Euro Design, Aussie Conditions – deuter’s Approach to Backpacks All Comes Back to One Word

You’re about to see many more deuter backpacks here in Aus, so are they up to the task? Brooke Nolan took an international call to dive deep into their design process, then took some packs out for herself.

Somewhere in the foothills of the European Alps, Johannes Braun is being hugged by a koala.

Between koala hugs, he’s deuter’s Global Product Manager.

‘We call it the koala hugging fit,’ he laughs, describing the team’s work on the latest Futura backpack.

We can actually see the koala DNA here

They wanted the suspended back system to feel supportive from the very first moment someone slipped the pack on, so they refined the frame, mesh tension and fit until it wrapped comfortably around the body. Somewhere along the way, someone compared it to being hugged by a koala.

The nickname stuck.

I’m slightly disappointed there isn’t an actual koala involved. But a backpack that promises a hug instead of sore shoulders?

I’m listening.

If deuter isn’t a name you know yet, chances are it soon will be. The German outdoor brand has been making backpacks since 1898 and has landed on the shelves of Paddy Pallin stores and independent outdoor stores across Australia.

For me, though, deuter isn’t a new name. Growing up in the UK and spending years trekking across Europe, deuter packs were everywhere. My first hiking backpack was a deuter. Long before YouTube reviews, it was simply one of those brands people trusted.

Since moving to Australia, I’ve often wondered why it never caught on here.

Read more: Who is deuter? The Technical German Backpack Brand You Need to Have on Your Radar

Comfort Shapes Everything

When I ask Johannes what has kept European hikers coming back to deuter for more than a century, he doesn’t hesitate. 

‘Comfort.’

That philosophy runs through the entire range. Day packs prioritise ventilation, trekking packs focus on carrying heavier loads with less fatigue, and women’s SL models are designed around female anatomy, with a shorter back length, narrower shoulder straps, and reshaped hip fins, rather than simply being smaller versions of the men’s packs. 

The SL range is female anatomy specific, not just a small mens

But, as he points out, comfort means different things to different people.

‘We design with comfort first’, he says. ‘But what comfort looks like depends on how experienced someone is, how long they’re carrying a pack, what they’re doing, their body shape and, sometimes, simple personal preference.’

Johannes tells me about two deuter colleagues who completed the same hike in Jordan carrying the same gear. One chose deuter’s lightweight pack, the Aircontact Ultra. The other preferred the slightly heavier, but more supportive Aircontact Core.

Same trail, same destination, but totally different ideas of comfort.

Lighter, Not Lightest

That focus on comfort also explains why deuter isn’t chasing the ultralight trend quite as aggressively as some other brands.

‘Some people want to shave every gram, cut down their toothbrush, and strip everything back’, Johannes says. ‘Others think, I’d rather keep the whole toothbrush if it’s a bit more comfortable. They want lighter, but are happy to sacrifice being the lightest for a little more padding, a little more suspension.’

Packs like the Aircontact Ultra are still light, but not at the expense of comfort

As someone who’s happily carried an extra kilo for a freestanding tent after one frustrating night wrestling with an ultralight shelter in the wind, I get it.

Over the years my gear has become lighter, but not at the expense of enjoying the walk. That seems to be deuter’s philosophy too. Rather than building the lightest pack on the market, it’s trying to build the one you’ll still be happy wearing at the end of a long day.

Everything Has a Reason

To make that happen, it’s not about what you add to a pack. It’s about what you leave out. Each buckle, strap, and pocket on a deuter pack has earned its place. 

Every deuter pack is designed for a specific hiker.  The team then identifies the three priorities that matter most for that hiker. Johannes calls it the ‘positioning triangle’.

‘When we need to make a decision, we ask ‘Does it help those three things?’, he says. ‘If it helps, we go for it. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t belong.’

Waist belt pockets on the Aircontact Core – a necessity

That sometimes means saying no to features that are popular elsewhere. 

‘For many people it’s becoming more important to have things accessible while they’re on the go’, Johannes says. ‘We considered vest-style shoulder straps for the Futura, but not everybody likes them and they don’t suit every body shape.’

