LOWE ALPINE MONTANE

AirZone Active 22 Trailblazer 25L

RRP: £70 £60

Here’s an almost perfect compact rucksack for day-walks: well thought out, plenty of features, good storage and a suspended back system which really keeps you cool on the go. It stashes just the right amount of kit for a day-walk, be it lowland or upland (the ventilated back is especially effective on hill ascents), and the extra pockets are sensibly sized and placed. Plus you get sturdy pole-stashing clips and a huge, stretchy front pouch. On the go, it truly is the kind of rucksack you forget you are wearing. So why did I say almost perfect? Three bugbears: first, the shoulder harness crimps when pulled taut, meaning it can dig in a little. Second is the tiny, stubby hip-fins that offer precious little support and don’t have room for the ever-useful hip pocket that I’d expect on a pack with this level of sophistication. And finally, as with the Trekmates pack, the chest strap is on a daisy chain instead of a slider, which makes it fiddly to adjust. Wish I knew why. These quibbles aren’t quite enough to spoil the upsides though: for this price, this is an outstanding pack.

INFO Weight: 783g Capacity: 22L

Extra pockets: 5 Back system: Suspended Contact: 0800 808 5392, rab.equipment/uk + Great value, good storage, excellent back system

– Poor hip-belt, fiddly chest strap, harness crimps at the shoulder

BEST FOR: Day walks of all kinds, but especially effective in the hills.

RRP: £90 Target price: £72

When Montane released their first rucksacks a decade ago, they pledged to make them like no one else: sleek, innovative, and dedicated to fast-andlight hikers. They proved it with the Cobra, which I wish they were still making. But times move on, and their latest offering is the Trailblazer: a sleek, lightweight, lid-closing day-pack with easily adjustable back length. But boy is it fiddly. Two chest straps (on daisy chains), a lot of straps, two weird double hip-fins with zip pockets set so far back they’re almost impossible to open on the go... it really has some quirks. BUT, once it’s on and you’ve adjusted it to your liking, it is fantastic. The chest straps are stretchy, so the harness actually expands and contracts as you breathe, which is terrific on hard climbs, and I love the big pockets on the shoulder straps, which will each take either a large iPhone or a squashy drinks bottle. If you want a more conventional pack, Montane’s Azote 25 (£95) is great. This one is more a hybrid of walking and running pack, and if that’s your thing, you’ll like it a lot.

INFO Weight: 744g Capacity: 25L

Extra pockets: 8 Back system: Foam panel Contact: 01670 522 300, montane.com

+ Easily adjustable back system, big shoulder-strap pockets, light – Fiddly, hard to get the right fit, can’t reach the hip pockets

BEST FOR: Fast-and-light hillwalking, all year round.