Country Walking Magazine (UK)

VAUDE

Uphill 9L

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RRP: £65 Target price: £55 Weight: 334g

By the same token, walkers might balk at the idea of looking at a cycling pack, but again – don’t discount it on semantics alone. The key trait of a bike pack is its V-shape design, narrowing at the bottom. This helps to make the cyclist more streamline­d, but it can also take pressure off your lumbar area if you suffer from lower back problems. The Uphill is blissfully light, with ripstop fabric, a luxuriousl­y padded back panel and space for all the basics you’d want in a small daypack, across two sensible compartmen­ts. There’s handy bungee cord for an extra layer, two good bottle pockets and thin, well-ventilated hip fins. A great little pack for bright and breezy days. Also comes in 12L and 16L versions. vaude.com

VERDICT:

WALKING POLES

Look for Z-folding poles (often called ‘vario’) with carbon shafts – some will fold so compactly that they can sit in the bungee cord of a waistpack. Good examples: Komperdell Trailstick Carbon C4 Vario (232g, £160/pair, firstascen­t. co.uk); Leki Micro Stick Carbon (191g, £135/pair, leki. com/uk).

SLEEPING BAG

Be careful when it comes to sleeping bags: if you’re planning a wild camp, it can be bitterly cold in UK hills even in July, so there’s a balance to be struck between warmth and weight. Lightweigh­t but well-insulated options include the Alpkit Pipedream 200 Hydrophobi­c (545g, £160, alpkit.com) and Sea to Summit Spark SPI (340g, £260, seatosummi­t.co.uk)

AIRMAT

Lightweigh­t and luxury rarely go hand in hand, but one or two brands make airmats that offer enough firmness and grip to give you a peaceful and stable night out. Try the Sea to Summit Ultralight SI (550g, £75, seatosummi­t. co.uk) or Vango Aotrom (410g, £55, vango.co.uk).

COUNTRY WALKING

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