Trail Gear Guide 2022

BACKPACKING PACKS
LOWE ALPINE
CHOLATSE ND50:55 £155
This women’s-specific trekking pack is
extremely comfortable to carry, balancing
good back ventilation with excellent load
stability. It doesn’t skimp on storage, yet it
is tough and weatherproof too, with burly
fabrics and a stowaway raincover. In fact,
you get an impressive amount of pack for
your money here, making it cracking value.
VERDICT A versatile beast at a competitive
price, this is the ideal all-purpose women’s
pack for mixed multi-day backpacking
adventures. The men’s Cholatse 52:57 is
just as good too.
MAGAZINE
BEST
VALUE
SIERRA DESIGNS FLEX
CAPACITOR 60-75 £185
Extendable packs usually gain
space vertically, but this isn’t ideal.
Not only can the pack become
unwieldingly tall, but any gear
stowed at the base is then even
more difficult to access. The Flex
Capacitor rucksack solves both
these problems. Rather than
extending upwards, it uses a double
fold of material on the front and a
series of cinch cords to expand or
contract the circumference of the
pack, making it possible to increase
the volume without the height.
VERDICT With its light weight,
multiple pockets and a clever
design that solves an old problem,
this is a great load hauler.
GREGORY KATMAI 55 £215
This capacious pack handles
heavy loads with ease, offering
plenty of support and stability
with plush padding to eliminate
pressure points. The trampolinestyle
back panel feels airy and
well-ventilated too. It’s also more
eco-friendly than most packs,
since it uses a PFC-free DWR and
recycled fabrics. If your
top priorities are plenty of
storage and optimum carrying
comfort, you’ll love it.
VERDICT A great choice for
extended trekking trips, this
deluxe gear-hauler is welladapted
to warm climates,
big days and heavy loads.
MAGAZINE
BEST
IN TEST
NEW
FOR
2022
LONG-TERM TESTS
OSPREY STRATOS 44 £185
Although only released this
Spring, I’ve had the Stratos
44 on test for 6 months, and I
like what I’m finding. The size
is perfect for summer wild camping trips
(although it works well as a winter daypack
too) which require more volume than a
daypack but less than a full backpacking
rucksack. The back system manages to keep
the Stratos reasonably close to my body for
GEAR GUIDE 2022 TRAIL
53
stability on trickier ground, but also provides
a good amount of ventilation. And there are so
many storage options that my biggest problem
is remembering which pocket I’ve put what in!
VERDICT A great summer wild
camping pack that perfectly balances
performance, comfort and capacity.
USED BY Ben Weeks, Trail senior writer
USED FOR 6 months