Packing for an active travel trip can be daunting, which is why we've made it easier for you by listing out some of our favourite gear from the past year. This gear can take the knocks, bangs and scuffs of long backpacking trips but is also light and packable.
Pacsafe Venturesafe X40 Backpack | £190
With slash-proof metal mesh reinforced fabric, bullet-proof strapping material, more locks than Fort Knox, and even an RFID safe packet which prevents any card or passport with an identity chip being read remotely, the X40 is one seriously secure 40l back pack. All this piece of mind comes at a price though: a weight of 1.75kg and a hefty price tag.
Saxx Quest 2.0 Underwear | £24
Saxx underwear was born out of baseball player Trent Kitsch’s love affair with the outdoors and hatred of ill-fitting underwear. Made for walking, they’re light and airy thanks to a lightweight, moisture wicking nylon and polyester blend, with flat seams, quick drying synthetic fabrics and an anti-fold waistband. National Geographic awarded these their best travel underwear and we agree with them – they’re a damn fine bit of clothing.
MSR Trailshot Water Filter | £36
Designed to be stashed in a pocket and deployed quickly, you can use the Trailshot to drink directly from the source, much as you would with a Lifestraw. Just pop the end of the hose into the water source and pump the water straight into your mouth, or fill a water bottle – it takes about 40 pumps. At 142g it’s impressively light and easily packed, and considering it could even supply a small group's basic water needs, it's excellent value at £36.
Leki Carbonlite Trekking Poles | £110
The Carbonlites extend and lock using a twist system and use a mix of aluminium in the upper section and carbon in the lower two sections. Weight is just 408g a pair, with a packed length of 63cm. The Speed Lock system is a bit fiddly but the foam grip is comfortable, managing moisture well, and the interchangeable baskets supplied manage even slightly boggy ground.
BAM Air T | £23
The Air T is comfortable, much like your softest cotton t-shirt. We've used it to sleep in, hike in, for general travel and casually, and it's proven to be great throughout. It's practically pong free, is soft and supple and doesn't look too out of place among technical backpacking gear. It's more breathable than merino but slightly less so than a good synthetic tee, it also does a great job of regulating temperature. We don't get chaffing when wearing a heavy pack and the material is reasonably durable, in short, buy a couple and chuck them in your pack before your next trip.
Leatherman Style PS multi-tool | £40
This handy travel mate has 8 tools including spring action pliers, scissors, tweezers, nail file, carabiner, bottle opener and a flat head screwdriver. At 7.5cm it’s compact and weighs an impressive 45g only. There's no knife blade included so you can get it through security at airports, making it the ideal international travel companion. Being TSA approved doesn’t absolutely guarantee safe transit of your 'everyday carry' but it does help.
TomTom Adventurer GPS Watch | £270
This GPS sports watch is designed to navigate, track and record progress, monitoring vital statistics with the help of a built-in wrist-based heart rate monitor. It does all of this well, with an intuitive button menu interface and TomTom's MySports app, which displays your previously logged data and handles file transfers to and from your computer. Modes include cycling, trail running and skiing, the battery life depends on activity but expect anything from 5 hours navigation to 10 days’ basic activity tracking.
Dragon MountaineerX Sunglasses | £136
These sunglasses from Dragon were made for hiking climbing and skiing, although they don't boast cat 3 or 4 protection. Having said that, the lenses are clearly very high quality, with an injected polar film to prevent surface glare and hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings to shed water and grime. Leather side shields work brilliantly, as does the removable lanyard. Remove both and you have a good quality, stylish pair of sunglasses for street wear.
Griffin Survivor Slim iPhone case | £38
The Survivor Slim sandwiches your phone with an inner press-fit polycarbonate shell then covers that with a flexible shock absorbent silicone outer – finally protecting the screen with a see-though film. This case won't protect from water, dust or grit ingress, as it leaves both cameras, speakers, the mute switch and the headphone socket uncovered but we did find it offered excellent protection from general (dry) outdoor abuse.
One for the families.....
Sevylor Alameda Kayak kit | £400
Too big and heavy to carry far, but fitting easily in a car or camper van, the Alameda is the ideal family paddling adventure companion. Inflating it takes minutes from a single valve and creates a stable and spacious kayak made from strong, heavy-duty tarpaulin which extends way above the water line. With two adults and a child aboard it feels more stable than it looks, and its removable fin makes it easier to paddle and steer than cheap inflatables.
