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From August 2017 to June 2018 I have fulfilled myself a long desired dream together with my girlfriend. A journey taking us all the way from Bavaria to Asia using the land route. As a long-time employee at the mountain sports department in Murnau, it was time for a role swap. Instead of giving advice on backpacks to customers, I was now in the position to test one myself. Since our journey took us through a total of 15 countries and different climate zones, I needed an extremely robust backpack, which was comfortable to wear. When the revised Aircontact Pro 60+15 hit the market in spring last year, I knew for sure that this backpack would be the right choice for such a big adventure.
The main features of the aircontact pro 60+15 at a glance
The new Aircontact Pro 60+15 from Deuter is with 3180 grams certainly not a lightweight and with 289.95 Euros also more expensive than its little brother, the Aircontact. However, for more than 15 kilograms of luggage a proper carrying system with paddings and reinforcements is necessary. With the new stepless adjustable VariFit-Slide back system, the backpack is also set correctly for small people like me (173 cm) in a few seconds. Another renewal is the 10-liter daypack, which can now be found separately in the lid compartment. I used the daypack several times a week and would not want to miss it on such trips. When walking the first few meters from my front door to the train station I already had a really positive impression of the ergonomically shaped hip wings – they perfectly relieve the shoulders and distribute the main weight on the hips. Also when walking several miles along Lake Baikal in Siberia, I realized that the entire carrying system is certainly the core of the backpack.
The outer material is made of a robust polyester polyamide blend, which even withstands a short shower of rain. For longer-lasting rain, a rain cover is integrated into the bottom compartment. What I also really enjoyed is the frontal access via zipper to the main compartment. You do not have to look for your things from the top but can open it comfortably like a suitcase. As expected from Deuter, the zippers are super easy to reach and make an indestructible impression. Of course, this flagship in the field of backpacks also comes with all kind of mounting options for longer trekking tours as well as a height-adjustable lid with 15 liters to allow more storage space.
Looks like new after 20,000 Kilometers of land travel
Today, the backpack has traveled over 20,000 kilometers on land – including daily loading and unloading onto trains such as the Trans-Siberian Railway, buses in Laos or Cambodia, motorcycles in Vietnam, hiking in tropical humid rainforests in Indonesia, transports on boats covered in salt water and heavy snowfall in the Mongolian mountains. After more than 9 months of use, the backpack looks as good as on the day I left Bavaria.
Therefore, I can definitely recommend the Deuter Aircontact Pro 60+15 for all tall and not so tall men looking for a reliable and comfortable trekking backpack for their next adventure. However, it would be desirable to have a 360-degree zipper at the lid pocket.
