Lowe Alpine AirZone 35

A simple, effective and comfortable day pack that can also be used for longer trips. The Airzone 35 is comfortable and practical. I really can't recommend this enough!

I bought this for a walking holiday on La Gomera and have also used it for day walks and weekend camping trips, and I can safely say that it is by far the best rucksack I have ever owned (so much so that I'm planning to buy several of the larger versions for longer trips).

I'm not an especially tall man and find it incredibly comfortable. The Airzone system is excellent and the waist straps sit exactly where they should. Regardless of how full the pack is (and I've had it almost bursting at the seams) it has remained well-balanced, ensuring that the weight has a minimal impact on me. I've also loaned the pack to a fairly small 13-year-old girl (when her pack failed during a weekend expedition) and it adjusted to fit her no problem at all.

I've also been very surprised by the amount of gear that I can fit in; there is a slight curve in the back-plate so you sometimes need to think a little to get the most out of it, but the little in-built pouch (which is perfect for a 2-litre hydration system bag) makes up for this. The only issue in this area is that the webbed side-pockets could be improved (I think I'd maybe prefer proper pockets) but to be fair the shape and depth of them does allow you to store a surprising amount on the sides of the pack.

Given the size of the pack there isn't really anything in the way of an organisation system inside, but in small packs this doesn't really make any difference (you're not carrying 2 weeks worth of kit in it).

As you would expect from Lowe Alpine every part of the pack feels well made and I have no doubts about the durability of the product.

How does it fare in different weather conditions? Well, I used it for 2 weeks on La Gomera in the middle of summer with no issues, so heat and sunlight aren't a problem; I live, however, on the Isle of Arran, where the weather can be more than a little challenging (to say the least). I've yet to encounter conditions that have gotten the better of this excellent piece of kit.