Salewa Alptrek 40+5/35+5

£125 Capacity 40 to 45 litres/35 to 40 litres Back sizes adjustable (men’s Alptrek 40+5); adjustable ( women’s Alptrek 35+5) Weight 1642g

As the name suggests the design is skewed toward alpine-style treks, where a neat, compact, close-fitting and narrow design is ideal for the mixed terrain of scrambles and walks in mountainous terrain. The back system has shoulder straps that can be raised or lowered to fine-tune the fit and there’s an air chimney up the middle of the back for more airflow. The body is nylon with top lid entry and front zipped entry. There are good pockets on the lid and hipbelt fins as well as quick-release side compression straps and mesh side pockets. Overall this feels great for its intended users and the supportive hipbelt and stiff back system is ideal for heavier loads.

You don’t quite get the airflow across the back of some designs and this is pretty heavy compared to some options, making this rucksack generally less comfortable overall in warmer weather. You don’t get a divider between the top and base of the main compartment, either, which some overnight users may miss, and there’s no front stash pocket. The capacity is slightly less than some featured, with the women’s version only just scraping into the 40-litre capacity when the lid is fully extended. I’m not the biggest fan of floating lids, but to be fair this one does sit better on the pack than many.

A stable pack for use on rockier terrain with a more supportive hip belt and back system for heavier loads, but relatively low capacity and heavy.