I've been using Gossamer Gear packs for my last several long-distance, ultra-light (UL) hiking trips. My hiking base load is eight to ten pounds. I'm just gearing up for a Northern Tier tour, through some excellent hiking country. I was amazed at the difference the UL gear made on a short shake-down cruise last fall. I'm taking my Gossamer Gear G-5 (discontinued) that weighs 9 oz and can carry 25 pounds. I'm starting with a set of rear panniers, but if I can get the load to carry well in just the backpack I'll send the panniers home. (I'm heading eastbound in June, so I want to carry some extra camping stuff and clothing through the western mountains, which overloads the pack.) Or if the pack doesn't work well on my bike, I'll send it home and stick with the panniers. The panniers alone weigh nearly four pounds, so I'd really like to loose them. My bike plus gear currently weigh 45 pounds. I want to reduce that without buying anything new.

Great tip above about turning the pack inside out. For some reason, that never occurred to me.