For reference I ended up with the Oger 42+
I tried the Low Alpine Halcyon but found that:
1) the hip fins are pre-formed to some degree and ended up digging into my stomach when sinched up fully (I'm a skinnyish though)
2) it's not much lighter than my Deuter
Next up the Low Alpine Alpine Ascent 40:50, it didn't feel as well made and was a very faffy pack by comparison, in addition the hip belt would only just tighten up enough.
The North Face phantom 38 felt the most comfortable, but I didn't like how high the chest strap sat (too close to my neck and thus not positioned correctly across my chest).... And I just cant bring myself to like North Face as a brand for some reason.
Onto the Ogre 42+
In some respects the least comfy of what I tried on but not uncomfortable. It's the easiest to use and feels pretty tough. My only gripe is that the back panels is very hard and pressed against my pelvis/ilium/ base of spine when carrying a heavier load.
I sorted this buy cutting a piece of 10mm roll mat to the same shape as the original back panel and then inserting it alongside the original. 28g extra in weight but far more comfortable and still under 1kg.
