
In 2011 I went walking around Ben Nevis and realised that it was to invest in a backpack to accompany my multifarious mountain pursuits – single and multi-pitch climbing, mountain walking and winter mountaineering. My first port of call was Manchester Oxford Road Cotswolds, as they are stalwarts in reliability and good customer service. Being a clearance store they didn’t have a full range so, instead I went to the Manchester Deansgate branch.

At first glance I thought that buying a pack would offer a straightforward choice, but I was, firstly, dazzled with the array of packs available, and then very quickly became suitably disappointed by the very few packs from which I eventually had to choose. Why? I am small. When I say small I mean 5ft tall (155cm) and with a waist of about 28 inches. The staff member in the shop was brilliant, helping to work out the best fit using realistic weights and assessing my needs. My resulting purchase was the Osprey Talon 44 in Indigo blue. So, more than a year in, here’s my review of the bag…