Berghaus Freeflow Pro 40

New for this spring, 2010 - though we've had our's for a while now - is the new Berghaus Freeflow Pro 40 pack, one six new 'Pro' versions of the Berghaus ventilated pack design, effectively a pimped and lightened version of an old favourite.

While previous Berghaus Freeflow's have used a more flexible fibreglass or Delrin rod frame, the new Pro has a T6 aluminium structure along with an internal plate. The added stiffness means the air-gap can be smaller keeping the pack closer to your back for stability and reducing the banana effect which makes some ventilated packs awkward to load efficiently. There's also a little flex built into the frame, so it moves slightly with you.

The pack weighs a mid-field 1550 grammes, and is notable for copious use of perforated EVA foam - we like EVABreathe, it's closed cell, so it doesn't absorb water like a sponge and turn into a soggy mess when thing get hot and sweaty.

Other refinements include a 'revolve' hip-belt for increased freedom of movement - there's a cut-out for your hip bones - and three stretch stash pockets with the side ones angled so you may even be able to use them while wearing the pack... Inside there's a separate lower compartment to for a sleeping bag or whatever else you want to carry there.

Last but not least, the trampolene back system has been cut away to reduce the area in contact with your back and - their words - 'promote thermopysiological comfort'.

Some previous Freeflow designes we've tried have felt a tad unsophisticated and clunky, one version had no top-tensioner straps for example, but the Pro has a much slicker overall feel and build to it. In use, so far, we've found it fine to the point where we forgot it was ventilated at all, which can't be a bad thing given the genre's tendency to lever away from your back.

So basically looking good as a decent all-round hill-walking pack. One point, the Freeflow Pro 40 doesn't really feel like it holds 40 litres, if we had to guess a capacity we'd have said 35, but then appearances can be deceptive, so we may well be wrong. The Pro also comes as a 50, 30 and 20 plus there are women's versions of the 40 and 30-litre packs.

In the shops shortly.