Reviewing My Daypack: The Deuter Airlite 22
I’ve had this pack for almost three years. I used it everyday to carry my laptop, notebooks, chargers back when I was taking the subway to school and internships and things like that. It's often my go-to for one of my carry-on options when I'm traveling. And last but certainly not least, it has been my pack of choice whenever I’ve had the chance to venture out for a day-hike.
I’ve taken it all over the world, to Canada, Iceland, Italy, and a whole bunch of other places, and so far it’s been great!
If you watched last week’s video you’ll know that I absolutely love the suspended mesh back panel feature. In fact, it’s the main reason I bought the Airlite 22 in the first place.
See before I had the Airlite 22, I had the Deuter Race X Air.
Left: RaceXAir, Right: Airlite 22
The first time I ever saw a pack like this I was on vacation with my family back in 2010.
And through the window of one of those random luggage shops you see all over the place, I spotted the mesh back panel (Deuter Air-Comfort System), and the breathable mesh shoulder straps.
As soon as I spotted the pack I walked over to the guy in the shop and I bought it right then and there.
I freakin’ loved this pack! I used it everyday for at least five years. I took it all over the place to school, work, hiking, music festivals… Name a place. If I was there, then so was this pack.
I liked that it was so small and lightweight yet really robust at the same time.
The frame allowed me to carry more weight than the typical pack of this size, and it has a hip-belt and a sternum strap for extra stability.
As I mentioned before it has the super breathable Deuter Air-Comfort System, with the breathable mesh back panel and shoulder straps, which helps me to stay comfortable while wearing the pack over larger distances for longer periods of time.
In addition to the two water bottle pockets on the sides, the pack is also designed to be compatible with hydration bladders.
On the front, there is a valuables pocket that has a lanyard attached to the inside and a clip on the end for your keys.
The pocket can fit a surprising amount of stuff for having such a low profile, but it can sometimes be hard to get to because of the way the zipper was designed. On the other hand, the zippers on the main pocket are great! They have have a nice water resistant design, and on top of that the zipper tabs have little snaps that connect the two tabs. A simple but useful feature that keeps the pocket from opening on it's own.
And last but not least, on the bottom of the pack, there is ANOTHER pocket that houses a built-in rain fly, which is made to fit PERFECTLY over the edges of the pack’s frame.
BUT NO PIECE OF GEAR LASTS FOREVER! Especially your favorites that get used the most.
After a little over a year, the first thing to go was the elastic webbing on the sternum strap. Then the mesh on the shoulder straps started to come apart. First it was just one link that split, then it was two…and over time the whole thing came apart.
I finally retired the pack after the zipper broke off of the valuables pocket. I have been meaning to send it in to see if they could fix it or replace it under warranty, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I might make a video on that, so keep an eye out. But yeah, I don’t see why they wouldn’t replace it. If this zipper wasn’t designed in a way that forced you to rummage around so much, maybe it wouldn’t have broken…
After this pack died I pretty much decided that I wanted to buy the same pack again, hoping that Deuter might have released a new version with an updated pocket design.
Alas, they did not. I was pretty disappointed.
I had seen a couple people with different versions over the years, but when it came time for me to buy a new pack, all the models I looked for were either discontinued, or the Air-Comfort system had been taken out of the redesign.
During my research for this article, and the corresponding video, I discovered that Deuter has since released several new models that DO include the Air-Comfort system.
Additionally, Osprey, one of Deuter’s competitors, has since released a few day-pack options with their own take on the suspended mesh back, that was previously only featured on their larger, overnight-packs like the Exos, Atmos and the Aura. Sadly, at the time that I was in the market for a new pack, there weren’t many options available.
Aside from it’s slightly larger load capacity, when I first got the Airlite 22 I was disappointed by how much bigger and clunkier it was compared to the Race X Air. See technically the Race X Air is classified by Deuter as a cycling pack, which explains the streamline profile and lack of hip-belt pockets.
The Airlite 22 on the other hand was designed for hiking and didn’t need to be aerodynamic like the Race X Air. So instead of having that minimalist, low-profile look and feel, the pack has a bunch of pockets, loops and straps sticking out so that you can clip-on all sorts of jobbies and nik-naks, that you might want quick access to while hiking.
