The Deuter Aircontact Core 65+10 is a heavy but well-designed backpack featuring a full set of organizational tools to keep you organized. It has seven external pockets and three ways to get into the main compartment. It also has tons of padding and is very comfortable for you and all your gear.
The Aircontact Core is a very comfortable backpacking backpack, one of the most comfortable packs we tested. It has a well-padded back panel, hip belt, and lumbar area, paired with a stout frame that effectively distributes pack weight.
The padding on the Aircontact Core is some of the cushiest of any pack we tested. The hip belt and lumbar pad feature a thick foam that's soft yet sturdy enough to prevent feeling unstable while wearing it. Two vertical strips of padding run from the lumbar pad up to the shoulder straps, sandwiching your spine. The back panel is made of an ultra-springy, mesh-like foam that still allows for plenty of ventilation while providing cushioning for your back.
Sections of perforated foam are incorporated into the hip belt, allowing it to bend to accommodate your body comfortably. The lumbar pad is a whopping 1.5 inches of thick cushioning against your sacrum. As this is where the bulk of the pack's weight rests on your lower back, all our testers appreciated this generous padding when carrying heavy loads.
The internal frame of the Aircontact Core is comprised of two metal struts running vertically down the entire length of the back. When loosening the load lifters on the top, the pack's weight is immediately transferred onto the hip belt. This is an indicator that the frame functions as intended. Unclipping the hip belt resulted in a lot more weight on the shoulders, another indication that the frame effectively transfers weight from the shoulders to the hips.
The Aircontact Core has plenty of useful features that can be changed and adapted to suit almost anyone's packing style. It manages to straddle the line of offering a plethora of features while keeping them versatile enough that the pack isn't pigeonholed into any niche use.
This pack features a dedicated sleeping bag compartment at the bottom, accessible via an exterior zipper. This allows you to store your down sleeping bag and other gear you won't need until you get to camp in a separate compartment. For those who prefer one large main compartment, fear not — unzipping a single internal zipper allows you to combine this section with the rest of the pack.
With a large front zippered opening, it's both possible and straightforward to access the main compartment of the Aircontact Core without unclipping the lid or fiddling with the drawstring top. This makes it super easy to dig out that one thing you didn't think you'd need, but then you do — like a puffy jacket, hat, or pair of gloves.
The Aircontact Core has lots of useful stretchy exterior pockets. The large stretchy front pocket is big enough for bulky items and a great place to stash a jacket or other layers you might want to access quickly. The mesh fabric lets you dry items in these pockets as you hike. This is the perfect place to stash a wet rainfly or freshly cleaned socks after doing laundry at camp.
The side water bottle pockets are made of the same stretchy mesh material. Impressively, the material can stretch to accommodate a whopping three liters of water per side. If you ever need to carry a ton of water, this pack is ready. We found ourselves using the right side pocket to carry our water while using the left side pocket for extra food we wanted ready for breaks. Conveniently, the right side pocket has a side access opening to help you reach that water bottle while still wearing the pack. The left side has regular, top-open access.
The Aircontact Core also uses this same mesh material for the zippered hip-belt pockets. These pockets are big enough for a large smartphone plus extras. And since the mesh material stretches, we found these hip belt pockets could consistently fit more than we expected. They're great for gloves, GPS, sunscreen, chapstick, and even a windbreaker jacket.
The lid, or brain, has a large zippered pocket on top, which you can access from the outside. It also has a flat zippered pocket on the underside of the lid. The main exterior brain pocket can hold an impressive amount of gear. It's easily large enough for bulkier items you want quick access to. The inner brain pocket is great for small items you need to keep track of and access relatively quickly.
The Aircontact Core weighs 5.2 pounds. This is not a particularly light pack. In fact, it's one of the heavier packs we tested. However, with the ability to expand from a 65 to a 75-liter bag, this weight comes with some extra space.
All those organizational features we love come at a weight cost. This pack is built to carry a heavy load, so the weight isn't necessarily a problem. If you're looking for a minimalist pack, this isn't the one for you. However, the pockets, adjustment system, and plushly padded suspension system are worth the weight for many backpackers who appreciate staying organized and comfortable on the trail.
The Aircontact Core is a highly adjustable backpack. It features Dueter's Varislide torso length adjustment system and a range of hip belt adjustment capabilities to fit most men.
