULA. Take what you will..

For me, Z-Packs Arc Blast is unbeatable in its sweet spot which is the 15lb-30lb total pack weight range. At these weights, it transfers weight to my hips as effectively as any heavier pack I've worn. (I've carried up to 40lb for short segments where I've had to carry a lot of food or water – it's quite strong enough for that, but I think 35lb is about the limit for comfort)

It carries any standard bear canister fine. I find a piece of a Gossamer Gear sitpad (about 1oz) behind the canister supports it against the middle crossbar of the frame, keeping it comfortably off my back.

A couple of things to consider if you go with this pack:

(1) Ask Joe to add an extra reinforcement patch on the base, this is the area most prone to abrasion.

(2) The hydration port is the only hole. If you won't use it, omit it (menu option), and the pack is an intact drybag – it comes standard with taped seams. With the extra patch above protecting the base from abrasion, I have one that's been heavily used in rough terrain over a year but is still virtually airtight, i.e. if I close the top with air inside I have to push down hard to expel air.

(3) Torso length is not adjustable once the bag is made – the bag is custom sized for you. It's probably not critical +/- 1" or so, but for comfort do make sure that you measure your torso correctly.

del

Looks like you live in Portland. Makes looking for a pack a lot easier. Next Adventure carries ULA and Gossamer Gear packs, The Mountain Shop carries Six Moons Designs, Hyperlite Mountain Gear, Cilo Gear, Granite Gear, and there is a GoLite store in Tualatin. Go try them all! Pack fit is very personal. One persons favorite is anothers pain. If none of these work for you then your order and return list is much shorter. Z-Packs, Elemental Horizons, Paradox Unaweep, and maybe a couple more. FWIW, my favorite for carrying comfort is SMD Fusion, with HMG Southwest close second .

You have an 18.5 lb base weight.

You need a conventional pack if you want to carry enough food and water comfortably.

You could get by with a light pack for very short trips, but you will be happier with a heavier pack overall.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I do have the Arc Blast leading atm for an up to 3 day trip. After that I might need something a little more sturdy and weighty as has been mentioned. I am currently travelling so I can't get to stores to try anything out until January. I think I'll do that and order an Arcblast for comparison. Most of my trips would be under 3 nights anyway.. And I won't take my dslr on the PCT I'm planning for 2016.