It's honestly not as heavy as it looks - I'd say 35lbs at maximum, and packed such that a lot of the weight is transferred to the hip belt. Add in the trekking poles and it was totally manageable for me; my husband was less happy with his (lighter) pack, but he doesn't train and didn't use poles.
Totally get the Exorcist reference, but I'm in my mid-30s so it was still readily available in movie rental stores when I was growing up. I have no idea how kids are going to learn about classic flicks now that there are no aisles of videos to browse! Netflix just doesn't seem to be the same, and I certainly wouldn't want to have to buy the DVD of some of the lousy movies I rented through the years.
Glad it sounds like you're getting positive progress on the recovery - hope you continue to see improvement!
Cheers!
-mistress k
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ill advised racing inc.