If you want to carry your laptop without looking like an accountant, this is ideal – simple yet sleek, with stacks of internal pockets and a tasteful light brown lining. The matching laptop holder (just seen) gives extra protection.

Stockists: 0845 009 3671, www.urbanindustry.co.uk

The Salomon Raid backpacks are the most popular in adventure racing and with good reason. The Raid Revo 15, designed for shorter races and trail running, is light, comfortable and well vented. It comes with a one-litre Platypus Bladder hydration pack, which is external for easy changing, but there’s enough room for a two-litre pack if you’re really thirsty.

Stockists: 0800 389 4350, www.salomonsports.com

This lightweight backpack is ideal for short to medium-distance runs. Its material is meshed to prevent you getting a sweaty back, and it has a useful key and wallet pocket. The pack’s light colour and reflective strips make it an excellent choice for late-night and winter road running.

Stockists: 01924 425555

A sturdy and capacious backpack with compartments for a pump, spare inner tube and other kit, plus a fleece-lined pocket for your sunglasses. It also has a removable hydration pack for quenching your thirst on long rides.

Stockists: 01303 850553, www.surf-sales.com

The One Session seems to be made out of the same extra-thick waterproof material as North Sea fishermen’s coats. It folds out to almost twice its original size and is ideal for holding your soaking wetsuit, so you’ll never again get in trouble for dumping it on the back seat of your girlfriend’s car.

Stockists: 020 7436 6800

The Amp is designed to help snowboarders change tracks without having to fumble about with their iPods on the chairlift and risk dropping them into the snow below. But the ability to control your MP3 player via a shoulder strap on your rucksack translates to countless other sports – and may even save you an encounter with those charming young chaps in hoodies who hang around your local train station.

Stockists: 00800 2878 6613, www.burton.com