Deuter Fox 30

Quality is fine, but didn't meet the specs for torso sizes.

I bought this online to introduce my 7- (almost 8-) year-old grandson Nyca to backpacking. I'd searched extensively online and felt this would be right.

WRONG! Upon receiving it I adjusted it to the smallest torso setting and loaded it with a bit less than 10 lbs. for a test walkabout with me. In the short mile it kept flopping around no matter what adjustments were made. Returning home I got out the tape measure and to my surprise, the lowest setting was NOT 11" as the Deuter Fox 30 web site stated, but it was 13". I knew from measuring Nyca's torso he needed a pack with an 11" torso, so back it went for refund, but not before I placed a call to the VP of Sales at Deuter to chew on rump.

Not only was the written spec for torso wrong, but the pic of the back was NOT what I received. I verified it wasn't a knockoff with him, as it was purchased through an authorized retailer. I'm tired of being the freakin' R&D for lazy designers and companies that charge a premium price for untested/unverified products. 

Well, back to square one, but it all worked out for the best. I ended up buying Nyca an Osprey Ace 38 on sale online for $84 shipped and it's much more for less money. More room, more comfort, more quality and most importantly, IT FITS HIS 11" TORSO. I reviewed it on Trailspace and highly recommend it over the Deuter if you have a young one to equip.

The Deuter Fox 30 is a tough pack that can easily grow with a child. Bombproof construction, customizable fitting, and a great suspension system make this a great first pack.

Having a 14 1/2" torso length I used this for a Grand Canyon Kaibab Trail two-day trip and the pack carried great without a single hotspot and for most of the trip I really didn't notice the pack while carrying my gear, food, and four liters of water. The pack has a single sheet stay that works very well at transferring load and allows the pack to flex a bit with you.

The capacity of this pack is small if your gear is bulky and over 3/4's full if your child is using a large synthetic sleeping bag. The side pockets and inner/outer brain pockets allow for modest organizing of small things you want to keep readily accessible, but the volume of the side pockets is inversely related to how much is packed in the main body and their use is obscured by the side compression straps. Two daisy chains run the length of the pack and work well at tying on additional gear or storing hiking poles when not needed.

The pack has two side compression straps that are very effective at cinching down a load. The load lifters are also work well at pulling in the pack body and a sternum strap keeps the shoulder straps in place. The shoulder straps are well padded along with the backing. Spacing and channels of the 3D mesh covered foam padding allow good ventilation.

Great pack. My 9 y/o daughter used this pack on a three day hike through the Adirondacks. Although I was cautious of the total weight, the smaller size prevents overloading a child.

Well padded hip belt and shoulder straps. Hydration reservoir pocket was a nice touch. My daughter loved that it was like mine.

Lots of adjustments for sizing the pack, which was one of the reasons I chose it. The pack can grow with a child. We did have the hip belt as tight as it would go on our trip. Luckily it fit.

A scaled down version of a 'real' backpack. It works great!