Back system 
Good air flow around your back will help to reduce sweat, while a sturdy frame will transfer weight and maintain the shape and stability of the pack. See which system suits you: some designs hold the pack away from your body, but the shape could restrict how it is packed.

Opening
A zip provides quick and easy access, but a top-loading design with drawstrings and compression closure straps is more weather-tight and allows more flexibility with volume.

Pockets
Side and hipbelt pockets are convenient for stashing snacks, water bottles, cameras and maps without having to remove your pack. A pocket in the lid is useful for a headtorch, gloves and hat. Valuables are best stored inside, in a zip pocket near the top. Some packs also have side pockets that can be compressed flat.

Hipbelt
The hips are much better at supporting weight than the shoulders and back. This usually makes a chunkier hipbelt – rather than a thin one – more comfortable, especially with heavier loads.

Attachments
These are ideal for stowing walking poles, ice axes and monopods without having to open your pack.

Compression straps
If your pack is only partially loaded, compression straps will batten down any excess fabric and help secure the contents.

Fit
To find the best pack for your needs, it’s worth trying a range on. Shoulder the pack and adjust the straps to fit. Any pack will feel comfortable when it’s empty, so make sure you load it up with a realistic amount of weight. Does anything dig in to your back? Can you move easily? Most of the load should be carried on the hips, and the pack should hug your back.

Waterproofness
Packs are not usually waterproof, so some come with a separate elasticated rain cover. Alternatively, a waterproof rucksack liner is a good addition.

Hydration
Most self-respecting packs provide a pocket for a reservoir with a hole for the pipe, to allow hands-free drinking on the move. All the rucksacks featured here are hydration-compatible, with the exception of the Regatta.

Durability
Double stitching, tough fabrics, quality zips and reinforced areas are all signs of a hard-wearing pack, but these features can add weight.

– We’d like a chunkier hip buckle and bigger hip pockets, please!

VERDICT: An extremely well made and durable pack with plenty of adjustments to fine-tune the fit. Lightweight, too. 

www.deutergb.co.uk 

+ Padded but not bulky, with good airflow between your back and the pack. Includes space to store a helmet and a rain cover, with zip access to the bottom of the pack.

– Not as light as some of the other models. The hipbelt is quite basic, with only one pocket.

VERDICT: A streamlined and easy-to-use pack, but light on features.

+ A wide-access front zip, substantial hipbelt and rain cover. The curved mesh back system is airy and adjustable.

– The curved back compromises internal space and the lower side compression straps cut across the side pockets, making them more difficult to use.

VERDICT: A fiddly pack to get used to, with hip pockets too small for a compact camera. It’s also at the higher end of the scale, weight- and price-wise.

+ Super-comfortable back system with mesh panel to allow air flow. The hydration pocket is sensibly located outside the main compartment, and a whistle is incorporated in the sternum strap. Also features stow-on-the-go
pole straps, rain cover and capacious hipbelt pockets.

– The two lower compression straps cut across the side pockets, making them awkward to use. The sternum strap has limited adjustability.

VERDICT: A well-designed pack, and great to use, with an excellent back system. The Osprey’s hipbelt is the best we’ve tested.

+ Adjustable, stable and works a treat. The back system is padded in the right places and the harness system comfortably carries heavy loads. You can stow away the hipbelt, and the pack’s fabric is strong and durable.

– The unusual ice axe attachment takes a while to get used to.

VERDICT: Highly technical and very versatile, Lowe Alpine has created an excellent mountaineering and ski touring pack.

+ Superb body-hugging fit, which allows full freedom of movement. Very stable and carries the load exceptionally well. Features include a mini whistle in the sternum strap, side-zip access to the main compartment, and a rain cover. Women’s fit available.

– Would prefer to have pockets on both sides of the hipbelt.

VERDICT: Super-durable and totally intuitive to use, everything on this pack is just where it should be.

+ Welded and taped seams, along with waterproof fabric and zips, help keep the rain at bay. Lightweight yet durable, with a very comfortable and supportive hipbelt.

– No hip pockets and no female-specific option. The long poles in the back system restrict your head’s movement and can even bang annoyingly against it.

VERDICT: A light, comfortable and practical pack; it’s a shame the noggin-banging poles let it down.

+ A minimalist pack, with plenty of grab handles and ski straps on the side. Very durable.

– No pockets on the side or hipbelt. The buckle can be awkward to release with gloves or cold hands.

VERDICT: At 850g, this pared-down backpack is wonderfully lightweight – we loved its simplicity.

+ Robust and useful neoprene side pockets. Durable fabric and a rain cover. We liked the one-clip fastener and the airy freeflow back system.

– The curved back does compromise some of the pack space, and the hipstrap is thin and flimsy. Not available in a female-specific fit.

VERDICT: A neat pack with great ventilation, but the hipbelt lacks structure and strength.