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Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Deuter Aircontact 50 10SL > Kelli Wise > Initial ReportInitial Report Deuter Aircontact 50 + 10 SL - July 24, 2004
Personal biographical information Backpacking background: I've been car camping and dayhiking for 20 years and sport climbing for 10 years, and have begun backpacking over the last year. My backpacking style is lightweight but not ultralight. I am striving for a suitable compromise between safety and comfort. The majority of my hiking experience is in Western Washington. Field information: Most of my backpacking will be in western Washington, coastal, lowlands, and summer alpine hiking below 7000’ (2134 m).
Product Information
Listed weight: 5 lbs 6 oz (2.4 kg)
Features: The Vari-Quick harness system can be quickly and easily adjusted to accommodate different body sizes. It appears that the Vari-Quick system allows Deuter to make this pack one size only. The Aircontact SL suspension is designed to provide shorter or slightly built people with a comfortable fit. The shoulder straps are narrower, shorter and closer together, the hip belt is proportioned to match the SL system and uses softer foam than non-SL belt. The countered lumbar pad allows greater angle in the waist belt for better hip contact. “With every movement, a pump effect circulates air through the breathable Aircontact cushions to provide all-around ventilation.”
First Impressions: Removing the pack from the shipping container, I noticed that the pack was much heavier than my current backpack, which weighs just over 3 lbs (1.36 kg). I headed to the local post office and weighed the pack. The pack weighed 8.6 oz (.3 kg) more than the advertised weight which is a considerable discrepancy. The Aircontact 50+10 SL fabric is heavy ripstop and the seams are even and straight. The colors are black, dark gray, and a dark yellow. The shoulder and hip straps are well padded. The buckles and ladder locks are all heavy duty and the zippers are large and rugged looking. The pack gives the impression that it was designed for years of heavy use and will survive a lot of abuse. This is not an ultralighter’s backpack. The Aircontact SL suspension system of the pack consists of an aluminum stay, shaped in a U, and a frame sheet. I opened the sleeve to inspect the stay but did not remove the stay because I don’t know that I could get the stay reinstalled properly. The stay is curved to fit the curvature of the back but has not been custom fit to my back. The frame sheet feels like a thin piece of fairly rigid plastic. The hip belt is sewn to the back of the pack and includes load stabilizer straps. The shoulder harness, which Deuter calls the Vari-Quick, attaches to the frame via a long, stiff piece of hook and loop fabric. This hook and loop attachment threads through a series of loops on the back of the pack. The shoulder harness also includes load lifter straps which connect to the main pack body. Moving the shoulder harness requires no tools and was done in a couple of minutes. I would have liked to have instructions on how to properly fit the shoulder harness to my frame but none were included. I did adjust the shoulder harness down one loop, but I’m not sure if this is the correct position. The extra hip belt webbing is held back with a couple of plastic clips. There is also a pocket on the hip belt which is bellowed, making it large enough to easily accommodate a full set of keys, a lip balm, and a driver’s license. The shoulder harness has a movable sternum strap and a clip to hold the tube of a hydrations system in place. The latter is a nice feature because many of the hydration packs I have seen do not include this and that requires some creative threading of tubing through webbing and D-rings. There are also D-rings on each of the shoulder straps for attaching accessories. This is where I’ll be attaching my camera because the hip belt looks too thick to accommodate my current camera case. The two long side pockets, which are zippered for their full length, are also slightly bellowed. They will hold a water bottle easily of the pack is not stuffed full, snugly if the pack is stuffed. There are also two water bottle pockets with elastic tops that will easily take a quart (1 L) water bottle or a fuel bottle. The main body of the pack is divided into two sections, the lower being for a sleeping bag. There is a zipper that will open the sleeping bag compartment to the main compartment. A 15 F (-9C) down sleeping bag fit in the sleeping bag compartment without much struggle or compression. On the bottom of the pack body is a zippered compartment for the included rain cover. The rain cover is a medium blue, PU coated nylon and is tethered to the main pack body with a small piece of webbing and ladder lock. This means that the rain cover could be removed when not needed. The rain cover has elastic edges and covers the pack pretty well. If a RidgeRest sleeping pad is lashed to the outside of the pack, the rain cover does not completely protect the pack. The main pack body is top loading and has two draw string closures. One closes