Zulu 30

£140

£135

ventilation, pockets

only one back length

Capacity: Materials: Closure: Back system:

Back length: Hipbelt: Pockets:

Features:

Sizes: salewa.com

1.42kg

The Alp Trainer is described as a “technical alpine hiking pack for two- to three-day hikes”. I assume this means hut-to-hut trips. I’d be hard-pressed to get three days’ food and gear for camping inside. The big feature of the pack is the ventilated back system, and this works well. The mesh-covered shoulder straps and hipbelt are split so only narrow sections are against your body, and there’s a big air gap with just two mesh-covered strips touching your back. Stability isn’t bad for a pack with such a curved frame and wide air gap. There’s also a double strap compression system on each side to pull the pack in closer to the back for more stability. This works quite well but does interfere with access to the side pockets.

The Alp Trainer has plenty of pockets and, unusually in a pack this size, a zipped lower compartment, under which is the rain cover in its own zipped pouch. The zipped side pockets are quite roomy; but they lie under the mesh side pockets, and stuffing either full can reduce the volume of the other.

Comfort is quite good, but I found the design a little fussy and not as easy to use as others.