Deuter Futura 50 + 10 Vario

Good for ultralight, noisy squeaking, worth the price.

I'm male, 172 cm height, 70 Kg weight.

This is the third carrier I had. Previously I had Eiger 38 L, but the back system makes me sweat, so I find another carrier with good airflow system.

This carrier is good for 18Kg load. But worst distribution weight if you carry more than 18 Kg.

When I hike Mount Ciremai at Central Java, I brought 25 Kg with this carrier, which is soooo wrooong...

It's so uncomfortable along the trek, and the weight distribution point likely to be pressuring my back which is very painful because I overload. and also painfull to my shoulder.

The vari-fit for Vario version is good enough to adjust the torso. There are so many compartments. Right, left, and front for H2O. It's like bulletproof though. The top lid access is easy to reach even when we walk.

The stretchy mesh side pocket is useless. I didn't use it at all while three days and four nights walking on the Mountain Ciremai. The squeaking noise is so annoying, you just need to be patience with the noise, or you can polish some Virgin Coconut Oil to the aluminium frame at the back of the carrier. The airflow aystem is the only favorite thing I like within this carrier.

If I just had a little more cash, I would spend it on Jack Wolfskin Denali (IDR 1200k) or Deuter ACT Lite. If I had more money, maybe I would buy the Gregory Whitney for the weight capability.

Keep two things in mind when you read this review: 1) I typically read multiple reviews on a product before purchasing, and 2) this is my first internal frame pack.

I was immediately impressed when I saw the pack in the store, both with the quality of the pack. It seemed to stand out from the other packs on the wall (gregory, osprey, kelty, mountain hardware, etc.). Maybe I'm just a sucker for blue, but I liked this pack visually at first.

Once I picked it up, I was very impressed with how light it was, and after carrying your typical walmart brand back-pack on day hikes, I knew I wanted my first internal frame pack to be light. I was also impressed by the Vari-quick harness and the Aircomfort ventilation system.

Many of the packs I saw were set up to a specific torso range, but with the Vario you can adjust the location of the shoulder straps to get the best fit for your body size. With the Aircomfort system, you'll be less likely to develop that huge wet-spot on your back that comes from a normal hike with a pack that sits flush to your back (unless you just sweat a lot anyways, then it doesn't matter).

I did my homework on the pack size and weight and still I came away impressed, so I started looking for it online and found a store that had one open-box. I took a gamble and got it for a great price and have enjoyed it ever since. The times I've used it for an overnight trip I've had it loaded w/ a 3L sleeve, jet-boil system, msr hubba hubba tent, a large sleeping bag (i need a smaller, light-weight one), thermarest pad, food, change of clothes, and other small essentials, and there was still plenty of room.

I will say that the sleeping bag compartment on the bottom is a bit small, but I have a honker of a sleeping bag, so it will be just fine for a regular bag. Also, the pocket on the hip strap is small. It would have been nice for Deuter to make it larger or put one on the other hip strap.

All in all, I love this pack. I've used it as a camping pack and a traveling pack, from trails to ski resorts, and I can't wait to take it to Ecuador this summer. Again, ground this review based on what I mentioned at the beginning, but seriously consider this pack if you are looking for a 50-60L pack.

Great backpack with useless hip belt suspension.

I used to be a huge fan of Deuter's products but I'm very disappointed in this backpack.

The hip belt is poorly designed and it doesn't transfer the load properly. It lays too low (on the upper part of my butt) even if I tighten the belt very hard. The lumbar support doesn't exist practically. This makes the backpack very uncomfortable.

Otherwise the backpack is great. It''s not so lightweight, but it's durable and has so many options. It has many pockets. 

I like the mesh back—it's comfy and keep me ventilated.

I would switch to Gregory's Zulu 55, on which the suspension is very good and it's lighter, but not so durable and has less pockets.

Background

I have it for three months and I'm using it in the Bulgarian mountains for trekking.

The only thing that would be considered a negative was that the zippers on the pocket pulled off easily. But this was easily fixed with a multitool. Just crimp them back a tad bid tighter. Love the quality, built in raincover. I have 4 Deuter packs and they are top notch.