WINTER SCIENCE

Managing the heat that builds up between your back and the rear panel of a rucksack is of course vital in the warm days of summer, but it doesn’t stop being important in winter. A good suspended back system should have a ventilated mesh panel that sits on your back, while the weight of the main compartment is pushed away by a curved frame, creating a space for air to circulate and excess heat to vent. There are few finer examples than the AirSpeed system used on the Osprey Stratos and Sirrus packs, and the Aircomfort Sensic used on Deuter’s Futura Pro range.