hey clare,
When it comes to rucksac i'd go for lowe everythime. They just make the best bags that last for years and years with loads of abuse. E180 sounds a little bit cheaper then Ireland but not much.
I've had my lowe rucksac for almost 6 years now and it's been all over the world, trow around, sat on, kick, burned, used as a ladder, used as a smelly canoe gear bag, and it's still good as new!
anyway thats my two cent
(well done with commity thingy)
Dave