I am a minimalist when it comes to travel. EC backpack was the best compromise I could find atm. Around 30l is what my bag should be, so the ospreys are to big for my taste. And often bags are too heavy. I am open to good light weight alternatives though.
As a reaction to the check-in argument. I pulled both the shoulder straps so they lay tight against the back of the backpack and tied the loose ends to the daisy chain on the front. Now it is perfect for check-in. I do however think that a 30l pack will never have to be checked though, but in case it should, then that is a good solution.
As I meantioned in a previous post I will use the EC for the first time in a couple of week on a trip to Florida. After the trip I will give my thoughts on if the 32l EC backpack was a good choice.