Product of the Month - June 2021 - Deuter Backpacks

I really love good backpacks and I don’t think it’s possible to own too many (for now). With as much hiking as we do, having a good backpack is essential. I love when they have pockets in all the right places and comfortable straps that breathe when you are working hard. Most of our backpacks are from Deuter. I love that Deuter makes backpacks in a ton of sizes; from toddler sizes all the way up to multi-day backpacking packs for adults.

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I discovered Deuter a few years ago when they were a sponsor for Hike it Baby. Thanks to a discount I was able to get hiking backpacks for myself and both of my kids and we are still using them four years later. My 11yo uses his Deuter Junior backpack as a dedicated pack for his fishing gear now. My 7yo used to use a Kikki Backpack for hiking, but as he’s grown he’s upgraded to a Junior backpack for hiking and outdoor playtime. It’s great for holding his snacks, water bottle, a change of clothes, and all of his outdoor essentials: binoculars, crayons, sketchbook, rocks, and a few Hot Wheels cars. We are gifting our Kikki Backpack to a younger friend this year so he can start getting used to carrying some of his own stuff when he goes hiking.

My ONE complaint about the Junior Backpack is the lack of a pocket inside to hold a water bladder. The Kikki has one, please add one to the Junior, Deuter!!

Rocking my Lillebaby CarryOn Toddler Carrier and my son’s Deuter Junior Backpack

I also really liked the Junior backpacks for when my youngest was still iffy on hiking and sometimes needed to ride on my back because it was big enough that I could wear it on my front if he needed a ride… like above.

For day hikes, I have a Deuter SpeedLite 24 SL. It’s super lightweight and really comfortable for when I need to carry a little extra and might still need the support of a pack that has a waistband. My only complaint is that it doesn’t have a lot of little storage pockets; it’s mostly one big pocket and space for a bladder. It really works best for when I need to bring my hammock, Thermarest travel pillow, blanket, water, and art tool kit on a day hike; items that are larger and need a big pocket to accommodate.

My sister and I wearing both of my Deuter day packs. Image by Zion Adventure Photog

I also have a Deuter ACT Trail 28 SL (a discontinued model) that has loads more of the little pockets for storing little items. But the ACT Trail backpack is heavier overall, so I don’t use it as often as the SpeedLite 24. I have used it a few times for air travel or road trips when I don’t need to bring my laptop with me. The bright turquoise color makes it easy to spot me at the airport too.

For air travel and occasional overnight trips, I use my Deuter Giga laptop backpack. I had been using a wonderful, custom pack from Timbuk2 that doubled as a diaper bag when my kids were younger, but some jackass broke into my rental car and stole it a few years ago. I replaced it with the Giga and it’s been fantastic. It came with a separate zipper pouch that holds my charging cables and a briefcase-sized zipper pouch that hold my laptop. If I don’t want to use the laptop pouch, the backpack itself holds my laptop securely. There are pockets everywhere and it has the same comfort as the hiking backpacks. It constantly amazes me just how much I can cram in this pack and it keeps my laptop and DSLR camera snug and secure.

I even use a Deuter pack for backpacking now. Last year I introduced my oldest son to backpacking and I bought a Kelty Redwing 50L (on clearance) to get started. I didn’t want to drop $200+ on a pack if we ended up quitting backpacking after just one or two trips. The Kelty pack was very comfortable, but it ended up not being large enough to hold everything that I wanted to bring backpacking. So this year I bought a Deuter Aircontact 60 +10 SL Pack and it’s been fantastic! Their SL packs are designed with the anatomy of a female in mind and even though I’m bigger than the average female, it’s very comfortable. I did a 3-night/4-day trip in May in southern Utah and it worked beautifully for all of my needs. It was very comfortable too, no issues with my shoulders, back, or hips. I love how the waistband pivots a little bit to match the movement of my hips. It also has loops and straps in all the right places to allow me to attach stuff to the outside.

Should have asked my friends to get a better photo of my pack! Obviously, it has lots of places to clip stuff to the outside.

I’m not someone who typically gets crazy loyal with a brand when it comes to products. I use a L.L.Bean Stowaway Day Pack on short hikes (even brought it backpacking), and my oldest son will often use my Camelbak M.U.L.E. backpack because it can more easily hold a water bladder. I’m sure Deuter makes comparable day packs, but those two we got for free. Lol. For everything else, I find myself grabbing our Deuter packs most often.

