The hipbelt is broad and has padded foam. Adjustment is from the outside inwards. The padded section can be slid out, leaving just the webbing, if required, to save more weight. Side tension straps are linked to the hipbelt. By tightening these straps you can stabilise the load but reduce the hipbelt flexibility. Where balance is critical tightening them can help you feel more secure. However, if you are striding out over easy terrain it’s better to loosen these straps to allow full hip flexibility.

There’s good capacity which, with the addition of the lower compartment, easily accommodated my gear for extended walks. The fabric of the Craghoppers Duffel is robust feeling polyester with a polyurethane coating. It contains recycled materials – the brand says about 14 plastic bottles were reused in its manufacture. There is no hipbelt or sternum strap, so all the weight is borne on the shoulders and the straps can slide if you’re moving over anything like technical terrain. There are two movable foam pads on the straps to provide some comfort, but carrying a full load over any long distance without the support of a hipbelt caused some discomfort.

Capacity was good too, and quality was good. The ripstop nylon, felt robust and resisted scuffing well. It has a good sized main compartment and a floating lid that can be raised a little to allow extra gear to be accommodated if necessary.

Spacious and practical, providing a safe haven as you embark on longer trips Lowe Alpine Cholatse 32 (FMQ-35) The base of the duffel has another zip opening giving access to a separated compartment that is useful for a pair of shoes or similar. This keeps them apart from the contents of the main area, though it does share the space. The lid is a floating design, enabling it to be raised a little to allow extra space to be used in the main compartment. There’s also a strap for retaining rope under the lid. It actually works quite well, keeping the harness straps in position while allowing chest expansion when breathing hard.

Most Weatherproof: Exped Verglas 30

It coped with carrying a substantial load on a wild camping expedition, with good weight bearing and just enough capacity for such an outing. Comfort was good, even though there isn’t a huge amount of foam padding on the harness and hipbelt.

The main compartment is accessed by a top opening with an inner drawcord closure and a second outer drawcord. Inside the compartment is a pouch for hydration bladder, with a hook-and-loop hanger. Drink tube exit is to the right shoulder. The Cholatse has a good sized main compartment, accessible from a top opening with conventional drawcord. There’s also a compression strap across the top opening which can be used to secure a rope or other gear. The main compartment contains a hydration bladder pouch with hook-and-loop strip hanger. Drink-tube exit is to the right shoulder.

To calculate the average price, we add up the cheapest daily prices of the last 90 days and divide by 90. The main compartment is uncluttered and contains just the pouch for a hydration reservoir with a hook-and-loop strip hanger. The drink tube exit is central, allowing the tube to be routed down either the left or right harness strap. Access to the main compartment, in addition to the side zip, is via a top opening with drawcord fastening. Inside it is a pouch for hydration bladder, with webbing hanger. Drink tube exit is to the right shoulder. It benefits from a simple design with a roomy main area, while the front zip opening was very useful for digging out items without having to undo the lid and main drawcord. The harness straps are quite wide and have ventilated foam padding. The sternum strap’s height can be adjusted using four different daisy chain loops. This involves unhooking each side and repositioning in an alternative loop, which is less convenient than anchors that slide up and down on rails. The hipbelt is a wide webbing strap with elasticated retainer loops for excess length.