“Quite possibly our favourite ever creation,” say Lowe Alpine, when describing the Aeon backpack on their website.

That’s quite a statement, you might think, but when you get hands on this bag it’s easy to see why the brand rate the thing so highly. It’s a proper little one-pack-does-it-all smash hit and a fine example of gear being fully primed for excursions in the outdoors. Great for super speedy, travel-light overnighters, as well as mountaineering shenanigans and four-season hikes; this stylish bit of kit’s very nature seems to openly encourage you to pick it up and take it out on an adventure.

If it could talk, we’re convinced that the Aeon would be the type of bag that’d sit in your cupboard and loudly say “Can we go yet?” over and over again until you hit up some national parks to quench its thirst for nature.

Available in men’s and women’s versions and in different styles and capacities, the bags in the Aeon range are all built out of lightweight, abrasion-resistant nylon. They’ve also been coated in Lowe Alpine’s unique TriShield, which has the benefits of increasing its durability and potential to resist tearing.

We tested out the zip-topped 27-litre men’s version (they range from 16-35L) and were impressed.

As you get to grips with it, you soon begin to appreciate that as well as being generally tough – the Aeon’s also been smartly designed for intuitive, faff-free usage when you’re on the go.

“A proper little, one-pack-does-it-all, smash hit…”

Take the easy access zip entry, for example, or the large front stretch stash pocket that’s ideal for popping in the stuff you’ll want to grab at a moment’s notice (i.e. an extra layer, a guidebook, or a pack of dry roasted peanuts).

Factor in the easy-to-reach stash pockets on the bag’s sides as well as the tidy zip-up hipbelt pockets, and you begin to appreciate just how laser-focused the Aeon is when it comes to simple, good-old-fashioned usability.