Deuter USA Futura 28
Find out why this "near-perfect" daypack won Best All Around in our <a href="https://www.backpacker.com/april_2009_table_of_contents_gear_guide_issue/articles/12859">2009 Gear Guide</a>. Don't judge a pack by its price: this pack's a loaded bargain.
Brand: Deuter USA
Model: Futura 28
Best All-Around
Our toughest tester would criticize his mother’s cooking, but he had nothing but praise for the ACT Trail, calling it “a near-perfect all-purpose daypack” after using it in Montana’s Lee Metcalf Wilderness. That’s because the ACT Trail 32 (and the women’s SL 28) delivers the rock-solid stability and neat-freak organizational features you’d expect from an expedition pack.
This top-loader’s U-shaped zipper provides easy access to the main compartment; a mesh panel on the front stashes a jacket and hat; zippered pockets on the lid, side, and hipbelt stow a camera and snacks; and adjustable shock-cord loops secure trekking poles or ice tools.
Despite the many features, the pack isn’t cumbersome: One tester hammered up a multipitch ice climb in Montana’s Hyalite Canyon, unimpeded by shifting loads or restricted reach. The suspension (a plastic framesheet reinforced with a Delrin rod) handles up to 25 pounds.
Two mesh-covered foam panels on the back provide outstanding comfort and ventilation. Bonus: The built-in raincover kept our gear dry during a five-hour slush storm on Colorado’s Hahns Peak. The pack’s 210-denier nylon fabric should handle years of abuse. Downside: It’s heavy.
- Capacity 1,950 cu. in.
- Sizes 2 gender-specific; 16″-21″ torsos
- Weight 3 lbs.
- Price $129
- Info deuterusa.com
Deuters FUTURA SERIES utilize Deuters advanced Air comfort-System® offering exceptional ventilation and comfort. Ingeniously simple, the pack’s suspension system is like a spring-loaded trampoline with a special mesh covering that allows air to freely move between the back and pack. The Futura packs feature: two side mesh pockets; integrated rain cover; compression straps; practical front pockets; interior valuables pocket; dividable main compartment; hiking and ice ace loops and sternum straps.