Mountain Equipment

Tupilak 45 £220

As climber and gear guru Andy Kirkpatrick once noted, designing the perfect mountain pack is tricky because users are looking for two incompatible things: a super light weight and indestructibility. Mountain types also want different features depending on what they do and how they like to do it – after all, the ideal Scottish winter climbing sack is very different from the perfect Alpine pack. Mountain Equipment’s solution to this problem is the Tupilak 45: a very tough, weatherproof pack that is also highly configurable. It’s built from high-tenacity double-ripstop nylon with a waterproof inner coating, while the main compartment has a roll-top closure as well as a drawcord lock. And if you don’t need certain bits or want to shed weight, you can strip them away – including the hip fins, the side compression straps, the front shock-cord system and even the EVA foam back panel. But the main elements that are left are all intelligently designed. Take the main ‘Grappler’ buckle for example, which is easy to use even with mitts on, and also doubles as a rope strap. There’s also a zipped top pocket that is accessible from inside or outside the pack, but which rolls away if not required – genius.

IF WE’RE BEING FUSSY

Some might not like the lidless design or that it isn’t hydration compatible. Such lightweight performance also comes with a comfort compromise – we wish the back panel had padding.

■ WEIGHT 0.85kg ■ VOLUME 45 litres ■ SIZES One size

Verdict

A bombproof technical pack built for the worst winter weather. The design is all about low weight, not plush comfort – but then, you’re tough enough to deal with that, right?

“Bombproof pack built for the worst winter weather”