Highlander Outdoor Explorer Ruckcase 45+15 vs Mountainsmith Mayhem 45

The things that kept it from being a 5 star pack? No rain cover and no place to put a Nalgene-type water bottle or hydration bladder, so I'm going to have to buy a rain cover and a water bottle holder that hangs from the waistbelt webbing. The mesh pockets on the 15L bag are too small for even a woman's fist. They say it has an MP3 port on the 15L bag, but no luck finding it. 15L is too small for school books if you are trying to visualize the size of 15L

It seems people over 5’8 will want to choose the 45, and 5’8 and under will do better with the 35. If possible, head to a shop to try sizing if you are, like me, on the cusp between the two.