So sorry about my unweidly subject line. I recently was at NOC in Gatlinburg looking at packs and tried out the Gregory Jade 50, the Osprey Aura 50, and the Deuter ACT Lite 60+10 SL. I loved the accesibility of the bottom with the Deuter and the Osprey as well as the places to store wet things, but I felt more balanced with the Gregory whereas the other two felt more top heavy. I want a pack I can use more casually, so I really would not want to go larger than these packs, and all three fall at the same price ($189-199). This is the firt pack I've ever bought and I really want to make the right choice!
I'm a tall-ish girl (5'9) and I have wide hips so comfort and balance (I tend to fall over a lot) are a must. The employees and I packed all three bags and tested them out and they were more or less similar in ride with the exception of the slight top-heaviness that I felt with the Osprey and Deuter. Granted I am a newbie at packing so it will take a few tries on my own to get it right, but I just want to make sure I'm overall making the best choice here.
So basically what I'm asking is if any women here have had any experience with these packs, what features really wowed them (the Deuter's air flow for the back, for example, or the Osprey's adjustibility, or if the Gregory is spot on despite it's lack of said features) or if I really can't go wrong with any of them. As of now I'm leaning towards the Gregory but am not completely certain. I would like to someday complete a thru hike on the AT so getting opinions on these packs would really help! Thanks!