Deuter Aircontact Lite 60+10 SL Backpack For Women

Deuter Aircontact Lite 60+10 SL Backpack For Women is from a new series, a lightweight and reliable tool with an excellent adjustable suspension system and numerous attachment elements.

Key features & benefits

What this is about

Deuter has several backpacks series with similar names. So you can see their Aircontact series, Aircontact Pro, and also ACT Lite series. But what you have here is a part of a new series launched in 2018, so these packs are with the name Aircontact Lite and you have versions for men like this 65 liters pack, and the packs designed specifically for women in the sizes of 35, 45, and 60 liters. It appears that there is very little difference between these packs and those from the ACT Lite series.

The packs for women all have the letters SL in the name, and this means ‘slim line’. This implies several things, like a narrower shoulder harness, different shape of the hip belt fins, different padding on the hip belt and on the shoulder straps, etc.

By weight, these new packs are lighter than the packs from the Aircontact series, although lightweight they are definitely not the lightest on the market.

The number 10 in the name indicates the fact that you have an expandable collar where you have no less than 10 liters of extra volume when needed. To use this extra space properly, the top lid is movable, you have straps to raise it up to adjust for extra stuff added into the pack. But the lid is also completely removable as well, though you do not have an extra flap to cover the pack in this case, so I would never think of removing it from the pack.

From the text above you have already realized that this is a top-loading pack, but you have also a large bottom compartment with an extra entry. Note that the divider between the main compartment and the bottom section is a real divider and by this I mean it is with zipper and it closes the space completely. So this is much better than what you have in many other (top class and expensive) packs that are on the market. You can open the space completely and use both sections as one large compartment.

The pack is hydration compatible, so you have a hydration sleeve in the main compartment behind the harness. You can route the hose along either of the shoulder straps.

Who is it for 

As mentioned above, this is a women-specific design that incorporates ergonomic features suitable for a female body, with a conical hip belt and narrower and shorter shoulder straps. The buckles are also smaller and softer.

This is a backpack for hikers, backpackers, mountaineers, and for travel. It is big enough for multi-day and week-long outdoor trips, and with lots of external attachment points, plus the mentioned expandable collar. Deuter rarely gives the maximum load capacity, but I have been using their backpacks in the past 15 years and I can say they are indestructible.

Other features

The suspension system

Here you have what they call the Aircontact Vari Quick adjustable suspension system. This is a ladder-type system which you can see in the picture below, so you can put the harness on a number of discrete positions and fix in place with Velcro tabs. The adjustability is in the range  14 – 20 inches (36 – 51 cm). This is supported by an X-shaped aluminum frame that is behind the harness, so this is a very strong and rigid construction.

The padding on the hip belt is huge and you have dual-density foam here covered with a very breathable mesh. This is an ergonomic Comfort Lock design for an optimal stability.

A similar structure is on the shoulder harness which is without stitching on the side to the body to avoid hot spots. This is an anatomical S-shaped structure with very soft edges.

The back padding is the same and here you have a vertical chimney in the center for ventilation. The pads on the sides provide a great support and cushion, and they are very breathable.

Observe also the V-shaped front straps on both sides of the hip belt, this tensions the massive padding in an optimal way so that it hugs the body. I love such a design in packs.

The pockets

There are 7 of them in total, two on the lid, one external with a key clip and one underneath the lid. Two good-sized zippered pockets are on the hip belt, and two large stretch mesh pockets are on the sides. One large stretchy mesh pocket with a buckle is on the front. I miss to see side zippered pockets, but you have them in their another pack, the Futura Vario 50+10.

Attachment elements and compression straps

This list is quite long, see what the pack provides:

• On the top lid you have 4 loops for equipment attachment, here you can attach a solar panel or pad, etc.
• You also have loops on the front for helmet attachment.
• Similar attachment loops are also on the bottom plus ice axe and hiking pole attachment loops and those are paired with bungee tie-offs on the front to fix your poles in place.
• There are dual compression straps on the sides. Those lower, on the side pockets, are with the inside-out feature, this means you can pass them through the pocket to cinch the load in the main compartment, or over the pockets to secure the items in the pockets.
• There are dual compression straps over the bottom compartment, those are only on the two largest packs in this series.
• The hip belt is equipped with side straps to stabilize the load by shifting the pack towards the body.
• You have load lifters straps on the top of the harness.
• The adjustable sternum strap is at the usual place, it is the rail type and you also have an emergency whistle there.
• Over the collar, there is a compression strap, so here you can fix the rope or any piece of clothing.

Please see a bit more in this video by Deuter:

Specifications

• Best use: hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, travel.
• Weight: 1.9 kg (4 lb 3 oz).
• Volume: 60 + 10 l (3661 + 610 in³).
• Dimensions: 32.3 x 11.8 x 9.5 in (82 x 30 x 24 cm).
• Torso fit: 14 – 20 in (36 – 51 cm).
• Colors: 3.

Deuter Aircontact Lite 60+10 SL pack vs Competitors

In the table below I give this Aircontact Lite pack side by side with two other packs for women, top brands as you realize. As usual, It is hard to match Kelty when it is about the price, so you might want to follow the links to read more.

*This is dependent on the market, in EU it comes with a rain cover.

Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons

Obviously, this is an expensive backpack but the price is quite normal for such a top brand, you will not find many packs of such a quality on the market. See how I rate it:

Deuter Aircontact Lite 60+10 SL Backpacking Pack

9.2

Volume-Weight ratio

9.1/10

Features & bonuses

9.2/10

Comfort

9.4/10

Pros

• Very good & adjustable suspension.
• Removable lid doubles as a daypack.
• Expandable collar for 10 liters extra.
• Quality materials & workmanship

Cons

• No rain cover.
• Expensive.
• No upper side pockets.

BEST PLACEs TO BUY

REI

Blacks

Amazon

You might want to compare it with their Deuter Aircontact 60 + 10 SL which is also for women.

If you need to see some more options from this size range, please check my page with packs above 55 liters. All top models from renown brands are presented there. You might want to compare this pack with the brand new item from Osprey, the Osprey Renn 65 Backpack for Women. Thank you for reading and have a nice day.