…what’s new and worth looking at? Was just gonna get a new Dakine Nomad as like my old (now a tad knackered), but what else is out there?

Have a look at Wingnuts.
Extremely comfortable (to the point of be forgetting about it) as they place all of the weight of the bag on your hips rather than your shoulders.

To get the most out of them you need to wear them like a bumbag, with the shoulder straps being very loose.

Had a dakine nomad myself, which I replaced with an osprey raptor. No complaints whatsoever.

Osprey Raptor. Very comfy, one handed zips, magnetic bite valve, bladder stays flat not sausagey. Love mine.

Nice one chaps. Will investigate.

Another vote for Osprey – really comfortable, light and plenty of storage.

Just got an Evoc Enduro Blackline, not used it yet but reviews are good.

EVOC FR Enduro Blackline 16L

The Evoc one is nice… but the £140 price is a bit eye watering!