Packing

I looked at tons of posts for a backpack.  It was overwhelming and I had no idea what to get.  Then, because my dad has signed me up for the LL Bean emails, I got a notice that one of the packs I had seen at the Beaner had gone on sale for $59.  And since it's from the Bean, they've got a good reputation for having quality products and a good return policy.  So I bit the bullet and bought one.  This one:  http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/60318?feat=1098-GN2.  I think it's going to work out quite well.  I took it on a trip to St. Louis and while it was much shorter than what THE TRIP will be, it worked out well.  I made the decision to get some of the "mesh clothes packers" (the official term, obvs) and that turned out to be a worthwhile investment.  I bought Rick Steve's because they were cheap on amazon.com.  So now I've got the pack and the packers, I just need to figure out the items to go in them.