Let me preface it by this - it is no dana designs terraplane, similarly, it will not withstand nuclear war like the terraplane. that being said, i love the pack. zero problems thru-hiking the John Muir Trail in 20 days. 2 of us chose this pack, another had an aether 60, another had a go-lite. Carrying 10 days of food + gear (starting weight was 43.5lbs), i felt a bottoming out during the first few days and thought this was the worst pack i've ever hiked with. only to find in the sub-40 range it was incredible (dare i say better than my dana?). i wouldn't say its unbearable, but it certainly reminded me of my torturous boyscout days with a funky peak1 external frame and coleman sleeping bag. -shoulder straps were fine -no problem with gear falling out of the vertical zipper. -was in a 2 day downpour. found the fabric to "breathe" and stuff would get damp, but all stuff that needed to stay dry was wrapped carefully (down bag in a trash compactor bag etc). however, not waterproof. but does a good job of not "holding" water in the fabric -durability - fabric is light but strong. that being said, don't let boyscouts use it. don't toss the bag down a slope while traversing. don't use it as a step-ladder etc. i view this as a "few thousand mile" bag, vs the dana will last me and my sons many more years, -no internal straps. one huge compartment -i have no such creaks, but i met ppl on the JMT that did experience such. -for lightweight backpacking, this is great. I might have gone with the vapor trail, as I had no need for the lid, to shave a few pounds. I couldn't reach the sub 20 pound mark including a large bear canister, but did reach 22 pounds. The ability to wear lighter footwear with lighter weight backpacking was well worth the investment in a few pieces of better gear. after this endeavor, most weeklong or less trips should put your weight under 40lbs.

I'm a scout leader myself and I've been looking at this pack for a while. From what I've heard it carries weight well for the size and weight of the pack itself. But why are you carrying extra crew gear? Your pack should be lighter than any of your scouts' packs... it would be good for them. I've had a Gregory Shasta for about eight years and that's been a great pack for 45-60 pound loads, but I'm not a big fan of carrying all that weight. There's a point where it doesn't matter how nice your pack is... you're still going to feel the weight at the end of the day. If you really want to carry that much, though, go with something between 70 and 80 liters. They'll handle extra weight better because of heavier duty suspension systems and they'll have extra room for bulky crew gear and food. I would try looking at the Stratus Access 4500 if you want to still look at Granite Gear. It has more room and a higher weight capacity than the Nimbus. Just make sure you go to a store and try a few on. Packs are like boots and if your pack doesn't fit you correctly you just won't enjoy your trip as much. Packs all fit differently and you need one to fit your body type and torso length.

To some of your questions: - I have bony clavicles, so I'd always go with wider shoulder straps - No problem with gear coming out at the bottom of the zipper - Water resistant is probably the best word. If you're in a downpour it's going to seep in, but a mist or light shower should be easily repelled by the fabric. - Fabric feels thin (it is, and is light) but it is remarkably strong and durable. I've scraped boots and poles and snowshoe crampons against it and it doesn't look any worse for wear. - No interior compression straps, other than the one at the top, but it's more of a front-to-back strap cover. - Interior is one big bag, with a sleeve against the back sheet that you can stuff things in. The removable top pack is pretty big though. - I get some squeaking somewhere in the back sheet pivot when I hike, it's a little annoying. Haven't figured out how to get rid of it. - Overall, it's great if you want something light, well-built, and without a ton of bells and whistles. I'm happy with mine.