Deuter Aircontact Core 50+10 vs Deuter Futura Air Trek 50+10 Backpack

Deuter Aircontact Core and Deuter Futura Air Trek backpacks are both fundamental series from this brand, incredibly functional and with great features, but they follow two very different design concepts. In this text, I compare the 50+10 liters packs from the two series.

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What this is about

I have been using Deuter Futura packs for more than two decades already. This has always been their best known series, and they have them in a variety of sizes, from small day packs to large multi-day packs.

Deuter Futura is globally important in this industry because these are the first ever backpacks on the market with a trampoline-style tensioned-mesh back panel design. This design, which they call the Deuter Aircomfort system, was revolutionary when it appeared on the market several decades ago, more precisely in 1984, 

My focus here is on the largest packs from this series, and this is about the Futura Air Trek packs that they launched some time ago as a new series but very similar to the previous Deuter Futura Vario. I have discussed their numerous similarities and they very minor differences in my another text.

So the Deuter Futura Air Trek is the latest from their ventilated back panel group, and this is the reason for comparing them with the Core backpacks of the same size. For this comparison, I shall use the Deuter Futura Air Trek 50 + 10 Backpack for Men as a representative. 

As for the Deuter Aircontact backpacks, they have always been around in a variety of sub-groups. The Aircontact Core is one out of three very new Aircontact sub-groups.

I think that the Core is designed to be the “core” or the most important sub-group; the other two of the mentioned new are Aircontact Ultra and Aircontact X. Just to know, the latter is (in my view) the best series they have ever built.

For this comparison, I shall focus on the Deuter Aircontact Core 50 + 10 pack for men because it is of the same volume as the mentioned Futura pack. If you follow the given link you can read all the details about the pack, and you can see more in my video:

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Common features in Deuter Aircontact Core 50+10 and Deuter Futura Air Trek 50+10 packs

Here are some of the most important shared features: 

1. The packs are with exactly the same 60-liters volume. The number +10 in the official name describes the fact that the collar is extendable and it offers 10 liters of extra volume when needed. This is a great feature which I use myself a lot. Below you see this in the Core pack, the extended setup is on the left. 

   

2. Floating lid. This is related to the mentioned +10 liters and the expandable collar design. The lid is with adjustable straps so you can move it up to accommodate the extra load.
3. Both packs are for men, but these series indeed are with separate gender specific packs for men and women. The packs for women exist and they always have the letters SL in the name.
4. Adjustable torso length. You have a continuous and easy to use design, which means you can have any length within a given range. They call it the VariFit system, and it has a strap with a buckle. In the Air Trek pack it is behind the tensioned mesh, and you can release it and slide the harness to the desired position, see the picture. 

   

5. You have bluesign approved packs here, and the small denier value difference is unimportant.
6. Rain cover is included with both packs. In the case of the Air Trek pack it is stored in a dedicated pocket on the bottom. This is not so with the Aircontact Core pack, you will find the cover in the lid pocket.
7. Both backpacks have a zippered bottom compartment, the picture below, and in both packs you also have an inner zippered divider. So there are two separate main compartments but you can also use them as one compartment when you unzip the divider.

   

8. In both packs you have a stretch mesh front pocket without a top buckle, so in my view this is not the best design but they are the same here, just to know.
9. You also have dual zippered hip belt pockets and dual stretch mesh side pockets in both packs.
10. Both packs offer an attachment loop for glasses on the shoulder harness. 
11. Dual compression straps are on both sides of the packs.
12. Both packs have a set of attachment loops on the bottom for trekking poles and an ice axe, and they are paired with dual bungies on the front. 
13. Hip belt padding is massive in both packs. It is simply optimal, you can hardly have anything better.
14. The weight is similar although not the same, but the packs are in the group of moderately heavy with 4.76 lb (2.16 kg) in the case of the Core pack, and 4.52 lb (2050 g) in the case of the Air Trek.
15. Both packs have what they call the VariFlex system. The meaning of it is that the shoulder harness straps are with a pivoting type connection to the pack, so they adjust automatically to the body of a user.

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Important differences

Here are those that I see as important, given in no particular order:

1. These packs belong to two very different concepts of Deuter, and this is the most important difference. In the picture below you can see some details. The Aircontact Core pack is designed to stay close to the body so the balance is better. In the Futura Air Trek packs the back is very curved and completely separated from the body. Only mesh is in contact with the body, more below. 

