Glossary - B

The bottom of backsaver daypacks is angled upwards away from the body. This places the load higher on the back, helping you carry the load of The North Face daypack more efficiently.

Bathtub floors are floors that curve upward at their perimeter in a way that often join to the canopy of the tent. Bathtub floors eliminate the floor perimeter seam and therefore keep tents inner stitching away from ground moisture, adding to a tent's real waterproof-ness. They can often reduce the weight and increase the strength of the tent with wings that help to pull the walls taut. bathtub floors are becoming fairly common in family, ultralight and expedition tents.

Belay devices are mechanical friction brake devices used when belaying to allow careful control of the belay rope. Their purpose is to allow locking of the climbing rope with minimal effort. Some belay devices may also be used as descenders, for controlled descent on a rope, otherwise knows as abseiling or rappeling.

A belay anchor is used by a climber as a sole attachment to the cliff face. In order to support a belay it should essentially be foolproof, consisting of multiple back-up components (artificial/natural), none of which are likely to fail, and none of which in the event of failure would cause the entire anchor to fail. A single anchor should be able to support the whole system by itself with the additional anchors being purely back-ups.

A running belay anchor should be used as a safeguard in the event of a fall while lead climbing but should not always be relied upon as they are often hastily placed. Running belay anchors must be backed up by other running belay anchors below should they fail. Seek expert advice before every climb.

The BioFit back system has been designed to allow the user of their Berghaus BioFit backpack to alter the height of their bag - with Berghaus suggesting that one rucksack can fit all!

During a walk or run you will find that your body will flex and twist. Many basic rucksacks simply act as a rigid splint down the length of your back. The Berghaus BiofFlex Back System though has been designed move with our bodies, and importantly our centre of gravity - maintaining effective load transfer at all times using the carrying harness. The Berghaus BioFlex rucksack technology is available in a range of different sizes.

This involves ascending boulders or small outcrops of rocks, often simply with climbing shoes and chalk as an aid. Usually a safety rope and harness are not employed (though recommended!), but rather a crash pad due to the much lower heights of the climb.

The sleeping bags baffle sidewalls which keep the insulation in place are vertical, hence the baffle shape is box-like. Several types of boxwall designs exist, including rectangular, diamond shape and curved. They all have one thing in common, however, which is the vertical baffle sidewalls.

A brushed Polyester tricot rucsack liner that has excellent wicking properties and dries very quickly.

Rucksack buckles naturally allow access to your gear. Many are made of toughened plastic but some manufacturers, including Lowe Alpine are using alloys, to make their buckles tougher again, lighter and more secure. Points to bear in mind are a non-fiddle release angle and a buckle that adjusts easily but does not slip under the load. Strength and weight are two key issues to consider in looking at the build quality of rucksacks / backpacks and their buckles - please see the rucksack advice page for further details to assist you in choosing your rucksack.