Deuter Futura Vario 50+10

First I would like to address the review of Conrad... The pack has a lifetime warranty and every company has its occasional manufacturing flaws... sounds to me like you got a lemon... I hope you give Deuter another try.

Now I have 4 Deuter packs. A Futura Pro 42 Which my wife steals from me and uses more than I do (she is 5'3" and 120lbs and I am 6' and 175lbs) the pack adjusts to fit us both flawlessly. With a 30-40lb load (Including 2 liters of water and the pack itself) ample storage and built in rain cover it is the best weekend (1-4day) pack I have owned. (By the way, my wife had a Osprey Aura 50 that this pack has apparently replaced…)

I also have a Deuter ACTlite 65+10. This pack replaced a Gregory Z55 pack that was a bit small, had inadequate padding and was difficult to adjust… I only had the Gregory for 2-3 months, it was a replacement for an older Lowe Alpine 65 liter pack that just plain weighed to much and wasn’t hydration compatible. This Deuter is my current favorite, it easily packs down as low as 40 liters and holds more gear, more adjustable, and is more comfortable on long hauls with 40+lbs. than both my brother-in-laws Arc'Teryx Bora 80 Pack and my buddy Jims Gregory Palisade 80 (WHICH I DO NOT RECOMMEND!) both of which are twice as expensive, twice as heavy, caused my back to sweat twice as much. My only complaints about this pack is it doesn’t come with a rain cover like the Futura and will soak up moisture if left on damp ground to long. Which for me (I do most of my hiking/packing in the Pacific NW) makes it a May-October pack. Also, if you load it down with much more than 50lbs+water you can defiantly tell your over the designed limits of the pack.

Recently I returned my wife’s Osprey Aura 50 (Not a bad pack she just likes the Futura Pro 42 better…) and picked up the Deuter Futura Vario 50+10. While it is smaller and a bit heaver than the ACTlite 65+10, I can see it quickly becoming my new favorite, go to pack. Especially in the Late October – Early May Months. The Vario is everything I love about both the Futura 42 and the ACTlite 65+10 rolled into one great package. The extra weight of this pack is its only real drawback and considering the rain cover, (Which I would guess adds 3-5oz.) the extra padding, (which is always nice for loads above 35lbs) the fact that I was able to trim a good 5-6oz. from the pack just by shortening the straps (scissors and a sewing machine) makes the weight a minor issue and this a great weekend to week long pack. My one caveat is that I have only used this pack 4 times for a total of 15 days (Of which we had heavy rain or snow or both on 11 days and light rain the other 4) but so far it has performed very well.

I also have a Deuter Race EXP Air Day/Riding Hydration pack that is great. I’m not a cyclist but I do have a motorcycle and this pack is nice to have on long rides. It is also great for day hikes.

This is one impressive backpack. There is a place for anything you need to store. I used this for a 2 night stay with a couple of friends at Cayo Costa Park in Florida and was able bring all the things I needed and used in this one backpack which weighed 40#. Just to give you an idea, here was my list:

Nemo Morpho tent w/paw & footprint
Mountain Hardware 45 deg sleeping bag
Pacific Outdoor sleeping pad
Jetboil cooking system
Mountain House Food ( 6 pks ) w/a few snack bars
Deuter 2L water bladder
Rain gear & extra clothes
Misc: firestarter,camera,monocular,leatherman,hat,canteen,rope,
flipflops,machete,packtowels,cell phone,hygiene supplies
first aid kit,and maybe couple of others I forgot to mention.

Go ahead and buy this bag. Worked great on a 3 day backpack trip in New Mexico mountains. Solid construction. The material is so much tougher than similar size Osprey packs. Doesn't have unnecessary pockets all over like some packs do. Fit my 15degee down bag (you'll need a compression sack to fit your bag in the sleeping bag compartment as it is small), rain jacket, fleece, change of clothes, camelback, tent and a few other odd's and end's. Nalgenes do fit in the side pockets which is awesome! Deuter really is the BMW of packs!

Plus you'd be buying it from the sickest outdoor retailer on earth! rock on Backcountry!

I got this pack two years a go one for me and one for my 14 yer old sun. weve used this pack probly 40 times and we love it. it packs like a charm. my only problem is that i wish Deuter would put some pad straps on it other wise its a great pack