Punted at the Enduro market, the MT500 is one of the smallest packs in this test, but still stows enough gear for a long day on the hill.

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A large single compartment swallowed the bulk of our kit, while the wide-opening tool compartment contains a neat tool roll that looks very similar to Camelbak’s. It’s a small detail, but very handy nonetheless, and meant all our main tools were held together and accessible with a single reach.

In fact, the Endura features many innovative ideas, such as the use of metal hooks rather than plastic clips everywhere, and there was something quite satisfying with silently sliding a hook into place every time the pack was accessed. We found them equally secure, too.

Another noteworthy feature is the heavy-duty, splash-proof PVC base — well placed to resist incessant spray thrown up by the back wheel.

The inclusion of a top-notch Koroyd back protector gave a great feeling of security, without adding too much weight — hollow plastic tubes provide the stiffness, crumpling on impact to absorb energy. It did affect the contact patch on our backs — being stiff and arrow straight it doesn’t curve to the spine — and more than one tester removed it completely for most of their riding.

Finally, it was nice to see Endura offering the MT500 with or without a reservoir — ours came with the Hydrapak 3L model as standard, but we could have saved £20 by opting out.