Ultralight rucksacks are often little more than a cylinder with straps, based on the assumption that an ultralight load doesn’t require a complicated back system. Boreas Gear are newcomers to the UK, with packs that manage to be minimalist, aesthetically-pleasing and lightweight yet concealing some surprising features. Boreas Gear Buttermilks 40 rucksack Price: £140 Weight: 1293g as supplied, strippable to 886g looks, load-transfer, big front pocket weight could be lower Features For a minimalist pack you’d expect this to be a short section, but the pack’s clean lines conceal some clever stuff. The star performer is the back system –…

Shortly after declaring my undying love for the Crux AK50, the Alpha FL arrived and made me happy. It has all the characteristics that endeared the AK50 to me, but in a lighter weight, modern package. Arc’teryx Alpha FL 45 Price: £150 Weight: 650g weight, durability, simplicity, innovation nothing Materials and Construction Outdoor fabrics are getting lighter and stronger. The Alpha FL range is made from N400-AC2, an air and water impermeable fabric that combined with the rolltop closure effectively transforms the pack into a drybag with straps – not a bad idea for Scotland. It feels light and flimsy…

After my last post concerning the demise of the Inov-8 Terroc 330 trailshoes and in the midst of an uncharacteristic haze of nostalgia, I began to survey the other items in my gear store that have been called variously "game-changer", "iconic" or "go-to" depending on your penchant for the colloquial. As I’ve just booked my annual trip to the Alps my thoughts turned to the concept of a mountaineering rucksack. Mountaineers look for a rucksack able to cope with hauling in a heavy load of hardware in relative comfort, that’ll then cinch down and remain unobtrusive and rock-resistant during the…

Rucksacks are load carriers, so must be selected based on the weight and volume of said load. Lightweight loads can be accommodated in a simple frameless rucksack – perhaps with a stiffened backpad and simple hipbelt – but once weight reaches about 10kg some kind of frame will be appreciated. This frame should transfer the weight of the load from the weak muscles in the shoulders to the waist to take advantage of those large leg muscles which are also closer to an adult’s centre of gravity. External frames have been largely superseded by internal frames, usually of flat aluminium bar but occasionally a…

In the first of a new series of reviews of outdoor clothing and equipment, Walkhighlands’ gear editor Phil Turner takes a look at rucsacks for the winter season. Warm jacket, spare hat, goggles, ice axe, crampons, flask of hot rum tea, spare gloves, bothy bag, snowshoes – it’s easy for a winter load to take on gargantuan proportions and swamp that lightweight mountain marathon pack that seemed cavernous in the summer. To accommodate this increased load I prefer a pack around the 40 litre mark – increasing to 45 or even 50l if I’m carrying group kit. In addition to…