Written by guest writer Jason Moore

I was first introduced to the outdoors at a very young age, growing up in Northeast Ohio with a county metro park in my backyard. The countless summer afternoons I spent exploring that park fostered in me a desire to explore everything. At the age of 31, that desire now translates to multiday trips through some of our countries most prominent national parks and forests. I often read blogs like campingfunzone.com to determine where I venture next. The Guadalupe National Park sounds pretty good to me.

As my adventures grow, so does my ability. With that growth, my equipment needs evolve to compensate for new challenges. My last adventure was a five-day hike along part of the Appalachian Trail in Smokey Mountain National Park which I accomplished with a 55-liter pack. I did a little research on what to pack and looked at this guide on How to Pack a Hiking Pack to make sure I had everything I needed before I went on the hike. My next adventure was a hike of the same length along the Trans-Zion Trek in Zion National Park. The differences between the two hikes are that I would need to carry a tent in Zion (the AT utilizes shelters) and at times more water due to the limited reliable water sources along the trail. I don’t have the smallest and lightest equipment so with these two additions I needed a larger pack that could carry the extra load. I was excited when I found the Deuter ACT Lite 65+10 because I was able to increase my capacity by 36% while only increasing my pack weight by 20%.

The ACT Lite 65+10 is the first Deuter pack I have owned and I experienced the frequency illusion as soon as I entered the park. I noticed Deuter packs everywhere and even had another hiker compliment me on the trail because we were carrying the exact same pack. I guess when you are a company with more than 100 years of experience in making packs that have been used in some of the most famous expeditions in history your brand speaks for itself.

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Overall, I am very satisfied with the way this pack performed on the trail. With the help of the bottom compartment and well positioned compression straps it was easy to pack my gear, food, and water in a manner that distributed the weight evenly. I was impressed with the ventilation provided by Aircontact System. I wasn’t aware of how much I was sweating until I took the pack off at the end of the day. Lastly, I was surprised by how durable the pack held up to me dragging it 48 miles over granite and sandstone. After a quick wipe with a damp cloth the pack still looks brand new.

My favorite features of the pack are:

  • separate bottom compartment
  • zipped pocket on hip belt for valuables
  • ice axe and hiking pole loops
  • spacious stretch side pockets
  • compression and load adjustment straps
  • hydration system compatible

I am confident that this pack will be with me for a lot more adventures including more multiday hikes, rock climbing trips, and even the occasional trip back to Ohio to visit my family.

Check out our review of Deuter’s Kid Comfort Air.

27 Comments on Deuter – ACT LITE 65+10 Backpack

  1. this backpack is incredible. my husabdn has been wanting to hike and camp again!

  3. This is an amazing backpack and looks like it would be great for long backpacking trips!

  5. This looks like it would fit everything you would need! I love that it has a separate bottom compartment!

  12. For how much more you can add to the pack 20% weight added is not that much. We would love to have a second backpacking pack like this. Right now we only have one and a couple of army rucksacks.

  13. the backpack looks to be very light and can carry quite a bit looks like chute material so it will breathe on ya and keep your back cool that’s very important while hiking cuz if it makes you itchy you cant put 100% on your feet on trail and over you go

  14. What a gorgeous pack. Love that it’s so lightweight, perfect for a day’s hike.

  15. I like the the ventilation provided by Aircontact System. That is important to me. With the extra space this pack provides my essentials can come along.

  17. Oh,my husband would go nuts over this, he does 8-10 mile hikes every Sunday with his buddies

  20. life is too short to just lay in bed and do sweepstakes if I win this it will be my turn around to go hiking again the backpack looks big enough to carry a blow up bed and I can lay in the woods all day doing sweeps yeahhhh

  23. I wish I was a hiker that needed this kind of carrier. I like that you got 36 pct more capacity at only 20 pct more weight. I know someday I will venture out to more challenging hikes.

  26. Although I haven’t been backpacking for 5 years our favorite spot to go was Driftwood PA. Population very small and in elk country. You could see for miles at the top. We would stay about 3 nights and hear the elk outside our tent at night. A bit scary. My backpack is outdated and I love their new ones.

  27. OH, I love this backpack. Perfect for hiking and fitting all you need. This alleviates worry about being prepared.

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