Review: Lowe Alpine AirZone day pack

Being a woman, you’ll know just how hard it can be to find outdoor gear tailor-made to fit our complex body shapes. But Lowe Alpine is a brand that has got it right when it comes to backpacks for women, and for that reason I have no hesitation in highly recommending this gorgeous Lowe Alpine AirZone Trail ND 32 backpack as the perfect day buddy in the mountains, the coast or anywhere adventure should be calling you.

While I’m a girl who enjoys doing typically ‘boyish’ activities like hiking, climbing, kayaking and the like, I still like my gear to look feminine, so I really love this brand for its bright and vibrant colours. But one of my biggest likes about this 32 litre bag is how breathable the back is. It doesn’t matter how hot or cold a day it is, when you’re hiking, you’re bound to get a sweat on.

And Lowe Alpine has come up with a really clever design to make your load as comfortable as possible. Its AirZone range has a concave design that creates a space between your back and the bag itself, minimising body contact and maximising airflow.

I’ve also found a lot of backpacks pull on the shoulders, making your hike feel like more of a chore than a fun day out. But with the number of adjustable straps — hipbelt straps, chest straps, shoulder harnesses, top tensioners, side compression straps, the list goes on — fitted to this backpack, no matter your shape or size, you should be able to get the fit just right.

And to show you just how customisable it is, here’s a beautiful video explaining how to fit the backpack. Unfortunately this particular pack doesn’t have the adjustable back, but some of the bigger bags have this function, making it even more comfy.

Now you might find this a strange statement to make, but I absolutely love the hipbelt. A lot of backpack hipbelts are quite rigid and chunky and I find them to hurt after a while, but the AirZone Trails’s hipbelt is really lightweight, padded and flexible. That means they move nicely with your hips as you walk and don’t rub. The shoulder harness is equally lightweight, flexible and breathable, making for an overall super comfy bag for a day in the hills.

Personally, I’m a big fan of bags with lots of pockets, and this pack has loads of places to store nibbles, phones, compasses, water, hats and the like. The bottom pocket even includes a built-in rain cover. And, if like me, you’re a walker who uses walking poles, the bag’s pole tip grippers are great for packing them away quickly when the terrain becomes a little rockier.

The bag has more features than I could mention in a short review, so here’s a list from the manufacturer…

Features

• The ND version is designed specifically for women, fine-tuned for the female form
• Easy-access zippered front pocket
• Phone compatible harness pocket
• Large mesh side pockets with multiple storage options
• Padded hipbelt for a comfortable carry
• Unique walking pole tip grippers for secure storage
• Stretch hipbelt pocket for easy access storage
• Side compression for load stability
• AirZone breathable back maximising airflow
• Raincover
• Sternum strap with whistle
• External and internal zippered pockets
• Hydration compatible
• Key clip
• Large stretch mesh side pockets
• Ice axe loop
• LED light loop

I really don’t have anything bad to say about this bag, but if you’re really pernickety, at 1.23kg, it’s a tad on the heavy side. However, for the comfort I think it’s worth the few extra grams. If you really did want to get rid of some extra weight though, the rigid back is removable.

The bag usually retails at £75.00, but you can get it for the bargain price of £59.21 from Webtogs.