the extension collar and the other tightens up the top of the main pack body. There are also two compression straps on each side of the pack body; one is just above the water bottle pockets and the other is across the side pockets. The front of the pack has one of the best daisy chains I’ve seen: the webbing is actually partly ‘looped’ making it easier to quickly clip a carabiner to the daisy chain. The ice axe loops are sewn to the pack body and are not removable or adjustable. There are two pieces of webbing with a buckle where a sleeping pad can be lashed to the pack across the sleeping bag compartment. When the pack is set down on the ground, the weight of the pack is not sitting on the sleeping pad. The top lid has two zippered compartments. One is accessed from the outside of the pack and the other from the inside. On the bottom of the top lid, Deuter has sewn a patch with emergency signaling instructions. Let’s hope I never have to use these! The top lid attaches to the pack body with two pieces of webbing and buckles and there are two other pieces of webbing on the back of the top lid which allows the height of the top lid to be adjusted. On the front pieces of webbing are two loops with hook and loop fasteners that can be used to lash the handles of ice axes to the pack. They appear to be removable. The pack has an internal hydration sleeve which extends behind the sleeping bag compartment and does not appear to be seam sealed. The port for the hydrations tube is ambidextrous: the tube can be routed down either the right or left shoulder straps. Most hydration compatible packs I have seen route the tube down the right shoulder. After thoroughly inspecting the pack, I loaded it up with some gear. This wasn’t my completely kit, but was pretty representative. A sleeping bag went into the sleeping bag compartment. In the main pack body, I added an empty Garcia bear canister, some clothes (fleece top and bottoms, insulated vest, long sleeve shirt, long tights, gloves, a hat, and some socks), and my cook pot in its cozy. This all fit very nicely. In the top lid, I put rain pants and jacket, headlamp, first aid kit, and a few other small items. I lashed a full length RidgeRest to the front of the pack body. I was pleasantly surprised at how much the pack would hold without it looking overstuffed. I put the pack on, adjusted the hip belt, shoulder straps, load lifters and load stabilizers. The pack fit nicely. It was tall but did not hit me in the back of the head. The pack was also fairly narrow and didn’t stick out on the sides. The lumbar pad felt right, the hip belt is beefy but rode nicely. The shoulder straps did hit me on the back of the neck. I’m hoping that the shoulder straps will not pinch or ride the back of my neck when the pack has some real weight in it, although this is a concern for me right now.
Test Plan I am also concerned with the weight of the pack, especially since it came in so much heavier than the manufacturer’s specifications. Can I remove some of the extras like the rain cover, ice axe keeper straps, webbing clips and the like and get the weight of the pack down without compromising the functionality? The Halo was designed specifically for women so I will be testing the Variquick harness and Aircontact SL suspension for its ability to adjust to accommodate my frame and torso length. Does the hip belt system provide good hip contact? Is this backpack comfortable when I’m carrying loads up to 30 pounds? Does the Aircontact system provide good ventilation? How sweaty do I get when wearing it in warmer weather? How easily and quickly can the harness be adjusted? Is the capacity of the pack adequate for a multi-day trip? Will a bear canister fit in the pack? Can extra gear be lashed to the outside of the pack? Is the main body of the pack large enough for size medium stuff sacks? How will I use the top lid? Will it keep frequently used items handy? Will it fall into the dirt when I’m accessing the main pack body? Is the zippered compartment adequately sized for my sleeping bag? Will it accommodate different size sleeping bags without wasting space in the main pack body? Will the compression straps allow for a stable, comfortable load? What hydration units is this pack compatible with? What capacity of reservoir will it hold? Will the side pockets be large enough for a 1 quart (1 L) water bottle? A collapsible water bottle? Is there a safe place for my car keys and wallet? Are the compartments and pockets useful? Is the zippered waist pocket large enough to be useful? So large that it gets in the way? Does the built in rain cover keep the pack dry? Is it easy to use? Does it flap around or blow off in high winds?
Typical features of packs that I will be testing: Is the pack material waterproof enough for typical summer rainstorms? How much weight will the Aircontact 50 + 10 SL carry comfortably? Is the comfort worth the added weight of the pack? I would like to thanks Deuter and Back Pack Gear Test for the opportunity to test the Aircontact 50+10 SL backpack.
Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Deuter Aircontact 50 10SL > Kelli Wise > Initial Report | |||