BLACK DIAMOND Stonehauler 90L Duffel

RRP £180 Target price £160 Like many outdoorsy people, I am not in the habit of being too gentle with my kit and that goes double for the pack it gets stored in.

The Stonehauler, I can tell you, refuses even to be scuffed. It’s designed for travel in the Himalayas and the Karakoram – to be tied onto a mule or strapped to the top of a jolty bus while filled with ice axes, crampons and a full climbing rack – and as such it is as tough as old yak hide. The material at the back and sides is supplemented with 5mm closed-cell foam padding. The handles – at each end and the sides – are tested by the same machines that Black Diamond use to test their carabiners for rock-climbing. And the zips are super-chunky, meaning no faff. Compartment-wise, there’s just enough: two mesh pockets in the lid, a zip pocket at either end, a drawstring pouch inside to compartmentalise laundry, and a set of internal compression straps. I’m tempted to stab it with my ice axe just to see if it pops. I’m pretty sure it won’t, but I like it too much to try. Sorry. blackdiamondequipment.com

RRP £200 Target price £160 Despite what Hollywood films set in London would have you believe, it doesn’t rain all the time in Britain; not even in the hills or on the soggy west coast. My waterproofs accordingly spend much of the year in my rucksack, ready to be whipped out at short notice. Such was the case when I walked Offa’s Dyke Path in April. Travelling light from B&B to hostel to pub, I didn’t want to be lugging bulky layers around with me, so this hardy yet compressible rain jacket was just the ticket. Stashed into its own reversible right-hand waist pocket, it took up a one-litre bottle’s worth of space, weighing in at a mere 410g. Sounds potentially flimsy, yes? Far from it. This 2.5-layer waterproof with a 75-dennier face fabric (made from recycled polyester) was plenty tough enough. And crucially, it deflected squally showers lashing the Hatterrall Ridge, keeping me dry without leaving me feeling like a boil-in-the-bag kipper. Praise be for the Gore-Tex Paclite membrane. I loved the longish yet unhindering cut, too, the roomy pockets, and the adjustable ‘hill hood’ with a wired peak (which ideally could be cinched tighter around the face opening). Niggles aside, it’s a fantastic trekking jacket. sprayway.com