Nalgene type bottles will fit, but if you are going light, try Platypus 1L collapsible bottles at 1/10 the weight (available here on BC) or just re-use a gatorade type bottle or other drink bottle.

hey tom, you can easily fit a nalgene bottle in the side pockets- i do however recommend using a bladder to use in the pockets instead of a bottle because once it is empty, you can fold it down rather than having a bottle take up space and weight.

Last time I went hiking with this pack, I put a 32oz powerade bottle in each pocket. I think there was a little extra room to fit a larger bottle in there.

Get someone to help you measure your torso length. Measure from the largest bump on your spine at the base of your neck down to the imaginary line at the top of your pelvis (grab your waist on your abdomen, slide your hands down until they hit the bony pelvis, the line connects the top of each side of your pelvis). Use the sizing chart. I am 6-2 and usually wear a M pack due to my 18inch torso. Interestingly, my wife, who is 5-4 and long waisted, has an 18inch torso as well even tho I am 10plus inches taller.

definitely large, i am 5'7" and have a medium- a large would be way too much for me and i think too small for you. when in doubt buy both and just return the one that doesnt fit- backcountry has a great return policy

You seem like kind of a big guy so I would recommend the large for you. It would definetely not be too big and to be on the safe side I would go large.

Hey, John! I own this pack; bought it for the AT. While some may claim that with it being a frameless pack you shouldn't carry more than 25 lbs. in it, I think they're way wrong. When I first bought this a year ago I stuffed well over 50 lbs. of groceries in it (lol, had to try it out with something cuz it was the first piece of gear I bought after loosing all my former gear). For 50 lbs. worth of bulky weight it actually rode pretty well on that journey back to my apt. I have never used a bear cannister and honestly can't tell you that I've ever put my hands on one to tell you that I know for a fact I large cannister will fit. I will, however, say that if you pack properly then this would probably work well for you. The reason I say this is that you already mentioned strapping a bag and pad on the outside. This pack is GREAT for strapping/lashing gear to it. It does have the ice axe loops which work great for anything like that. It has the pad/bag loops on the bottom of the pack that you can use to lash your pad, sleeping bag to, if you wanna go old school. Another thing that makes this pack great for lashing is the compression straps on this pack are quite long. Ive seen people complain about this, but I think they are great. I lash all kinda stuff to this pack utilizing the extra length of the compressions straps (including my trekking poles, collapsible fishing rod and tackle box).

It sounds like you already have an idea what your weight will be and at 30 lbs. you defintely have a pack here that can handle that really well. Its hard to say not knowing your equipment, but one thing I found to help me out utilizing all the space in this pack is dry compression sacks such as the Sea to Summit Evac. My tent and sleeping bag used to take up a large portion of this bag's lower interior. I got rid of the tent's original sack and rolled it down real tightly to fit into a Sea to Summit 4 liter dry sak and then put my sleeping bag and extra clothes that wouldn't be worn thruout the day into the Evac sak and compressed it down to a tiny little ball. I pack the tent poles in their original sack towards the outside by the outer pocket, and down in between the compression sack and tent. Once again, without knowing your gear its hard for me to say, but after making a few packing adjustments I feel like my pack grew 1000 cubic inches. I'm pretty minimalist also, so take that into consideration if you are taking alot of clothing. Every ounce I pack counts towards more than one task. If you truly feel like you may need more than this pack has to offer in cu.in. I would try out the Golite Pinnacle if you're simply wanting to stay with the idea of a ultralight pack such as Golite. Man, I looked at alot of 'lightweight'' packs and none of them compared to Golite in terms of durability. After a year of pretty rough use it still looks brand new as if it never met a briar bush. Great pack! Give it a try and if you don't think it'll fit your gear, send it back to Backcountry and exchange it for a Golite Pinnacle. Pretty much the same pack except more interior. If you're not concerned about the bells and whistles on a pack and are looking for reasonable and durability as well as efficient system then one of the two are your best options IMHO!

http://www.backcountry.com/store/GOL0322/GoLite-Pinnacle-Pack-4400cu-in.html

http://www.backcountry.com/store/STS0002/Sea-To-Summit-eVent-Compression-Dry-Sack.html

ive never posted a pic on here before, but I'll go drag my buster out of the closet and pack my gear up in it and see if I can't get a shot of it along with my packing list to see if that can help you get a visual, also. If I can't get the picture up for some reason or get sidetracked by honeydos in the mean time then please forgive me. Hope this helps and good luck pack hunting!!! By the account you're packing a cannister I suppose a 'watch out for da bears' is in order, lol!

Sorry bout that horrible pic, John, but my real camera is dead rite now and had to shoot that with this friggin Blackberry. Also, here are the items in that pack that didn't get copied over from my packing list for some reason...think maybe there's a text limit on picture discriptions...my first time at that.

REI T1 Quarterdome tent w/ rain fly & groundsheet
Lafuma X 950 Pro sleeping bag
Thermarest Prolite pad (small)
GSI Soloist cookset
MSR Pocket Rocket stove
lite my fire spork
2 MSR ISObutnae cannisters
Golite Virga
Sierra Designs Hurricane pants
Montbel UL Down parka

add all those items listed here to the ones listed alongside that photo then add in a few days food and there's the Golite Jam2 and its not even slam packed. I know you can't tell really from the photo but the lid is all the way rolled over and compressed down as far as it goes. So there is still tons of room in the top of my pack. Not only that, the side compresion straps are fully compressed...once again, there's still tons of room in this pack and its got everything I would need to make a thru-hike pretty much anywhere somewhat near civilization. Of course, with my trusty Shakespeare and AquaMira drops I could prolly get by without the need for resupply if I sat back and took my time from fishing hole to fishing hole...though I wouldn't EVER rely on that, lol...Im pretty good fisher but aint tryin to be man vs wild or survivorman, lol. Oh yeah, I also forgot to list the fact Im packin a small cooler...the 5 dollar walmart 6 pack special with cooler lid...ya know, for a few cold ones from time to time!!! Hope this helps to somewhat give you an idea of what this dude can take. Check your gear agianst mine and think about it. Unlike most people I was willing to take the Pepsi challenge on buying a pack before I got all the rest of my gear based on some reviews and a couple of BC gearhead conversations. Ive looked at many others since and at this capacity and the weight this is the most rugged pack I could find...still to this day. Im actually about to purchase a Golite Pinnacle for some harsh winter camping trips where Ill need quite a bit more room for certain things. Oh, btw...in case you or anyone else who comes along is wondering if Im hiking around in Patagonia Cap 2s and paper scrubs, lol....nah, I didn't list my TNF convertible cargo pants cuz they're always on my body, not in my pack unless its at night...at which point I have changed into my mental ward paper scrubs (dont ask how I got the scrubs...long time ago, much longer story, even longer bottle of taquila!). Happy hunting!

definately a great pack to bring on trips- just got back from costa rica and it is the perfect traveling companion on and off the plane.

Yup.. I have brought my GoLite Jam 2 on the plane many times.