I had the same decision to make 3 years ago and ended up buying the goshawk and Merlin daypack combo. I also have a top lid but haven’t had a need for it the last two years. I have used this combo on 3 archery elk hunts along with wisconsin whitetail and turkey seasons. If I had to buy again I would not change.
One hunt out west was a September backpack camp, and this combo was obviously enough room for 5+ days.
Two hunts out west have been day hunting from the truck. When day hunting I keep my food, kill kit, first aid kit, rain gear, and puffy in the goshawk, with trekking poles strapped to the side. In the Merlin I normally keep a light fleece layer and water bladder. This cinches down well, though it does look pretty “strappy” with all of the cinch straps hanging off. I almost never open the roll top of the goshawk since you can access everything through the side zipper. When it’s time to pack meat, the meat goes in the goshawk and almost everything else fits in the Merlin. You could also put meat on the load shelf if you wanted. The only negative to carrying meat with this set up is if you strap your bow to the back of the Merlin, the weight gets further away from your body. I still prefer this so I have two hands free for trekking poles. I’ve now helped pack 6 elk with this set up, and once I got the fit dialed in i think it carries pretty well, though I don’t have much to compare to.
Now here is where this combo really shines FOR ME, ymmv. The versatility for an eastern/western hunt combo is awesome. For Wisconsin whitetail hunts, I strap my climber to the goshawk and can fit all of my bulky cold weather layers and gear in the bag for long hikes in. For Wisconsin turkey season I run just the Merlin, since it will fit everything I need for day hunts. We have a pretty active style of turkey hunting and put on a lot of miles. It’s way nicer to carry your gear and a turkey back to the truck in a real pack as opposed to slinging it over your shoulder for a mile or two.
Overall I have really grown to appreciate the versatility of this set up, and the gatekeeper strap system and the way everything cinches down so well is a big part of that.