Best uses: hill and mountain walking; longer-distance trail walking; lightweight winter walking; scrambling. The back was fairly comfortable too, with two ridged elements sitting from the shoulder blade area downwards. There’s a zipped fabric divider so, it required, the lower compartment can be opened up to combine with the main area to provide one large storage area.

Lowe | Alpine | Edge | II | 18 | Blueprint - Trekitt Lowe | Alpine | Edge | II | 18 | Blueprint - Trekitt

Delivering incredible freedom of movement with a stable and comfortable carry, they’re built for breaking new ground on your next big journey. It was difficult to separate the top six rucksacks but, in the end the Mammut Ducan Spine 28-35 just edged ahead, with its advanced, innovative features, good performance and comfort. The whole of the upper section, along with the attached harness straps, slides up or down the frame to allow the correct back length to be obtained.

Why not compare those bags, instead of a random assortment that have no relation to each other, other than a wide size range? The sternum strap has continuously variable height adjustment on rails and the buckle incorporates a whistle. The main body of the Gregory pack is made from 210 denier, honeycomb-patterned nylon, while the base is reinforced 420 denier nylon. Inside the main area is a hydration reservoir pouch with webbing hanger and plastic buckle fastening.

Lowe Alpine Edge II 18 Daypack | Blacks Lowe Alpine Edge II 18 Daypack | Blacks

If you, like me, always carry a camera too, then you need to take that into account as this will take up extra space and add to the weight. Berghaus images show a top bungee retainer in too, but our sample didn’t have this so we secured our poles using the side compression strap. Durability also adds to the sustainable aspect of the pack, along with its comprehensive use of recycled materials, plus a PFC-free durable water-resistant coating.

They widen out towards the bottom to accommodate a small stretch mesh pocket on each strap, big enough to take most smartphones.

Lowe Alpine Edge 18 Backpack/Day Pack | Absolute-Snow

The hip belt supported a good proportion of the weight comfortably and the pack felt well balanced and had nice design touches. The bungee can also be used for attaching items or stuffing gear such as wet clothing to the outside of the rucksack. It was comfortable in use, though the lack of ventilation, particularly in the back, meant there was a build-up of moisture while working uphill. The Alpkit pack is a conventional walkers’ rucksack with a roomy top-loading main compartment and floating lid. Lowe Alpine remains an independent backpack specialist run by outdoor enthusiasts who are at happiest on the move.The hip belt is completely removable – it has plastic buckles at each side – but this does mean fastening the belt requires reaching across to either hip, which is less convenient than a central fastening. This can be expanded by unzipping the sides to allow bellows to increase the capacity – useful when stuffing wet clothing in, for instance. The Aeroflex 3D suspension system consists of a stretch mesh panel at top and bottom of the back, allowing good airflow behind the wearer. On the right strap is a plastic clip to accommodate a hydration drink tube while on the left strap there is a bungee holder for sunglasses. For longer journeys in the mountains, you’re likely to need a rucksack towards the bigger end of the scale, for spare clothing, food, water and emergency gear such as a plastic bivvy bag or shelter.

Lowe Alpine | Trekitt UK Lowe Alpine | Trekitt UK

The rucksack is fairly broad, and uses the brand’s Air Contour back incorporating a perforated foam panel with mesh covering. The back system worked well, allowing venting without the pack feeling it was pulling away from the body. The left fin has a small stretch zipped pocket while the right fin has another bungee arrangement that can be used to stash z-type walking poles on the move, without removing the pack from your back.

A padded lumbar section at the bottom integrates with the hip belt, which has wide, padded fins with mesh coverings for ventilation. It has a good sized zipped outer compartment and underneath it is a zipped mesh pocket with plastic key loop on a short webbing strap. The harness straps have lots of ventilated foam padding and the sternum strap is continuously height adjustable, sliding on rails. The compact Lowe Alpine Edge 18 is perfect for the casual outdoor enthusiast who commutes to work, walks the hills and travels cool and light. Conversely, if the main area is full of wet items, dry gear can be placed in it to keep it from getting wet.