buyers guide - light packsUltra-lightweight is the new black with more and moremanufacturers coming out with lighter and lighter packs in all areasof the market from lightpacking to mountaineering. On the face of it,that's got to be a good thing

Here's a quick sneak peak into the future with scoop pics anddetails of Karrimor's new lightweight X-Lite pack rangewhich will be in the shops early next year.It's good to see the brand moving forward after a fraught coupleof years when at one point

As kit generally becomes lighter and more compact, lighter, moreminimalist lightweight packs have become a more viable optionboth for fast-movers like adventure racers and fell runners, but alsomore generally.As you lighten up though, there's more

A quick heads' up on another arrival in the lightweight,fast-moving daypack departure lounge, this time from German brandDeuter.The new range of Speed Lite packs - in the shops now - is, asyou

A couple of weeks back we gave you a tantalising glimpseof Osprey's new for 2009 Exos46 ultra-lightweight pack, now in conjunction with Osprey,we're giving a select group of five OUTDOORSmagic users the chance to land afree Exos 46 for evaluation

buckles and zip-pulls have been carefully selected, -says Osprey - to be the lightest on the market. Pack fabric issuper-lightweight as well. The pack's other features include theOsprey 'Stow on the Go' trekking pole storage system first seen thisyear

Pod has a tradition of making bombproof mountaineering packs using the toughest fabrics out there and with thorough contruction techniques – lots of reinforcement, double-stitched seams, bar-tacking on all crucial attachement points, but their stuff

Lightweight specialists Lightwave has two new lightweightpacks on the market right now complete with taped and welded seamswhich make the packs highly water resistant, though not completelywatertight.Arguably the more interesting of the two models

's It For?Lightwave says the Fastpack 40 is a light, comfortable and highlywater resistant daysack designed for winter day trips or lightweightweekend backpacking. So think roomy UK-friendly pack that'll doublefor lightweight backpacking or big days and you

We've just got our sticky paws on two packs from Lowe Alpine - one is an Alpine Attack mountain pack, more about that next week - but this is all about the Lightflite 25 day-pack, which depending on your preference is either 'lightweight', 'utra-lightweight