I acquired this pack in hopes it would turn out to be my one pack, perfect for climbing Colorado's 14ers, light backpack trips in the desert and traveling.
I am 5'9", 135lbs, generally wear women's size small to medium. I purchased the S/M pack as the shoulder length fit the best for my taller frame. The waist belt is a bit big, I have to wear it cinched as tight as it can possibly go, so I wish that the waist could be just a tad smaller (the XS/S size fit my waist perfectly with plenty of room to adjust).
I just returned from a 12-day trip from Colorado to New England. The pack was my primary bag for the entire trip and I wanted to make everything as simple as possible. I carried the bag with me everywhere. I walked all through airports, flew, rode buses, trains, hitch hiked and rented a car.
The Opsrey Kyte 46 was perfect! At first I was worried about not being able to take enough clothes for the trip, but I managed to squeeze plenty of days worth in there. It has so many nooks and pockets that I was able to keep everything pretty well organized.
It strapped down super tight and fit like a gem in the larger jet's overhead bins. The only time it was too big was in the smaller Boeing jets/prop planes for the shorter flights. For those I just did the quick check at the gate which worked out great because I was able to pick the pack up right at the arrival gate. I never once had to worry that my stuff would get lost in baggage.
I carried the pack stuffed full all round Boston, carried it riding the subway and trains and buses from Boston to Maine. It was heavy. I never had a chance to weigh it, but it had to be a good 50lbs or more. Carrying the pack around at that weight tended to be a bit much on my shoulders, but it did a great job of keeping the majority of the weight on my hips. It never once got unbearable uncomfortable. I even managed to cram a few more momentos in the pack to take home as well!
Overall, the Osprey Kyte 46 performed awesome, held everything I needed for the northeast and traveled marvelously! I can't wait to take it to Utah's deserts and up Colorado's mountains next summer!