Deuter is always excited to work with great media folks getting out to put our packs through the paces. Recently, Active Junkie went to the Grand Canyon for fun and, yes, some work as well. Here's the full skinny:
Published on 12/07/2010
The Aircontact Lite line of trekking packs from Deuter is intended for hardcore ounce-counting backpackers, and shouldn’t disappoint at a scant 3lbs. 15oz. with an impressive 75 Liter capacity. We put the Aircontact Lite 65+10 through some tough conditions on a 3-day backpacking trip at the Grand Canyon, with temperatures ranging from 15 degrees to 60 and conditions including snow, rain and hail.
The pack performed extremely well. Our testers raved about the durability of the pack (considering its status as a ‘lightweight’ model). Load weights exceeded 50lbs. at times — 5lbs. more than even Deuter recommends.
Materials were very substantial, and did a great job of keeping rain from soaking the contents.
The Aircontact Lite also includes Deuter’s AirContact system, which uses two contoured cushion ‘rails’ that Deuter claims will pump warm air off your back and pull cool dry air in. We’ve had problems in the past with this type of feature causing uncomfortable pressure points, but we were always comfortable in the Aircontact Lite. Another favorite aspect of this pack was the gigantic stretch pocket on the outside of the pack that seemed to swallow endless rain shells, hats, gloves, and just about anything else we tossed in. The Vari-Quick system in the Aircontact Lite is the best adjustment system we’ve seen and makes changing the attachment point for the shoulder straps ridiculously fast and easy.
Some testers did comment that it would be nice to have a bit more capacity in the lower compartment for their heavier pieces.
Overall, we were extremely impressed that this lightweight model was constructed of such substantial feeling materials, and that it never seemed as though a seam or join was on the verge of ripping despite loading it beyond the suggested capacity. We’re used to ultralight-oriented products feeling like the user will sacrifice some durability for the lighter load, but this Deuter Aircontact Lite 65+10 seems to be an all-around champ!