My wife (5' 1") used the Gregory Sage 35 on the Camino, and we certainly saw a number of others with the same pack. Gregory packs are known for comfort and for lines of packs designed specifically for women. She liked the Sage 35 a lot, although she told me the Gregory Deva, unfortunately too large for the Camino, was more comfortable for her. However, I agree with Robert that there is no substitute for trying on packs with weight in them in the store, choosing packs to try with the advice of knowledgeable salespersons, such as found at REI. However, you may be too far from such a resource to follow that advice. The Sage 35 was large enough for everything needed for 43 days on the Camino. It has a number of nice features, including a hidden pocket in the top for valuables. The rain cover, which comes with the pack and stores in the pack in its own pocket (a feature I like), unfortunately does not have a drainage eyelet at the bottom, and in torrential sustained downpours it collected a couple cups of water at the bottom. That was the only design flaw I saw with it. My wife found the waist belt to very comfortable. The compression straps do a good job of holding the load in place. The suspension is good. I think the size is good -- it forces a person to jettison the unnecessary. I saw a lot of the back of the Gregory Sage 35 -- my wife, who seemed to find some extra zip on the Camino was usually walking well ahead of me! I don't know, maybe it was the pack.