In case you've come here looking for rope bags, haul bags or tackle sacks then they can be found within Climbing and Caving.

For walking and climbing day sacks, backpacking and expedition rucksacks, holdalls, walking and running bumbags, travel packs and kiddie carriers read on!

We would prefer to fit rucksacks to each customer, but as this is not always possible we aim to provide guidelines to each help you choose the back system, style and size thats right for you within the pages of this site.

What to look for in a rucksack.

What do you want the pack for?

Daywalking, hut to hut, backpacking, rock climbing, winter climbing, alpinism, expedition mountaineering, mountain marathons, travelling or do you just need a hands free means of carrying papers and a jacket around town?

How bulky and heavy is your kit?

Day sacks for carrying a waterproof, mid layer fleece and some food and water do not require  much more space than 20 to 25 litres capacity, where as winter walking demands more capacity for extra layers, headtorches, flask, etc. so 30 to 35 is more appropriate. If you are climbing the same is true in summer you can get away with a 30 to 40 litre pack most of the time, but in winter not only is there more kit to carry but getting 60m of frozen rope back into a rucksack in the dark in a gale means that a larger 45 to 55 litre pack is a must.

Multi day sacks will generally begin at 40 litres for hut to hut purposes where you don't need bivvy or camping kit. Specialist backpacking equipment (sleeping bags, tents, stoves, waterproof clothing, etc.) has become so light and compact that rucksacks designed for this begin in the 40 litre capacity but are generally around 50 litres. 60 - 70 litres tends to be the domain of the serious expedition pack or the Duke Of Edinburgh expedition where you will be carrying lots of climbing hardwear or where your equipment won't be quite so compact as you are working to a budget.

Daysacks tend to have simple backsystems as there isn't much weight to be distributed about the body. Multi-day packs tend to have more complex back systems with internal bars or frames to support both their own weight and that of their contents, as well as to help transfer as much weight as possible to the correct load bearing parts of the body (i.e. your skeleton). The more and the heavier the load you want to carry, the stronger the materials used need to be. Where a lot of metal hardwear is going to be carried and where the pack will be rubbed up against lots of rock even more durable materials are necessary.

Having said all this, AirZone or Aircomfort style venting back systems on day packs are popular and whilst they add extra weight they do move the pack away from your back to make it less sweaty on a hot day (it does mean that you chill quicker on inclement days as well). Only consider such a pack if you carry light weights as the load is pushed away from your toso and becomes unstable, they are therefore unsuitable for runners and climbers.

Do you want specific features?

To combat sweatiness you might consider the aforementioned AirZone or Aircomfort style venting or a coolmesh wicking backsystem. You may want a two-compartment bag for carrying your sleeping gear separately, for ease of access. Also useful are side pockets, but you might find these cumbersome when climbing or manouvering through jungle or on and off vehicular transport. You may need straps and holsters for axes and crampons or walking poles or you may need a rectangular shaped front loading travel pack to keep your clothes in good condition for getting work whilst travelling. Most modern packs are compatible with hydration systems like the ones we stock from Platypus and Source and some will come with a rain cover included.

There are many other features worth bearing in mind, but you should now be well on the way to narrowing down your search, though our key piece of advice would be to go as light as possible without compromising on fit, duarbility and specific function. Happy hunting!

Here are some quick links straight to some of our favourites:

• Duke Of Edinburgh Backpacking - Deuter Aircontact 65+10
• Lightweight trekking and backpacking - Lightwave Fastpack 50
• Daywalking - Lowe Alpine Airzone 35
• Holdalls - The North Face Base Camp Duffle L
• Mountaineering and winter climbing - Crux AK47
• Expedition Mountaineering - Crux AK70
• Travel - Lowe Alpine Travel Trekker 70 Pro

Don't forget that rucksacks are rarely waterproof so you will need to protect their contents with waterproof liners or individual dry bags or stuff sacks from Exped, Pod or Ortlieb?

Child carriers or papooses have an even more personal aspect to them as they need to suit you and your partners back and be a happy place for junior, so it is definitely worth trying before you buy here, but we find that the size adjustable options from Little Life as close to a one size fits all as you can get.