Instead, the team added front pole storage, staying true to what the Futura was designed to be.

The Futura stuck with regular chest straps after considering vest style, but added pole storage

Designed To Fit

Comfort doesn’t just come from good design. It comes from getting the fit right.

Of course, that means lots of different sizes, including the women’s SL. But it’s more than that. Every pack is tested on people with different body shapes and experience levels, to make sure it’s as comfortable as possible.

Real world testing happens in Gersthofen, and now, the Blue Mountains

‘Early prototypes are taken into the forests near our headquarters’, Johannes explains. Staff swap between different versions on the trail before they’re sent to a broader test group of beginners and experienced hikers, helping the team refine the pack throughout its development.

deuter also invests heavily in making the perfect fit easier to achieve.

One of the latest examples is the new VariClick back-length adjustment system, which is found on packs such as the Futura Pro and the Aircontact Core. Rather than relying on traditional Velcro or cam-lock back adjustments which can slip under load, it clicks securely into place while the pack is being worn.

VariClick allows for rapid, secure adjustments to fit

Built To Last

Before the VariClick adjustment system reached production, an independent testing organisation created an entirely new durability test, repeatedly lifting a fully loaded pack by a single shoulder strap tens of thousands of times to make sure the mechanism would still perform after years of use.

For Johannes, that longevity is central to deuter’s sustainability promise.

‘If you don’t have to replace your gear so fast, that’s a huge win for sustainability’, he says. ‘Durability and repairability have always been part of how we develop our products.’

Tough materials and repairable construction are an important part of deuter’s philosophy

The company offers a lifetime repair service, with every new backpack reviewed by deuter’s repair team before production to make sure it can be repaired easily. Products meet bluesign standards, use recycled materials where possible, and are designed with future recyclability in mind.

‘We want to design sustainable products because we love nature’, says Johannes. ‘We do everything we can to help protect it.’

My Picks

Futura

Koalas or no koalas, the Futura is an excellent pack. The Aircomfort back system promises a 25% decrease in sweat thanks to the air gap between the pack and your back for maximum airflow. On hot Aussie days, that’s a hell yes from me. 

Futura: light, tight, and ready to rumble

Aircontact Ultra

The Aircontact Ultra is deuter’s lightweight trekking pack, pared back to reduce weight without abandoning the supportive back system and hip belt that make carrying a load for consecutive days so much nicer.

I’m headed to Madeira later this year for a seven-day thru-hike, and this is the pack I’ll be taking with me.

The Aircontact Ultra strikes a comfort and weight balance few manage successfully

Speed Lite Pro

I almost didn’t take the Speed Lite Pro out.

With its vest-style shoulder straps, stretchy chest pockets, and ventilated LiteAir back system, it screams ultrarunner, while I’m someone who prides myself on how many patches of moss I can stop and admire whilst walking very, very slowly.

Turns out vest style packs like the Speed Lite Pro are pretty convenient

By the end of my hike though, I’d realised I’d been letting ultrarunners have all the fun. Convenient snack access, and this level of ventilation in a day pack, shouldn’t depend on how fast you hike.

Aircontact Core

I’ve taken this pack out a few times now, including a backcountry ski tour in Kosci. 

Yes, it’s a little heavier than some packs in its class. But I loaded this baby up with backcountry ski gear – including strapping the skis on when I had to bootpack through the slushy excuse for snow that is this Australian winter – and I didn’t need to adjust a strap once. 

Aircontact Core, when you just want, low, slow, and maximum comfort

The VariClick back-length adjustment system worked exactly as promised. It felt comfortable and secure straight off the shelf. Oh, and I have to admit I also became slightly obsessed with the huge front access zip. After years of rummaging through top-loading packs, I’m not sure I can go back.

The Verdict

deuter isn’t chasing the lightest pack or the longest feature list. It’s building backpacks that fit well, carry comfortably and are designed to stay on the trail for years. Given Australia’s reputation for being brutal on gear, I have a feeling they’ll feel right at home here.

Photos by Daygin Prescott