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I've always been a fan of military surplus for this as I am on a budget. When you get something made to genuine NATO build quality you can abuse the hell out of it and it won't die any time soon. You can also get a military verison of a pack for one quarter or so than it would cost if you got basically the same pack new with the civillian branding and styling. If you're worried about the color you can probably dye them, just like clothing. I've heard of people getting their wife and kids to add badges and decorations to make it look less "military" too, if you care about that.
The one thing though that most militaries want to get right is a good bag that is strong and will last well. You can be sure the abuse it would get in the military is more than what most of us would ever do to it. I've heard of people hauling 150lbs or more in European armies without it being remarkable in their circles.
You can get patrol packs and day packs for smaller ones if you don't want the big infantary bags too. All typically good quality material, stitching, etc.