The torso length adjusts easily to fit torsos from 18 and 22 inches. This is more range than most packs we tested, and unlike some packs with set 1-inch increments for torso length adjustments, you can slide the shoulder harness up or down to exactly where it will fit you best.
Also, Deuter claims the torso length is adjustable from 16.5 to 24.5 inches. We can only reconcile our measurements with these numbers by assuming Deuter factored in shoulder strap length adjustment when calculating torso length adjustability. The hip belt can be adjusted to fit anywhere from 30 to 50 inches in diameter. The padding is not adjustable, but the webbing can fit around a variety of different-sized bodies.
The biggest downside to this pack is it only comes in one size. We love how this backpack's adjustable torso works, but we wish it came in more than one size to fit a wider range of people. If you need a backpack with a shorter torso, the women's version is nearly identical but is built to accommodate smaller torsos.
If you're looking for a full-featured pack with tons of ways to organize and access your backpacking gear, the Aircontact Core is a great pack to consider. It's one of the best values for a pack, with many ways to access and store your gear. It's is one of the least expensive backpacks we tested but performs about as well as packs that cost a lot more.
The Aircontact Core is a spacious, comfortable, versatile, and high-value backpacking backpack for those looking to keep their gear organized. If you're looking for a more streamlined and lightweight backpack, check out the Ultralight Adventure Equipment Catalyst or Gregory Focal 58. If you're looking to compare this to other seriously comfortable backpacks, check out the Osprey Atmos 65 AG, Gregory Baltoro 65, and Osprey Aether 65.
 This Product
Deuter Aircontact Core 65+10 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Organizational Features |  Best Overall Backpacking Backpack | Best for Superior Comfort | Best Lightweight Support for Long Distances |  Best Bang for the Buck |
| Price | $198.75 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $164.97 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $295.47 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | $320 List | $199 List $199.00 at REI |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | An affordable pack with lots of organizational features and three access points to the main compartment | This super-light pack caries loads like a pro and has just about every feature you could ever want | This now classic pack offers incredible ventilation, an awesome set of pockets, and a hug-like suspension | This comfortable yet supportive pack has an extremely functional set of features and is one of the lightest in our test | The Flash 55 is a great value, with excellent features and a great weight to volume ratio at an affordable price |
| Rating Categories | Deuter Aircontact C... | Granite Gear Blaze 60 | Osprey Atmos 65 AG | Ultralight Adventur... | REI Co-op Flash 55 |
| Comfort (40%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (25%) | |||||
| Weight-to-Volume Ratio (20%) | |||||
| Adjustability (15%) | |||||
| Specifications | Deuter Aircontact C... | Granite Gear Blaze 60 | Osprey Atmos 65 AG | Ultralight Adventur... | REI Co-op Flash 55 |
| Measured Weight | 5.2 lb | 3.0 lb | 4.6 lb | 2.8 lb | 2.8 lb |
| Advertised Volume | 65 L + 10 L | 60 L | 65 L | 75 L | 55 L |
| Weight per Liter | 1.11 oz/L | 0.80 oz/L | 1.13 oz/L | 0.60 oz/L | 0.81 oz/L |
| Organization Compartments | Lid with two zippered pockets, front mesh pocket, side water bottle pockets, hip belt pockets, sleeping bag compartment | Lid, front mesh pocket, side water bottle pockets, hip belt pockets | Lid, front mesh pocket, side water bottle pockets, hip belt pockets | Front mesh pocket, side water bottle pockets, hip belt pockets | Lid, front mesh pockets, 2 side pockets per side, hip belt pockets, shoulder strap pocket |
| Access | Top, front, bottom | Top, front | Top, sides, bottom | Top | Top |
| Hydration Compatible | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleeping Bag Compartment | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Materials | Main: 235D polyamide Bottom/high-wear areas: 500D textured polyamide |
100D robic nylon w/ DWR coating | Main: 210D recycled honey comb nylon Accent: 210D high tenacity recycled nylon Bottom: 500D high tenacity recycled nylon |
400 Robic fabric | Main: 100D ripstop nylon Bottom: 420D nylon |
| Measured Volume (main compartment) | 52 L | 58 L | 50 L | 55 L | 45 L |
