backpack reviews

The Deuter Aircontact Ultra 50+5 ultralight backpack.

Review: Deuter Aircontact Ultra 50+5 and 45+5 SL Backpacks

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Ultralight Backpacks
Deuter Aircontact Ultra 50+5
$285, 55L/3,356 c.i., 2 lbs. 15 oz./1.33kg
Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45+5 SL
$250, 50L/3,051 c.i., 2 lbs. 11 oz./1.21kg
One adjustable size in both models
Aircontact Ultra 50+5: backcountry.com
Aircontact Ultra 45+5 SL: rei.com

To put Deuter’s updated-for-2024 Aircontact Ultra 50+5 ultralight backpack through the paces, I took it on a pair of quite rugged but also quite different backpacking trips this spring: a three-day hike through southern Utah’s Owl and Fish canyons with a max weight of about 30 pounds in the pack, and six days and about 60 miles backpacking the Grand Canyon’s Gems Route, repeatedly carrying extra water—and starting out with more than 40 pounds inside, including over 10 pounds of water and 11 pounds of food. As I expected, those trips revealed much about the Aircontact Ultra backpacks and why they might appeal to lightweight and ultralight backpackers.

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The Black Diamond Dawn Patrol 32 ski touring pack.

Review: Black Diamond Dawn Patrol 32 Ski Touring Pack

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Ski Touring Pack
Black Diamond Dawn Patrol 32
$200, 30L/1,831 c.i., 2 lbs. 9 oz./1.2 kg (S/M)
Sizes: S/M and M/L (32L/1,953 c.i.)
blackdiamondequipment.com

When ski touring or riding in the backcountry, besides our skis or board, our pack becomes the piece of gear we interact with the most—and we place competing demands on a ski touring pack: We want it light and comfortable for the up and the down but to also have easy, quick access and critical organization and features. On many days of backcountry ski touring, I found the Black Diamond Dawn Patrol 32balances those demands well and excels for backcountry and side country tours that involve more minimalist capacity needs.

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The Granite Gear Blaze 60 in the Grand Canyon.

Review: Granite Gear Blaze 60 Backpack

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Backpack
Granite Gear Blaze 60
$300, 60L/3,660 c.i., 3 lbs. 4 oz./1.5kg (unisex regular)
Sizes: Unisex short, regular, and long, women’s short and regular
backcountry.com

How many pounds can a lightweight backpack carry comfortably? Granite Gear’s new Blaze 60 is pushing boundaries in that department. On a six-day, 74-mile backpacking trip through the Grand Canyon—including a hard, 15-mile, nearly 12-hour day hoofing most of the rugged Escalante Route—I carried the Blaze 60 with up to about 40 pounds inside. And that load, even in that terrain, felt clearly within this pack’s comfort zone. In fact, its low weight, superior compression, and versatile design make the Blaze 60 a legitimate short- and long-distance mule, elevating it into the realm of the best all-purpose backpacks on the market.

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The Mystery Ranch Coulee 50 backpack.

Review: Mystery Ranch Coulee 50 Backpack

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Backpack
Mystery Ranch Coulee 50
$249, 50L/2,930 c.i., 3 lbs. 12 oz./1.7kg (men’s S/M with XS/S belt)
Sizes: men’s S-XL, women’s XS-L
backcountry.com

The race to lighten gear often results in compromises, and with backpacks those tradeoffs can impact access, durability, and comfort—the last usually in the form of strict load-weight limits. Carrying the Coulee 50 backpacking a section of the Arizona Trail along the Gila River and in Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon in the first week of April and on the Skyline Trail in Jasper National Park and the Nigel, Cataract, and Cline Passes Route in the White Goat Wilderness in the Canadian Rockies in early August, I developed a serious crush on this pack for its comfort and a smart design that makes every interaction with it easier and faster.

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The Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45+5 SL backpack.

Review: Deuter Aircontact Ultra 50+5 and 45+5 SL Backpacks

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NOTE: See my review of the updated-for-2024 versions of the Deuter Aircontact Ultra 50+5 and 45+5 SL backpacks.

Ultralight Backpack
Deuter Aircontact Ultra 50+5
$250, 55L/3,356 c.i., 2 lbs. 11 oz./1.2kg
Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45+5 SL
$250, 50L/3,051 c.i., 2 lbs. 11 oz./1219g
One adjustable size in both models
Aircontact Ultra 50+5: backcountry.com
Aircontact Ultra 45+5: backcountry.com

Many mid-size, lightweight and ultralight backpacking packs share more similarities than differences—because the design details they share have proven popular and work. Still, Deuter’s Aircontact Ultra 50+5 and 45+5 SL distinguish themselves from some competitors for their adjustable, comfortable fit and smart design details that make a difference in your experience carrying it, as I found using the Aircontact Ultra 45+5 SL on a five-day, late-summer backpacking trip in the Wind River Range and a three-day hike on the 22-mile Boulder Mail Trail-Death Hollow Loop in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in early October.

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