GEAR TEST//DEUTER AIRCONTACT PACKS
RRP $499.99 (Aircontact 75+10) $439.99 (Aircontact 60+10 SL)www.deuter.com/AU/ae/
Te s te d byGEMMA CHILTONO
NE OF THE most important characteris-
tics of any good pack is that you should
hardly notice it’s there – you want the
environment around you to be the focus, not a
niggling pain in your shoulders or back.
In that regard, these packs – Deuter’s new
75+10and60+10SLAircontactswornbymy
partnerandI–areofftoagoodstart,andthe
name Aircontact suggests the brains behind the
designhadthesameend-goalinmind.
A lot of thought has clearly gone into Deuter’s
redesigned back construction. But while it’s all
well and good to list all the new technical features
(the ‘Active Fit’ adaptable shoulder straps; the
‘pre-shaped 3D hip straps’; or that the SL
female-specific version has proportions and
details optimised to suit feminine physiques), like
any pack, the real test is in loading it up, putting it
on and pulling, tightening and adjusting until it
feels just right.
And for both of us, these packs sat well. There
are straps in all the right places to make sure the
weight is pulled in close and sits on your hips,
not your shoulders. There is space around
the lower back and I was pleased to
find the back-sweat situation didn’t
get out of hand – this would also be
down to another nifty feature: a
‘pump effect’ that circulates air
through the back’s breathable
hollow-chamber padding.
Infact,afterarecenttwo-dayhikeon
the Corker Trail in Barrington Tops National Park,
NSW(seepage32inthisissue),Iwasshockedto
find my old-faithful hiking boots were giving me
far more grief than my shiny new pack, which
frankly just seemed to be showing off in terms of
its performance.
Another feature of these Aircontacts is the big
front opening that allows quick access to theentire contents of your pack, as well as a separate
bottom compartment. That means you can pull
out that tent buried at the bottom as soon as
arrive at camp without having to eject
all your gear from the usual deep,
narrow tube. This is particularly handy
in wet conditions when you're trying
to minimise any rain getting in the
pack. I also liked the easy-to-reach
pockets on the hip straps for anything
mall you may need while walking.
The only possible downside I can see so
far from all that fancy technology is the introduc-
tion of any new potential points of failure.
However, by all accounts, Deuter packs are
renowned for their durability, and nothing about
these slim, smart looking Aircontacts looks fl imsy.
Time will tell, and given their performance so far, I
rather look forward to continuing to put them to
the test.d
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