To All:

Last year, about this time, I posted a message about trying to replace
my old Mountainsmith Bugaboo pack with a new pack. Well, last year, I
could not find a pack that worked for my short torso, so I had to do
another year of repairs on my old pack, which is definitely showing it's
heavy use over the years.

I'll try again this year. I am looking for a pack that would fit a
short torso (14-15 inches) and have a capacity of 2000 to 2500 cubic
inches or about 35 liters. I would prefer a panel loader but a top
loader with a long side access zip is OK. The fabric has to be strong
enough for tree skiing.

The Gregory Ekko in the extra small-small fits, but the capacity is too
small. The various Arc'Teryx have a good capacity but unfortunately ALL
of them are too long. I tried a Osprey Switch 40, but there were
aspects of the design and features that I did not like, especially for
the price.

I recently tried on a Deuter Guide 35+10 and it seemed to be the best
fit that I have found so far even though it was a "one-size only" pack.
I also liked it's design (top loader with a full side zip) and
features (ski mounts, lots of other external tie points, snow skirt).

Soo..., the 2 questions a

1) What are your recommendations for a short torso (14-15 inches) pack
with a 2000 to 2500 cubic inch capacity?

2) What do you know about the Deuter Guide 35+ (and Deuter Explorer
35+), in particular it's fit