What's in My Pack?

Not at all art-related, but I’m an avid hiker and I love to explore the trails around where I live in the Salt Lake Valley and beyond. We just got home from spending a weekend at the Devil’s Garden Campground at Arches National Park with eleven other families and we had a blast exploring trails, arches, climbing boulders, and eating really well. A few weeks before that trip, I got to spend five days in the Zion area of southern Utah with a group of amazing women where we hiked and explored a bunch of really fantastic trails.

Image by Arika Bauer - Zion Adventure Photog

Spending time with other hikers ALWAYS results in us “shopping” through each other’s clothing and gear. We are always on the lookout for items that make the experience easier or more comfortable for us. This is even more helpful when we’re hiking with our kids. Sometimes there are little items that you don’t even realize could be useful to you until you see another hiker rocking them.

This post has LOTS of affiliate links. You are under no obligation to shop through these links, but they do help keep my business going and it’s very much appreciated.

In My Pack

• Deuter Speed Lite 24 Backpack (it’s probably bigger than I really need for most of my hikes, but it’s comfy and it’s sometimes nice to be able to throw in something extra).

• Peak Design CapturePRO Camera Clip (attached to the shoulder strap, gives me the security and confidence to bring my DSLR on trail, this clip also fits on baby carrier straps or a standard belt)

• Canon 50mm f1.4 lens, Canon 18-135mm f3.5 lens, Canon 70D DSLR, and a zipper pouch with spare batteries (obviously the camera and bigger lens were used to take this photo. This camera has been so good to me in the years I’ve had it. Eventually I would love a 35mm wide angle lens… someday)

• Matador Mini Pocket Blanket or Wenzel Mini Blanket (downright handy to have, the Wenzel blanket is waterproof too)

• Adventure Medical First Aid Kit (FYI, these have the BEST tweezers for removing tiny splinters)

• Black Diamond Carbon Z Trekking Poles (they fold down nice and small, small enough to fit in the water bottle pocket of my backpack. When opened, they are too tall for my kids to use, I did that on purpose! For poles my kids can use, I have Cascade Mountain Tech poles from Costco that were $30.)

• Deuter Zip Pack Lite 2 - My Period Go-Bag (contains a few pads, tampons, wet wipes, and a pair of Thinx undies, useful for when I hike with any women)

• LifeStraw (I’ve never had to use it, but I still bring it, just in case)

• Fifty/Fifty or Hydroflask Water Bottle (size varies on the length of the hike, for long hikes, I’ll use a 2L or 3L Camelbak Water Bladder)

• Travel bottle of sunscreen (current fav for my face/body is Super Goop and Alba Botanica for my kids)

• Deuter Dirt Bag (In cahoots with the Leave No Trace initiative, Deuter made these waterproof, reusable bags designed to hold trash you find on trail. Donate to LNT and you get one of these bags for free.)

• Lots of hair rubber bands

• Bottle of useful medicines, usually Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Excedrin Migraine, and Zyrtec.

• Nite-Ize Flashlight Keychain (damned handy, I keep one on my keys too)

• Bag of random snacks, varies on the day, but usually contains fruit snacks, fruit leather, random trail bars, string cheese, and sometimes candy… because I’m all for bribery. I also like bringing cheese, salami and nuts for myself)

• My own business cards and Hike it Baby stickers

• Random carabiners, the non-climbing variety (handy for clipping random stuff to my pack, like a child’s backpack when said child can no longer carry their own)

• Glow sticks or bracelets (usually purchased from the dollar section at Target, they’ve saved me from many-a-meltdown)

Footwear
I hiked the summer of 2016 in running shoes and after rolling my ankle on trail twice, I reached out to my brother (a shoe buyer for a big retail company) and asked for suggestions on hiking boots and trail running shoes. I hated the way hi-top hiking boots rubbed my ankles when I was a teen, but my brother convinced me to give them a try again. Merrell and Ahnu are really the brands that seem to fit my slightly-wide feet and pronating ankles, AND come in sizes larger than a woman’s 10. Ahnu was bought by Teva a while back, so the models I have may be found under Teva now.

When one mom finds a great pair of shoes, others follow suit!

