I can’t be the only one guilty of this … not giving enough thought to the most appropriate bag to take out with me? Regrettably, I used to do it all the time… A handbag for a 3-hour beach walk – in a heatwave; no space to pack water or suncream. A HUGE holdall, paying extra to put it in the airplane hold, for a short weekend break when you only use the top few items packed. Don’t remind me of the voluminous ‘mummy bag’ that we took everywhere we went when the children were babies – talk about packing for every eventuality!
A Day Hike
If you’re planning a coast or mountain hike, you generally put some thought to what you are going to wear – clothes that won’t make you overheat, waterproofs, gloves and hat (if cold), and well-worn-in supportive footwear. Only yesterday in fact I watched 100s of people on their way to climbing Mount Snowdon in north Wales. They were all prepared – and they had a good-sized rucksack on their back! A day sack large enough to pack a few essentials (like the waterproofs), a packed lunch and snacks, some blister plasters, their camera and phone, and water. But not so large that the weight on their back is cumbersome and tiring.
Lightweight Daysack
A lightweight day sack is a great addition to your bag collection – it is the perfect choice for so many different types of outings: a city day out, a rural hike, a school trip, a session at the gym. I recently invested in an Osprey Backpack from Simply Hike; specifically, this Hikelite 18 Rucksack in gorgeous Aloe Green.
Osprey Hikelite 18
First impression – beautiful colour! I don’t ‘do’ boring colour bags – this one is epic! It’s also really light, and my back is grateful for that. It’s not too big, not too small; perfect for my needs. I use mine on coastal walks when we’re in Norfolk, and daytrips into London when I end up carrying the kids’ coats.
What amazes me about this rucksack is the quality and the thought that has been taken into designing it. Inside the main compartment you find a hydration system – basically a built-in water bottle! However, if you want to carry more, there are stretchy pockets on either side. The bag came with a waterproof cover that you can stretch over the bag if caught out in wet weather. There are walking pole attachments for when you don’t want to be using them.
Why is it So Good?
One of the reasons I like it so much is that it’s really comfortable to wear. With some old backpacks, in this hot weather it wouldn’t be long before your back was hot and sweaty; not with this one. It’s excellent! I love it. I love the colour and I love that it’s going to last me a long time.
Osprey bags, which I hadn’t heard of before buying the Hikelite 18, are brilliant. The range spans from boot bags and the small hydration backpacks that long-distance joggers wear, to backpacks and full-size rucksacks, all the way up to wheeled bags and suitcases (I have my eye on one of them actually!)
Do you have a favourite bag? We’d love to hear about it ?
