Deuter Futura Vario Pro 50 + 10 Backpack

First I would like to address the review of Conrad... The pack has a lifetime warranty and every company has its occasional manufacturing flaws... sounds to me like you got a lemon... I hope you give Deuter another try.


Now I have 4 Deuter packs. A Futura Pro 42 Which my wife steals from me and uses more than I do (she is 5'3" and 120lbs and I am 6' and 175lbs) the pack adjusts to fit us both flawlessly. With a 30-40lb load (Including 2 liters of water and the pack itself) ample storage and built in rain cover it is the best weekend (1-4day) pack I have owned. (By the way, my wife had a Osprey Aura 50 that this pack has apparently replaced…)


I also have a Deuter ACTlite 65 10. This pack replaced a Gregory Z55 pack that was a bit small, had inadequate padding and was difficult to adjust… I only had the Gregory for 2-3 months, it was a replacement for an older Lowe Alpine 65 liter pack that just plain weighed to much and wasn’t hydration compatible. This Deuter is my current favorite, it easily packs down as low as 40 liters and holds more gear, more adjustable, and is more comfortable on long hauls with 40 lbs. than both my brother-in-laws Arc'Teryx Bora 80 Pack and my buddy Jims Gregory Palisade 80 (WHICH I DO NOT RECOMMEND!) both of which are twice as expensive, twice as heavy, caused my back to sweat twice as much. My only complaints about this pack is it doesn’t come with a rain cover like the Futura and will soak up moisture if left on damp ground to long. Which for me (I do most of my hiking/packing in the Pacific NW) makes it a May-October pack. Also, if you load it down with much more than 50lbs water you can defiantly tell your over the designed limits of the pack.


Recently I returned my wife’s Osprey Aura 50 (Not a bad pack she just likes the Futura Pro 42 better…) and picked up the Deuter Futura Vario 50 10. While it is smaller and a bit heaver than the ACTlite 65 10, I can see it quickly becoming my new favorite, go to pack. Especially in the Late October – Early May Months. The Vario is everything I love about both the Futura 42 and the ACTlite 65 10 rolled into one great package. The extra weight of this pack is its only real drawback and considering the rain cover, (Which I would guess adds 3-5oz.) the extra padding, (which is always nice for loads above 35lbs) the fact that I was able to trim a good 5-6oz. from the pack just by shortening the straps (scissors and a sewing machine) makes the weight a minor issue and this a great weekend to week long pack. My one caveat is that I have only used this pack 4 times for a total of 15 days (Of which we had heavy rain or snow or both on 11 days and light rain the other 4) but so far it has performed very well.


I also have a Deuter Race EXP Air Day/Riding Hydration pack that is great. I’m not a cyclist but I do have a motorcycle and this pack is nice to have on long rides. It is also great for day hikes.