Gear Review: Deuter Futura 26 SL

The Bottom Line: Designed for women, the Deuter Futura 26 SL daypack can hold everything you need for a day on the trail. With an advanced ventilation system and spring steel frame, this pack will remain cool and comfortable for the duration of your hike. The rugged construction and lifetime warranty guarantee that this pack will last.

The Deuter Futura 26 SL Daypack. Photo by Crystal Sibson

The Deuter Futura 26 SL daypack is designed for women with comfort and mobility in mind. On average, women have a shorter torso length than men. Deuter's SL carrying system is shorter than their standard packs, and it fits a torso size of 14 to 18 inches. The Futura's round spring steel frame is lightweight and flexible to give you a greater range of motion. The pack's fit is intended to transfer the weight from your shoulders to your hips. The carrying weight can be more evenly distributed with Deuter's Active-Comfort-Fit system, which is designed so the pack can sit as close to the body as possible. Even with the pack fitting snug against your body, the advanced Aircomfort back panel will keep you cool and dry. This patented ergonomic mesh design claims to decrease perspiration by as much as 25%. The mesh extends from the top of the back panel down the lower vertebral column to the hip belt, where additional padding is provided for more carrying comfort. The sternum strap also helps with stabilizing the pack on your shoulders.

The Futura 26 daypack has a variety of pockets for organizing your gear. The main body of the pack can be accessed through a zipper extending more than halfway down each side of the pack. This wide opening makes it easy to access gear in the top and bottom of the pack. A hydration sleeve and attachment point can also be found on the inside of the main body compartment. A second deep zippered pocket can be found in front of the main compartment. Although not as wide as the main compartment, this pocket is great for organizing and storing many small items. There are several smaller compartments within to help with organization, including two mesh stretch pockets and one smaller zippered pocket with a key hook. On the pack's exterior, there is a large stretch mesh pocket on the front and two mesh water bottle pockets on the side. There are two additional zippered pockets on the waist belt of the pack. The final zippered pocket can be found on the very bottom of the pack with a pull-over rain cover tucked inside. If a storm happens to roll in while you're on the trail, you can pull this cover out to keep your pack and gear dry.

With so much organizational space and well-designed added features, the Deuter Futura 26 SL daypack is worth every penny. From the trekking pole attachment points to the tucked away rain fly, this pack has it all. Made with 600D polyester thread and high density polyamide, this pack has high abrasion resistance. Combine that with Deuter's lifetime warranty, and you can count on this pack lasting for years to come.