The mesh back panel, the water bottle pockets, and the rain cover are all the same. There are a couple small differences in certain features, for instance, the bit on the shoulder strap that holds the Camelbak straw is just a fixed loop on this pack instead of a velcro strap that can open and close, like the one on the Race X Air.
Since Airlite 22 is a bit bigger, it has more padding for lumbar support, and more robust shoulder straps that only have the mesh webbing on the lower portion that rests under the arm-pit. They definitely don’t dry as fast, but they’ve held up a lot better than the shoulder straps on the Race X Air, so that’s certainly been a plus.
The hip belt is also much more substantial on the Airlite 22. In addition to offering more support, it also has two zippered mesh pockets, for snacks or anything else that you might need quick access to while hiking.
When I first got the pack I was worried that the hip-belt pockets would annoy me and get in my way when I wasn’t using them. My solution to this was to simply buckle the hip-belt behind my butt when I wasn't using it, and so far it’s been a decent solution.
One feature I really like on the Airlite 22 is the exterior, stretchy, “stuff-it” pocket. Back when I was using the Race X Air on a daily basis I’d often stuff a sweat shirt or my rain jacket between the frame and the mesh back simply because I had nowhere else to put it when I wasn’t wearing it. I’ll admit that I still do that occasionally with the Airlite 22, but I don’t need to as often now that I have the exterior pocket feature with the two straps and buckles. The straps also enable me to carry larger 1.5 liter guide bottles. Normally, a bottle that’s this tall would just fall out of a pocket like this, but these straps keep them nice and secure.
Now you might ask, why I bother with huge water bottles if I can fit a three liter bladder in my pack.
Wouldn’t that be easier than unclipping and re-clipping a strap every time you want a drink?
Yes, a bladder would be a lot more convenient, but I have my reasons…
The first is simply space.
Ever since I started making videos with more than just a GoPro, I’ve had to figure out ways to carry all of my video gear in addition to all of the gear I typically use for whatever outdoor activity I’m doing on a given day.
I’ve been using this padded camera insert for a little over a year now. It fits right inside the Airlite 22.
I like it because it's doubles as an extra carrying case when it’s not in my pack, but keeping it inside unfortunately doesn't leave much room for a water bladder.
The second reason I started to use the bottles was out of the simple fear, or paranoia, that the bladder might leak. Even if there was space for both the camera insert and a water bladder, I still wouldn’t use the bladder simply out of fear that the bladder could spring a leak while my camera is in there with it.
I personally have never had a bladder leak (unless I hold it in for too long) but yeah, I’m just not gonna risk it.
The Airlite 22 also has loops and toggles made of shock cord to hold your trekking poles when you’re not using them.
The last feature that I’m going to mention is my least favorite design element on this pack. Somehow they managed to make the valuables pocket even worse than they had it on the Race X Air. It still has the keychain lanyard, but not only did they keep the stupid, guaranteed-to-break, sliver-of-an-opening, zipper design, but instead of keeping the pocket up against one of the inside walls of the pack, like they did on the Race X Air, they dangled the gosh-darn thing right in the middle of the main compartment!
Now, every time I want to get something out of my pack, I first have to flip this HUGE F&^%G N#%$@CK out of the way, and hold it with one hand so that I can actually get to what I’m looking for.
Despite the scrotum-pocket always getting in my way, I do love using this pack. Maybe one day I’ll get a chance to design a version of my own take on the perfect daypack, but I’m happy to stick with the Airlite 22 until that fateful day arrives.
Now let's take a look at some of the competition…
Alternative Day-Pack Recommendations
So I watched this Deuter promotional video where they talk about how they design slightly different packs for men and for women. The packs for women can be identified by the letters “SL” in the model name and the yellow flower dangling off the pack. The SL versions have thinner shoulder straps that come out of the pack at a slightly different angle, and they're also made with a slight variation on how the hip belt sits on your waist. The SL models are designed for a slightly shorter torso and seem to be consistently rated to hold two-liters less than their male counterparts.
