Your hiking backpack is your most important piece of kit – get it wrong and you’ll spend more time thinking about your aching shoulders than enjoying the views from Helvellyn. After years of testing everything from featherweight day packs to expedition monsters across Britain’s most demanding terrain, we know that the right rucksack transforms hiking from endurance test to pure pleasure. Whether you’re after a lightweight companion for Pennine Way day sections or a bombproof hauler for week-long Highland adventures, we’ve carried, cursed, and celebrated with enough packs to separate the genuinely brilliant from the marketing bluster. Find backpacks that fit your body, match your ambitions, and make every British hill feel that bit more conquerable.