Deuter Helion 80 travel pack
RRP $399 www.deuter.com/au/ae
It seems as though you can never pack enough stuff when you’re prepping for that next epic adventure, so the problem becomes not just what to pack, but what to pack it into. Even though most outdoor equipment (and clothing) is built to withstand punishment, ideally you still want to pack it in something that offers decent protection, and is easy to lug around.
Deuter’s Helion 80 is a versatile gear-lugger: its bombproof construction (it uses a combo of Deuter’s MacroLite 420-denier polyamide and 1000-denier Duratex for high-wear areas, such as the bag’s base) is combined with an innovative design that includes everything from roller wheels and perfectly-placed carry handles, through to an inbuilt harness system, which includes padded shoulder straps, waist straps and hip fins, and sizeable (read: tough) compression straps (external and internal) to secure the load.
We have been testing the Helion for the past couple of months on various trips, ranging from family-based sojourns to a more recent mountain-biking long weekend down at Tathra, on the NSW Sapphire Coast. Each time, the Helion 80 has swallowed a ton of gear and kept it all secure and in one piece.
The two robust carry handles have copped the most use/punishment; they are ideal for any lifting/placing of the bag in a vehicle and are spaced apart perfectly, allowing the bag’s load to be split evenly across both arms when lifting. I even busted out the harness at Tathra, as we were staying in upper-level accommodation – rather than drag it on its rollers, it was much easier to unzip the back panel, pull out the harness and attach the Helion to my back for traversing the sizeable carpark and several flights of stairs.
For anyone looking for a versatile piece of luggage, the Helion 80 is ideal. The combination of roller wheels for airport runs, the harness for more lengthy transfers between vehicle and accommodation, reasonable weight (around 3.7kg) and its robust construction make it a great choice for that do-it-all load-lugger.
