3-litre (100fl/oz) reservoir / 9-litre cargo capacity / Colours: black, red, blue, orange, coyote, green / Contact: www.zyro.co.uk

If you’re in the market for a trail pack you don’t want to buy something too heavy or bulky because it weighs you down, but then you don’t want too small a pack because you end up cramming your gear in, or worse not taking it all. The CamelBak Mule is a good compromise between the sizes and as such is pretty versatile. The nine litres of internal storage will accommodate most trail essentials — pump, tubes, tools, cash, phone, etc — but the pack is also slim and light, making it ideal for event use.

It has all the usual CamelBak features including a Dynamic Suspension harness, vented Air Director back panel that zips open to reveal the reservoir, strap management for tidying up and the excellent Omega reservoir with a HydroGuard anti-bacterial finish.

We’d like to see the organiser pocket open right up to display the contents, it’d make getting to things a lot easier, but overall the Mule is well laid out and has some excellent features for a mid-size pack.

CamelBak makes the best hydration systems simply because it’s been doing it the longest, but they’re also some of the most durable.

We’re still riding with four-year-old packs, making them a sound investment and justifying the price.

MBR rating:9