Ultralight Backpack or More Comfortable Pack

I have been designing a wish list of camping and hiking gear so that I would be able to get my pack down under 10 pounds. I am at 8.7 right now but that is with the golite pinnacle as my pack.

My question is, should i stay with this pack, which seems to not have as nice of a comfort system (less padding, oor should i go with one that is heavier but has alot more padding?

My initial thought is that I should get a light pack since this is an ultralight setup and getting a heavier pack would be counterproductive.

Any thoughts?

I used the Pinnacle on several trips this year. Packed carefully, it's very comfortable. The minimalist hipbelt works better and is more comfortable than a number of heavily-padded ones I've used. (Although I really wish it had pockets.)

The big thing to pay attention to is what you pack against the back panel. Since it's just foam with no framesheet it can be a bit uncomfortable if you pack something hard (say your stove or tent pegs) in the wrong place. But well-packed it's no problem.

With your base pack weight under ten pounds I think the Pinnacle is an excellent choice. If you're going to be doing mostly shorter, warm-weather trips you may even want to consider the Pinnacle's smaller sibling, the Jam2.

At the end of the day, you're going to be more comfortable because you're carrying less, and doing it with a pack designed for the load you're carrying.

That said, I'd concentrate first on lightening everything else in your load before switching to a light pack like the Pinnacle. Trying to shoehorn a heavy load into an ultralight pack is a sure recipe for discomfort. But putting a light load into a heavy pack is still better than a heavy load in a heavy pack.

I am planning on thru hiking the at so I will need the extra space for food.

For truly light loads, the differences in carrying comfort among packs in my opinion mostly aren't very meaningful.

Approaching or exceeding 20 pounds loads, the superiority of a more elaborate suspension becomes slightly evident for me, but the most notable difference is simply a heavier load

I carried a frameless, non-ultralight pack with minimal hip-belt as primary pack for a long while (Lowe Snow Peak). Then I switched to one with framesheet and somewhat beefier belt (MEC Brio, light but not ultra).

I am not particularly big or strong, so my threshold might be low, and the carrying differences among packs is probably more pronounced with truly heavier loads that I rarely mess with.

Some day I'd like to try a real premium brand pack, but as an investment, I'm gonna stick with Treasury Bonds.

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I have a Granite Gear Vapor Trail. I am very pleased with this packs ability to carry upto to 30 lbs without a frame and weighs in at under 2 lbs. The Pack is not adjustable to different torso lengths so try it on first.