Marmot Diva 45 Womens Pack
A mid-sized women's pack for travel, camping or the backcountry was the brief, and 45 litres is a genuinely useful size that has become more useful since, as gear got lighter.
The model is discontinued. What survives is why 45 litres and a women's fit were the right answers.
On the size: 45 litres now covers what needed 60 in 2008. It is enough for two or three nights carrying a light tent, and it is small enough to work as a cabin-sized travel pack on many airlines, which makes it the most versatile single pack most people could own.
On women's-specific fit, which was still contested when this was written: the differences are real and geometric. A shorter torso range, shoulder straps set narrower and angled around the chest, and a hip belt with more flare for a differently shaped pelvis. On a loaded pack those decide whether weight sits on your hips or your shoulders.
What has changed is that it stopped being a category and became standard. Nearly every serious pack line now ships in both fits, and several makers build one pack with an adjustable harness and interchangeable belts so the fit is set to the person instead. If you are between sizes, look for that.
The buying method, unchanged and the only thing that matters: measure your torso from the bony bump at the base of your neck to the top of your hip bones, load the pack with 15kg in the shop, and walk in it for ten minutes. Try both fits regardless of the label; plenty of people are better served by the one they were not expecting.
Part of the guide to backpacks and daypacks.