Congrats Denise - you've come such a long way, and you definitely should be proud of yourself.

On the not liking the backpack front - don't rule out a Camelbak because you didn't like riding with a day pack. I won't ride with a day pack - I find them extremely uncomfortable - but my Camelbak doesn't bother me at all. Of course my camelbak is a Rogue, which is one of the models that doesn't have room to carry a lot of stuff. There is the bladder for water, and a couple of small zip spaces that I use for energy bars, ID, and my keys. You might still need a pack for a rear rack. If you do decide to go that way, the Arkel TailRider is an awesome bag.

--- Denise