   

2. The Aircontact Core 50+10 pack has two access points. This means the classic top access through the mentioned expandable collar and the bottom access through the sleeping bag compartment. The Deuter Futura Air Trek 50+10 pack has them too, but it also has an extra large U-shaped front zippered access.
3. Both packs have a metal frame. But in the case of the Core pack this includes very thick stays, most likely aluminum. I asked them a few times but have not received any reply. In the case of the Air Trek pack this is a peripheral spring steel frame. 
4. The hip belt front straps are better in the Core pack. Here you have V-shape dual straps on each side that hug the hip bones, you will see the picture below.
5. You have deeper side pockets in the Aircontact Core pack. But there is more to this as you will see below.
6. There are more pockets in the Futura Air Trek 50+10 pack, 10 in total, as compared to 6 pockets in the Aircontact Core pack. Note that the former includes also dual zippered bellows pockets. This is probably the reason why the side stretch mesh pockets are not so deep in that pack.
7. Attachment points are better on the Aircontact Core pack. Namely it comes with four extra loops on the lid, and you also have two attachment loops on the shoulder harness. They are missing in the other pack.
8. Removable straps. They call this the Modular Strap System in the Aircontact Core pack. So all the straps are removable and you can use them at different places on the pack. For this reason, the Aircontact Core pack comes without the bottom straps, but you have the loops to attach items if you use the straps from the sides, see the picture:

   

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My comparison table & rating

Here you have my comparison table based on what was presented above. I give the signs + and – here, and they are described below the table: 

 

Here are a few more details about some of the features rated in the table:

Maximum load and carry comfort

I have carried both packs and have a definite opinion about this issue.

From the formal side, you have a maximum of 44 lb (20 kg) carry capacity for the Aircontact Core pack, and up to 33 lb (15 kg) for the Futura Air Trek. But there is far more to this.

The hip belt padding is the same, but you have far more padding on the lumbar area in the Core pack, see the picture below. There is also the mentioned front V-straps on the hip belt and the ideal hugging of the waist area.

But the most important difference comes from the fact that the Core pack is closer to the body. So, although I love the design of the Futura Air Trek packs, I must say that the Aircontact Core pack is better for heavier loads.

Hip belt straps

This was mentioned above, and it is related to the overall weight carry comfort. The picture below shows what I mean with this. The V-shaped straps are on both sides, and when you tighten them, the belt hugs the hip bones in an optimal way.

Pockets

You have already seen the details above, 10 vs 6 pockets, and in this respect the Futura Air Trek pack is far better. This is beyond comparison, a big plus here.

Ventilation

As I mentioned previously, this ventilated design was invented and used in the Deuter Futura packs. I have them two with that design, my first was purchased in 2003, and I would never want anything different.

The picture below shows the Futura Air Trek pack from the side. Now you can clearly see how much separated the pack is from the tensioned mesh and the user’s body.

So if ventilation is essential for you, there is not much to think here. The Air Trek is far far better.

But this same feature makes the center of gravity of the pack more distant from the user’s body, and this may compromise the balance and stability a bit. 

Access

You have three access points in the Deuter Futura Air Trek packs, compared to two in the Aircontact Core. But I myself have never used the front access in my Futura pack, I simply do not need it.

So the Futura Air Trek has my advantage here, but this is purely formal. Nevertheless, this is a big detail in the pack, and this may be important for some users and this is why I point this feature out. 

But if you need such a feature, note that the largest Core packs also have a J-shaped front zippered access.

On the other hand, just as I was writing this text, I checked on the Deuter site and see some version of the 50+10 Core pack with the J-shaped front access as well. So I am not sure if this is a mistake or not. If it is indeed there, then the difference between the packs regarding the access is even less important.

Attachment loops

I explained this above. The packs share a number of the attachment options and compression straps. But you have 6 more attachment loops in the Deuter Aircontact Core.

Price

This will surely depend on the seller, but as of the moment of writing this text, from what I see around, the Aircontact Core packs are typically more affordable. But the difference when you check will probably not be so important, in particular if you love one pack more than another.

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Final thoughts

BEST PLACEs TO BUY the Deuter Futura Air Trek 50+10 pack:

Deuter

Backcountry

Blacks

Amazon

BEST PLACEs TO BUY the Deuter Aircontact Core 50+10 pack:

Deuter

REI

Amazon

These are packs rich in features so I might have missed some, do let me know in the comment section below. Check also my comparison Deuter Aircontact Core 50 + 10 versus Osprey Atmos AG LT 65. 

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