If you like to go light, I don't think a Maxpedition is the best bet. They are made of very heavy fabric and don't have a spare square inch without webbing on it. Maxpeditions are made for durability, not ultralighting.
You may want to look into Osprey bags. They are much more geared for lightweight hiking/backpacking and still retain a good bit of durability.
I own two Maxpedition backpacks (Falcon II and Condor II) and use the Falcon II three nights a week at Engineering night school. As I said above, the backpack are made for durability. They are not necessarily the most comfortable packs under decent loads when carried for an entire day. This is mainly due to their stiff structure and lack of more refined ergonomics. With a Gregory, Osprey, Arc'teryx, etc. you are going to get a nice shapely bag with contoured backpanels, heavily arched straps, and a complete pre-curved padded hip belt. With a Maxpedition you get a square shaped bag with a bit of padding in the back, minimally adjustable shoulder straps, and a 2" web hip belt that is simply attached on to either end of the backpack.
Maxpeditions make great bags if you put a light load in them and have the off as much as on (such as school bags, laptop bags, grab bags, etc.). I won't use anything else for school or to carry my gear to deer camp.
If you are looking for a dedicated hiker, I'd look elsewhere. If I'm backpacking, I'm always wearing my Gregory because it is many times more ergonomic.
