Backpacks
▶ DEUTER Walker 20
RRP: £65 Target price: 50
I love this pack: a fully functional, easy-wearing day-pack that hides its technical prowess in a chic, retro style that looks at home in Starbucks. A proper air-channel back system, loads of room inside, padding on the harness, laptop flap, large but secure internal compartment for valuables, and a big front pocket. No hip-belt, but the chest strap does a decent job of dispersing the weight. I’ve worn it on a Lakeland fell and on my first city trip after lockdown. Loved it both times. deutergb.co.uk VERDICT: ★★★★★
OSPREY DayLite Plus 20L
RRP: £55 Target price: £45
Here’s the pack that gets the balance between outdoor and urban life just right. It’s everything a good day-pack should be, with urban refinements like laptop flap, organiser pouches and three separate compartment spaces, all hidden in a subtle package that doesn’t look too outdoorsy for the boardroom. AirScape back system, hip-belt and chest strap, sensible storage and ventilated harness: you’d take this on a proper big walk without a second thought. But you’d also feel just as happy having it searched on your way into a West End theatre, without feeling like you have to explain why you came dressed for a mountain. ospreyeurope.com VERDICT: ★★★★★
FJÄLLRÄVEN Kånken Art
RRP: £90 Target price: £90
Ubiquitous on the Tube, the Kånken is the Swedish school satchel the commuter world fell in love with. In practical terms it can’t compete with a more technical pack: the basic straps can rub your shoulders, there’s no back system, and no hip-belt or chest-strap to stabilise the load and disperse the weight. On the plus side, you get loads of storage (including laptop flap, side pockets and large front pouch), a removable sit-mat, and hard-wearing fabric. So for local walks, country parks, walk-commutes and picnics, the Kånken is a joy. This special new edition features artwork by Linn Fritz and aims to highlight the growing problem of plastic pollution in our oceans. fjallraven.co.uk VERDICT: ★★★★★