The Trail 24 backpack by Deuter is a 24 liter backpack that’s designed to stay close yet get out of the way with design features that emphasis hiking, mountain climbing, and rock climbing alike. But how does it perform? My review:
As mentioned above, the Trail 24 is a 24 liter hiking pack. It is mostly built from 600 denier polyester in high tension or wear areas with lighter weight 210 denier polyamide used in areas that require more stretch and flexibility. It features a lightweight ” U” shaped internal frame constructed of Derlin, which is a stiff yet durable plastic resin. It has a moderately sized top lid with a sewn in zippered pocket that unclips to reveal a large, cinch closable interior compartment. It has one mesh water bottle pocket, a zippered side pocket, adjustable and stashable hip belt, compression straps, and even connection points for trekking poles, carabiners, and an included rain cover. It weights roughly 2 pounds 5 ounces (595 grams), retails for $130, and is available in multiple colors.
What I liked
When choosing a pack, I always look at comfort first. If you’re not enjoying the hike, what is the point Afterall? Thankfully, the Trail 24 is successful in this category. The combination or relatively thick padding in the shoulders, a firm yet flexible frame, soft padded back panels, and a comfortable waist strap creates a wonderfully comfortable pack that feels more worn than carried. The shoulder straps are wide enough and stiff enough to distribute the weight of the pack across the shoulders and chest, but soft enough to conform to the body and provide adequate cushioning. The pack’s back padding is soft yet provides structural rigidity, while preventing whatever gear is being carried inside from pressing into spine of the wearer. The hip belt, despite being thin and relatively light on padding, is wide and helps hold the pack in place while distributing some weight of the pack into the hips. I never experienced any pain or pressure points with this pack, even when loading it down with extra weight. Climbing, scrambling, and hiking all felt great with minimal shifting.
The construction quality of the Trail 24 is great. I appreciate the use of high denier, durable fabrics and precision stitching that’s used throughout. 600 denier polyester, which is known for its high abrasion tolerance, ability to hold it’s shape when wet, and general water resistance, is used in all the high wear areas such as the bottom of the pack, the hip belts, and the shoulder straps. Meanwhile, lighter yet still tear resistant 210 denier polyamide fabric is used on the outer body and lid to shed weight and provide some flexibility without sacrificing durability. The straps are thick and burly, while the mesh and stitching have both held up wonderfully to use both on and off the trail. As a whole, it is built extremely well, especially considering the weight.
I found myself impressed with the internal Derlin frame. It is essentially a high end plastic resin that is shaped into a internal wire frame that lines the perimeter of the pack. Not only does it appear to be impressively durable, it also provides excellent support for the pack and the user. It flexes and moves with user when needed, without bowing of folding under heavy weight when the pack is full despite it’s wispy weight. So far it has held up quite well to loads under 20 pounds. Time well tell more about long term durability, but I’ll report back if there are any issues.
Storage and access options are both quite good here. The pack offers a nice zippered top pocket on the lid, great for a phone, keys or other quick access items. Under the lid lies the large, primary storage compartment where large items like food, jacket and emergency supplies generally reside. Conveniently, this is also accessible from the back of the pack via a double zippered “U” shaped access point, allowing the user to access things from the middle or even the bottom of the pack without having to dig through the top. There are places for trekking poles, ice axes, and even crab claw “carabiners commonly used for climbing technical climbing trails). Everything has a convenient place, and the storage is plenty spacious enough for hiking, peak bagging, and full day adventures.
A few other things that I appreciated include pack stability, thanks to its close to the body design and sturdy cinch mechanism, breathability provided from the mesh laden pads and “Airstripes” back panel, and the nice visual design.
What I didn’t like
Even nitpicking, I’ve had a hard time finding anything to complain about with this pack. Personally, I generally prefer to have symmetrical mesh water bottle pockets, one on each side, but even though the traditional second pocket is replaced with a convenient side storage compartment, it’s more of a side-grade than a down grade here and purely personal preference. The second pocket can be used to hold a water bottle if really need be, so it’s really not a problem. Also, while lighter packs do exist, they’re not built this well nor do they provide this level of comfort or support. So yeah, not much to say here, which is a good thing.
Overall
The Trail 24 was designed to be a tight, stable, sturdy adventure pack that is suitable for hiking, scrambling, climbing and more. It achieves this and then some thanks to its simple, purpose built design and quality choice of materials. It is built great, feels great to hike in even in hot humid weather, and provides ample options for storing and hanging equipment off of it. It’s nimble, stays out of the way, and yet provides quick convenient access to anything inside. It’s also priced great, is built great, and provides enough color options that anyone should be able to appreciate it. It’s even constructed out of recycled materials. This pack is pure win.
The Highest of Recommendations
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