I head out from the East coast later this summer with my dog. We have done the Long Trial in Vermont the last two years. We are both looking forward to switch backs and not ankle-deep mud. Looks like you are all dialed in. It actually looks like less than 12 pounds. Have a great trip.
Our hood...if Waterton Canyon don't want nothing to do with Oatmeal, Oatmeal don't want nothing to do with it. We will be hiking to the high point of section one from home...7 miles.
It's nice, although not a total game changer. It takes up the exact same space as two one liter smart water bottles in my pack, but it's half the weight.(Which is only like 1.5 oz to be fair) I don't use it except for long water carries. However, when you do have those long carries, it's very nice to be able to put all that water weight inside your pack, closer to your back and center of gravity. If you are thinking about using a drinking tube, it's a great option! However, otherwise it is just a big water bottle(which is great sometimes). Hope this helped! Edit: Also, it makes it so much easier to filter water because you can squeeze a bladder much easier than a water bottle. If that matters to you, It's definitely worth it. It's also much more durable than the included Sawyer bladder.
Baseweight, so all gear not including food and water, is 12 lbs. With food and water the weight will vary drastically, but it would usually be around 20-25lbs!