Help me pick a pack

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Well, you guys came through with a winner when I needed a flashlight so now it’s time to dork out on packs!!

I need an EDC, 3 – 4 day travel, haul my crap pack. I have 3 packs right now; a 45 liter Lowe Mountain Attack Hyperlite for multi-day backcountry hikes, a Badlands SuperDay for hunting and a Wright & McGill with removable chest pack for fishing. All pretty specialized packs. I need a more generic pack.

– I’m thinking sub 30 liters for capacity, something that will be able to get on a plane as carry on. It seems when I fly, 80% of the time I’m only travelling for a couple days, at peak season or at stupid o’clock so checked baggage is a pain.

– Maximum load out would be: 4 pairs underwear/socks, 2 pairs pants, 1 pair shorts, 4 t-shirts, 1 hoodie, 1 soft or hard shell. Laptop, e-reader, tablet, power source, power cables. Dopp kit. 1L Nalgene bottle. I can fit all this in my 30L Badlands pack with a little room to spare.

– A laptop compartment that will hold my 13″ Macbook Air in it’s Pelican case would be beneficial. The case measures 15.29″x11.96″x1.60″

– Durability is key. Buy cheap, buy twice. Buy good, buy once. I’m also notoriously hard on stuff.

– Open flat would be my preference. I don’t like top load packs too much.

– Non-tactical look would be ideal. I don’t need tons of molle hanging everywhere. I don’t like to attract attention either and prefer to fly under the radar. I’m not military or LE, but get mistaken for it all the time. I don’t need to add to the misconception.

– Price…well, $200 – $300 Canadian pesos would be the ball park but I may have to bite the bullet on this one.

– Purchase time frame is 2 – 4 months, as I’ll have to save up for it and need to do my research. However, that can be bumped to now if a great deal comes up.

So far, I’ve looked at these packs online:

GoRuck GR1:
This is hands down my favorite of all the ones I’ve looked at. It has all the features I need, and none I don’t. Why am I not grabbing it? $400 Canadian after exchange plus shipping to the great white north. That’s why. Lightly used is a possiblity, if I can find one for a reasonable price in CAD.

Camelbak Urban Assault:
Looks good. Price is reasonable. I know Camelbak has a good name. I don’t know if the laptop compartment will fit my Pelican case. It’s a pretty “busy” pack. I don’t need quite that many pockets, as I’d rather have more open space.

Mystery Ranch Urban Assault:
What’s with companies calling their packs urban assault? I’ve heard good things about MR, but have no personal experience. Price seems about right. I don’t know if the Pelican case will fit in the sleeve.

Gregory Compass 30:
Price is good. I don’t know anything about Gregory. Again, not sure if the Pelican case will fit. That case is a sticking point eh?

So anybody have any experience with any of these packs? Any other options out there? Know where I can get a GR1 for cheap?

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