Why We Chose The Lowe Alpine Airzone Pro 35:45 Backpack: excellent back system and carry, useful details, versatile size
We like Lowe Alpine backpacks. A couple of years ago, their Aeon daypack made it into our Outdoor 100 and last year it was their mightily impressive Altus day/weekender pack that we included. For the Outdoor 100 this year, we didn’t need to think twice about including this, their modernised, rejigged and relaunched version of their Airzone Pro – one of their most popular hiking packs over the last few years.
Who Is The Lowe Alpine Airzone Pro for?
This pack is unashamedly hiking-specific. What we mean by that is Lowe Alpine haven’t tried to make it something that’ll tempt in all manner of outdoor enthusiasts, from ultra runners and fastpackers, to climbers to ski mountaineers. They’ve made it for people who hike. Simple.
While there are a bunch of different sizes of packs in the Airzone family, and both men’s and women’s specific fits, this particular one sits in the middle of the range and offers a 35:45-litre volume that’ll suit, say, a hut-to-hut trek in the Alps or a summer backpacking adventure.
Materials And Design
As the name suggests, the key feature on the Airzone Pro is its back system. Lowe Alpine have gone for maximum comfort and ventilation with this design. At all points of contact across the back and hips there’s a suspended knitted nylon which has a body-mapped weave density to provide differing levels of ventilation, cushioning and support, depending on where each is needed.
This panel leaves as much as three inches of space between the main body of the pack and the middle of your back, resulting in a huge gap for airflow. At the lumbar, there’s still a slight suspension but most of the space is filled with a comfy foam padding that feels very ergonomic. There’s then modest padding right around the hipbelt and around and the shoulder straps too, the latter of which use a 3D-style mesh for ventilation.
These packs either come in S/M or M/L back lengths so be mindful of which one you’re choosing if when you make your purchase. There is some length adjustment in the form of a velcro adjustable panel that’s located on the inside of the bag’s main compartment, however, there’s only a few inches to play with here.
“They’ve made it for people who hike. Simple”
The main material of the bag is a PU-coated ripstop nylon that feels very durable (it must be about 200 denier, maybe more) though the mesh side pockets could be the points at which you eventually get some wear and tear. The stitching all looks solid and reliable.
