Futura 27

The Deuter Futura 27 is a 27 litre hiking pack for long days on track, with the Aircomfort mesh back that keeps a gap between you and the load. It is the pack for a humid climb out of a rainforest gorge, where a pack hugging your back leaves you soaked before morning tea.

Who it's for

Day walkers who carry properly: water, lunch, a shell, a warm layer and a first aid kit, with room for a camera or a pair of poles. Deuter rate it five out of five for hiking, and the 4-8 kg recommended load is exactly what a full day on the Lamington ridges or a summit walk in Kosciuszko National Park adds up to. Think Queensland summer, Blue Mountains canyons, or the long climb up Mount Bogong on a warm day.

Capacity, and what actually fits

27 litres is a generous day. A 3 L hydration bladder in the internal sleeve, a rain jacket and a fleece, lunch for two, a first aid kit and a head torch all go in the main compartment, with the lid pocket for keys and snacks. The pack measures 52 x 28 x 23 cm. Side compression straps snug it down when you are carrying less.

How it carries

A flexi spring steel frame tensions the back mesh so it arcs away from you, and the mesh now runs right down into the lumbar area for airflow and a softer, wrapping fit. Up front, pivoting ActiveFit shoulder straps follow your arm swing, and padded hip fins with Pull-Forward adjustment pull the weight onto your hips. The shoulder straps and hip fins are padded in one continuous piece, so there is no seam to rub. Stabiliser straps and a sternum strap with a one-handed buckle finish the harness.

Fitting it

The Futura 27 comes in one size, made for back lengths of 44-54 cm, which Deuter match to walkers around 170-195 cm tall. Load it with a few kilos, tighten the hip fins on your hip bones first, then the shoulder straps, then the stabilisers.

Access and organisation

The main compartment opens at the top under a zipped lid, and a mesh front pocket takes a map or a wet shell. Stretch side pockets hold a bottle each, and the hip fin pockets keep a phone and snacks in reach without stopping. Inside there is a wet compartment, plus a key clip, a glasses stow loop, an ice axe and pole attachment on one side, and a grab handle on top.

• Top-loading main compartment with zipped lid pocket
• Mesh front pocket and stretch side pockets
• Two hip fin pockets
• Hydration compatible, up to 3 L
• Rain cover included
• Ice axe and pole attachment, glasses stow, key clip

Weight

1250 g empty. The steel frame and suspended mesh back weigh more than a frameless daypack, and they are why a 6 kg load stays stable and your shirt stays drier on a hot climb. If you want the lightest possible pack for a quick summit, look at a Deuter Speed Lite instead; if you walk all day in heat, the Futura is the one we'd reach for.

Looking after it

The body is 210D recycled polyamide X-Grid with a DWR finish made without intentionally added PFAS, and the pack is bluepass and Green Button certified. Deuter cover it with a 2-year warranty.