The ALICE has it's place, as do all external frames. I've humped well over 150 lbs several times on large alice packs while I was in the military, and 80+lbs on a regular basis. Unmodified, it can be very painful. With all of the right mods and tweaks it can be pretty decent. If you're on a budget then it can be had for pretty cheap and you can replace the frame with better versions, have the bag modified or replace it with a better bag, etc. (which then takes the cost up there with very good quality backpacking packs).
I personally do not like external frames, especially for off trail use. The center of gravity is too far back to allow good balance, and it's so wide (like a large ALICE) that it's awkward to dangerous in tight places (I've carried heavy loads through the Black Forest in Germany, which is called the Black Forest for a reason. It's densely populated to the point of dark in places, making an external frame pack a wresting match every step of the way. Don't even get me started on the jungle!).
That being said, they can be great for large, heavy and/or awkward loads. Hunting guides often use them because they can be great for packing out quarters and racks. They can be used to haul fuel or water cans, firewood, firefighter tools, etc. Packboards are still used by several hunting guide friends of mine because of their versatility, and some of them you can just throw a packbag on it to convert it over to a regular external frame backpack. And as Magnussen pointed out, they allow great air circulation, compared to internal frames, no matter what system I've used on the internal frame.
Some modern day internal frames can haul as well or better than external frames, and some of them can be converted to packboards (Kifaru and Mystery Ranch, for example). I have an old Dana Designs Astralplane Overkill that has carried 150lbs loads much more comfortably than my old heavily modified and very expensive ALICE (at about $200 for mods it's still less than half the price of the Dana, though). I have a Beavertail for it that allows me to carry some awkward loads (such as my issued Pelican rifle case), but it's on the outside of the pack towards back, robbing it of good balance.
Hmmmm...I think I've gotten off topic. Severe lack of sleep due to illness.
To try to steer my meandering thought process back to the OT: it sounds like you want a smaller pack. Something like the Deuter or Osprey systems (they're lighter than the Lowe Alpine trampoline back on my pack) would probably serve you well and can be nice in humid areas. If you're on a budget then the ALICE might be a good choice, too.
If you live near an REI or other good store then you can try several of them side by side. Bring your gear or use theirs but pack the bag similarly to how you want to pack it, try them all on and figure out what works best for you. What I love for my purposes may be ghastly to you for your purposes.
I personally do not like external frames, especially for off trail use. The center of gravity is too far back to allow good balance, and it's so wide (like a large ALICE) that it's awkward to dangerous in tight places (I've carried heavy loads through the Black Forest in Germany, which is called the Black Forest for a reason. It's densely populated to the point of dark in places, making an external frame pack a wresting match every step of the way. Don't even get me started on the jungle!).
That being said, they can be great for large, heavy and/or awkward loads. Hunting guides often use them because they can be great for packing out quarters and racks. They can be used to haul fuel or water cans, firewood, firefighter tools, etc. Packboards are still used by several hunting guide friends of mine because of their versatility, and some of them you can just throw a packbag on it to convert it over to a regular external frame backpack. And as Magnussen pointed out, they allow great air circulation, compared to internal frames, no matter what system I've used on the internal frame.
Some modern day internal frames can haul as well or better than external frames, and some of them can be converted to packboards (Kifaru and Mystery Ranch, for example). I have an old Dana Designs Astralplane Overkill that has carried 150lbs loads much more comfortably than my old heavily modified and very expensive ALICE (at about $200 for mods it's still less than half the price of the Dana, though). I have a Beavertail for it that allows me to carry some awkward loads (such as my issued Pelican rifle case), but it's on the outside of the pack towards back, robbing it of good balance.
Hmmmm...I think I've gotten off topic. Severe lack of sleep due to illness.
To try to steer my meandering thought process back to the OT: it sounds like you want a smaller pack. Something like the Deuter or Osprey systems (they're lighter than the Lowe Alpine trampoline back on my pack) would probably serve you well and can be nice in humid areas. If you're on a budget then the ALICE might be a good choice, too.
If you live near an REI or other good store then you can try several of them side by side. Bring your gear or use theirs but pack the bag similarly to how you want to pack it, try them all on and figure out what works best for you. What I love for my purposes may be ghastly to you for your purposes.