The Airlite design comes in three sizes sixteen liters, twenty-two liters, and twenty-eight liters. The Airlite SL design also comes in three sizes, fourteen liters, twenty liters, and twenty-six liters.
I think it’s really great that Deuter is making an effort to produce options for women but it’s also important to be careful of these gender labels. Just because a company says that their new design will fit you better, doesn't mean that it actually will. Everybody’s body is slightly different so it’s important to go into a store and try it on before you commit to a purchase so that you’re sure to get what is best for you personally.
Deuter has a few other models With the air comfort system that you can look through but from what I can see, the Airlite seems to be the most practical Deuter daypack design unless you are looking for something more specific like a cycling pack or a pack that you can strap skis or a snowboard to.
Next up, Osprey.
After spooling through the Osprey site, I think I'd probably go for either the Stratos 24 (men) / Sirrus 24 (women) or the Manta 24 (men) / Mira 22 (women).
If you want something smaller, the Manta AG 20 (men) and the Mira AG 18 (women) also look pretty sweet. The larger Manta AG and Mira AG options looked cool at first but I don't like how the extra “shove-it” pocket (stretchy exterior pocket) sits between the main pocket and the valuables pocket. I haven’t tried it on but based on the design it seems like that feature could throw off the pack’s balance.
On my Airlite 22 the “shove-it” pocket sits flush when it's empty, but on these Osprey options it looks like it could flop around and keep more of the pack’s weight away from your body, which would require more exertion to carry the same amount of weight.
I like the Stratos and Sirrus for the combination of their higher capacity and flush design.
Even though they don't have “shove-it” pockets, and the front pocket or “map pocket” has the same stupid zipper design that broke on my Deuter Race X Air, the Stratos and Sirrus both have a bunch of other pockets that make up for it.
And they also have load-lifters, one useful feature that is notably absent from my current daypack.
Maybe it's time for an upgrade…
Other than the zipper on the front pocket, I guess the only thing I don't like about the Stratos/Sirrus design is the white underside of the shoulder straps. I don’t have anything against the way they look, but as they ripen over time they might start to look a bit gross.
Osprey also has a famously tolerant warranty policy that they call the “almighty guarantee.” I wonder if it covers white shoulder straps turning yellow…
Now there are plenty of other brands to look at but these are two that I have experience with and feel comfortable recommending.
And just so you know, I am only linking these specific websites for research purposes. So don't feel obligated to buy your pack directly from the manufacturer. There are plenty of other third-party distributors like REI, backcountry.com, Steep & Cheap, and even Amazon that sell many of these pack models.
These companies are always releasing updated versions and new designs, so it's not uncommon for the older models to go on sale. So once you have an idea of what you like, try a couple things out in the store, and then once you decide what you want, if you’re not in a massive rush to get the pack, take a little time to shop around for the best price before you buy anything.
REI actually has a great service in there stores where an employee will measure your spine to determine the best pack height for your body. Once you've picked out a few options they fill each pack with sand bags so that you can accurately gage what it would feel like to carry the pack at its maximum capacity.
Even though the Deuter Airlite 22 has worked well for me, it's important to do your own research because everybody is different and just because I like something That doesn’t necessarily mean you will too.
A lot of new Deuter and Osprey daypack models have come out since I bought my pack and I want you to make sure that you’re getting the best option for your own needs.
Anyway, I hope you found this article helpful. I want to wish a very warm welcome to those of you who are new to the website. If this is the first article of mine that you’ve read,I just want to let you know that I also make travel guides in addition to product reviews like this one. I just wrapped up a video series on a ten-day, car-camping, road-trip around the coastal “ring road” in Iceland. The reason I bring this up is because I used my Deuter Airlite 22 every day of that trip.
So if you’d like some examples of situations that this pack has had to endure or you just want to learn about exciting new places via your’s truly, then that Iceland playlist should suit you quite nicely.
If you’re looking for new gear don't let the small details stress you out.
Remember, life is an adventure!
So relax, breathe in the outdoors, and don't forget to appreciate the finer things in life.
See you out there, people.
Peace.