Tested: Deuter Traveller 70+10
IN THIS AGE of backpack/luggage specialisation (think climbing packs, trek packs, trolley luggage etc.) there is definitely still a place for a load-lugger that covers more than one way to, well, lug your gear around.
Deuter’s Traveller is a great example of the versatile outdoor pack. The company has used its extensive pack-making expertise to produce a bag that is equally at home being thrown in a car or on an airline’s luggage carousel, as it is being carried by someone hiking from one night’s accommodation to the other.
Constructed of tough-wearing Deuter Macrolite 420 and Duratex material, the Traveller 70+10 I tested recently weighs in at a touch over 3kg. Impressively, that weight figure also takes into account not only a main bag with numerous zip-accessed compartments (including the main compartment, which can also be zipped off to make a separate bottom section, ideal for sleeping bag stowage), but also a separate 15-litre daypack (complete with a ventilated back!) and a fully-fledged harness system.
This harness system (Dueter’s Vari-Quick harness set-up, in combo with its X Frame) is no afterthought, either. As part of my testing, I loaded the Traveller up with around 15kg of gear and went off for a day walk and had no comfort or load-carrying issues whatsoever. The Vari-Quick system allows easy adjustment for individual wearer height, while the X Frame just works, offering a nice mix of stiffness for support, along with some flexibility when you’re walking. There’s also a nice amount of ventilation on the back to help minimise moisture buildup between you and the pack. Compression straps help bring the load closer to your body and they disappear behind the zipped cover when not in use, making for a neatly proportioned bag that has no loose straps hanging off it (especially once you remove the adjustable shoulder straps) that could snag on a car boot lid or during luggage transfers at airports.
Speaking of packing for air travel, even though the Traveller is very “backpack” in appearance, it doesn’t neglect air travel concerns; inside, you’ll find a luggage stabilising set-up that ensures gear doesn’t slide/bang around when being transported, – and there are three handles to make for easy lifting too.
The Traveller 70+10 is a simple but very effective take on the do-it-all bag that is very well constructed and benefits from the Deuter brand’s long history of excellent harness systems and thoughtful design. The Traveller is also available in 60+10 and 80+10 sizes.
