Try Deuter rucsacs - eg Speedlight 20 (weighs 500g - incredibly light yet takes 20 litres of stuff - & excellent accessible mesh pockets).

The Lowe Alpine Contour is a 30. Very light, too. G

Michael Thanks for that. Do you know of any with a 30litre size rucsac.

Try

Berghaus Twentyfourseven 20 litres
Lifeventure Kibo 20
Salomon Raid Revo 20

Garfield thanks for that. I'll have a look for the nearest stockist.

The Lowe Alpine Contour Event rucksack is of the type Norman is after. You can reach back and grab your bottle with ease - and it's very light. I alternately use a bum-bag in fair-weather - The Lowe Alpine Day Runner - which also has mesh pockets. - Garfield

You could use braces! (Perhaps with the LDWA logo on them - a marketing opportunity there.)

Julie I've got one of those and always find them easy to access. Only thing is the bag keeps slipping down. As my six pack is more like a ten pack perhaps that's why. Suppose really I could hook up small 20L rucksac to it.

I use a giant bum bag (the bag's giant, not the bum) which fits snugly around the waist and has pockets at each end where I can stick a water bottle and get at it without having to stop, undo zips, hunt around etc. It's made by North Face. I've used it on summer 50s but haven't tried it on anything longer in the depths of winter where I'd need to carry more stuff.

Norm, you need a walking chum to get the bottle out for you. I will give a sensible reply when I can remember the makes of the sacks I have.

Has anyone ever found a rucksac with mesh pockets that are easy to gain access to for water bottles? I'm not particularly flexible at the best of times and just wondered if anyone has the same problem.
I've thought about pockets to go on straps but would prefer to have the weight around my waist. I do use a platypus but not all that keen on them