I have a birthday coming up in a few weeks and I'm having a personal crisis in choosing between packs for my first real pack. GG Gorilla 40 vs. ULA Ohm 2.0 vs. Osprey Exos 48. For the next few years I just plan on doing 1-4 night solos (or with buddies that have their own gear), 3-season backpacking along the AT and NY/NJ area. My only concern with the Gorilla & Ohm 2.0 are the "weight limit" of 30 lbs. I don't want to go too heavy obviously but I'm kinda new to "ultralight" and don't want to get something too small right off the bat if I don't have all the right light gear. 1-4 night SHOULD be fine with keeping things under 30 lbs, but again, I haven't done this that much yet.

The Exos can handle 35+ lbs comfortably according to most reviews, but the materials aren't as good. I feel like I'll want to upgrade from an Exos in a few years anyway. To make things more interesting Amazon has a deal right now for $150 for the Exos 48. On the other hand, I love how you can remove the aluminum "frame" on the Gorilla and turn it into a day pack, and the Ohm 2.0 just seems like an overall quality pack and very popular with thru-hikers (even though I'm not interested in thru-hiking anytime soon).

Any advice that would help choose the best pack for my situation would be greatly appreciated!