• Merrell All Out Blaze Aero Sport - super lightweight, almost works as a water shoe, dries quickly, nice, wide toe box

• Altra Lone Peak - a trail running shoe that is SO comfy, even if you aren’t a runner. The super wide toe box is dreamy for anyone with wide feet or bunions

• Ahnu Sugarpine Waterproof Hiking Boots - very lightweight, not much need for breaking in, they come in rad colors too

• Ahnu Montara Waterproof Hiking Boots - a little stiffer than the Sugarpine boots, but still very comfy, I use them for longer hikes so my feet are more supported

• Brooks Levitate 2 - for running, which I occasionally do when coaxed, these shoes are downright dreamy on my feet

Apparel
I rarely wear leggings on trail anymore, favoring breathable pants that have real pockets instead, bonus if they can roll up to capri-length. The biggest selling points for me are great pockets, lots of stretch, and LONG enough. I’d also like them to be available in my size, which isn’t a single digit number. I have a hard time supporting companies that stop at a size 12 or 14, when I personally know PLENTY of amazing women who are bigger than a 14 who love to hike. I don’t think I’m asking too much.

When it comes to tops, I buy whatever I can find that fits. I’m not loyal to any one brand. Sometimes I find athletic or running shirts from Target, Costco, Sierra Trading Post, or our local outlet stores. Some of my favorite shirts, tanks, and pullovers are from Champion/Target, Columbia, and Under Armour. These are my favorite bits of clothing for hiking that are worth singling out:

• 5.11 Women’s Mesa Pants - I love these pants, they come in Long, have lots of stretch, a real waistband that can handle a belt if needed, and wonderful, deep pockets. They have pockets on the hips that can hold my phone and allow me to sit comfortably. I wear them all the time, even not hiking *** These have been discontinued and replaced with the Apex pants. I’m hoping to get a pair soon and will decide if I like them better or not.

• Columbia Women’s Saturday Trail Stretch Pants - very comfortable with lots of stretch, my only complaint is they aren’t easy to find in the Long length and Regular is about 2 inches too short on me, so I wear them as capris until I can find the long ones at my local store

• Merrell AlphaTherm Mid-Layer Fleece - lightweight, warmer than it lets on by feel

• Lolë Packable Down Jacket (not as pricey a other brands, it packs down small, includes a cinch bag)

• L.L. Bean Ultralight 850 Down Jacket - it packs down into a little pouch that doubles as an inside pocket when you’re wearing it. It’s warm and comfy without being bulky.

Other Accessories, Sometimes Weather-Specific - Random other stuff that I only sometimes carry that also isn’t apparel or shoes, this stuff is sometimes seasonal.

• RoShamBo Baby Sunglasses - designed for kids but also made in adult sizes, so they’re kinda indestructible, which means I can cram them into a pants pocket or my backpack without worrying that they’ll get damaged, and they’re only $35 with polarized lenses

• AlaskiWear Hooded Scarf - warm and snuggly without giving me hat hair, I love them so much, I have two

• Fingerless Gloves - handy for when it’s cold but I still need dexterity to take photos or tie kid shoelaces, these are handmade by my aunt, but you can find plenty online

• Kahtoola MICROSpikes - handy for hiking in the snow or on ice. I also own YakTrax that work well and are WAY less expensive than Kahtoola, but they sometimes slide off my boots. If you opt for YakTrax, spend the couple extra bucks to get the YakTrax Pro with a strap that goes over the boots

• Sunday Afternoons or whatever trucker hat is actually in my car and my oldest hasn’t stolen (I’m on the lookout for a proper wide-brim actually looks decent on me

• Art Toolkit - this thing is freaking awesome for the rare times I can sit in one spot and paint, everything you’d need has been well thought-out

• Way 2 Cool Mesh Cooling Towels - handy in the summer, especially on hikes with no shade, just get it a little wet and it stays cool on your skin

• Líllébaby CarryOn Toddler Carrier - if I have room in my pack, I may bring it if I think my son will need a ride, we’re almost to the point where I won’t be carrying him anymore… almost)

• Onya Baby Pure Baby Carrier - always in my car in case another parent needs it or if I am volunteering to wear someone’s baby. I actually prefer the fit of the Onya Baby Outback carrier, plus it has a big pocket and a hood, but the Pure is what I currently have

• a Hammock - this is a relatively new item that I bring on many hikes; especially hikes where I know we will have time to play, splash in some water, or just relax. Hammocks range in pricing incredibly, but I have been really happy with this brand so far.

That’s all I can think of for now. I’m sure as I do more hiking and camping this spring and summer, I may add more.

Are you a hiker, what items are essential for when you go hiking?