Polaris Aquanought holdall

The Aquanought gives you 40l of fully waterproof kit-hauling capacity, with a high sided, roll-top design that makes it seem far more cavernous than its stated volume would suggest and means it can swallow several days’ worth of kit.

Compression straps help to keep things more compact and car-boot friendly, while a shoulder strap and side handles give a couple of carrying options. Taped seams and a rugged PVC-like material have successfully kept the worst of weather out while dragging it in and out of the van, and it’s easy to clean when it does get grotty. A smaller internal dry bag keeps wet and dirty kit away from your fresh clobber too, which is a nice touch. For the price it’s pretty low on features except for a travel tag window, but right now it’s on sale for 45$, which is hard to argue with. We’d have liked a few internal pockets for keeping essentials in one place though.

Price 90$

Cannondale Trail SL 29 SS

The fat aluminium tubes are a constrast to the skinny items seen elsewhere in the test, but this rigid Cannondale uses them to create one of the most old-school - and lightest - rides here.

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KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

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SKS Airbuster CO2 inflator

The alloy Airbuster has a large knob so you can regulate the flow of gas, a mechanical stop to prevent the cartridge being pierced in transit and a dust cap to keep the valve free of debris. While it works with Presta and Schrader valves, switching between them requires a fiddly change of the valve head. The thin rubber sleeve doesn’t provide much protection from cold spent canisters. You can’t insert much of the valve into the inflator head, so you have to be careful to avoid leaks. Price $33 w/16g cartridge

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