I agree.....almost. I too try not to pack more than 15lbs, give or take a pound or two. I can pack almost two weeks worth of light clothes in a TB Western Flyer or Aeronaut 30 when traveling to Southeast Asia, but the problem is not the weight, but the length of time on the back. I like to walk to and around the terminals (It's how I get my exercise when traveling). Walking from the domestic terminal to the international one at ATL (a very long walk) instead of the airport terminal train or taking the airport City Link train at BKK to the MTR (a 1/4 mile walk), then up the stairs to the BTS to my hotel stop, then walk to the hotel from there. Doing that with an Ebags Motherlode Jr. in backpack mode is not fun. Even a moderately packed Western Flyer can get uncomfortable worn for an extended period of time, but these are hybrid bags, and were not designed to be worn as backpacks for long periods of time. The Goruck and Osprey are backpacks first. What I love about the Goruck is due to its design and well padded backpack straps, It can be worn comfortably for long periods of time without the need of a hip belt. At 20 Liters, I find it a tad too small for an extended trip. I find the Osprey Farpoint, with it's light weight and carrying capacity (38L) a great size, but for extended periods on the back, I find the straps a little too thin, so use the hip belt which makes it much more comfortable. I love the Osprey, but was hoping with my type of traveling, that it would be more like the Goruck.

I'm curious on how you find the Porter 30, since it's the same size as my Aeronaut 30 but probably packs more efficiently and holds a laptop (which is now very important for me).