AC Lite 17

The Deuter AC Lite 17 is a light, ventilated hiking daypack: 17 litres on an Aircomfort mesh back, with a front zip that opens the whole main compartment. Made from recycled polyester and recycled polyamide, it is built for quick days on the hill when you want water, a jacket and lunch on your back and air moving behind it.

Who it's for

Walkers who move quickly and carry light. Deuter rate it five out of five for hiking, and the 2-5 kg recommended load is a summer morning walk in the Border Ranges, a loop through Springbrook, or a fast lap of the Blue Mountains cliff tracks. If your day kit is a bladder, a shell, snacks and a phone, the AC Lite 17 carries it without the bulk of a framed trekking pack.

Capacity, and what actually fits

17 litres takes a 2 L hydration bladder in its own sleeve, a rain jacket, a light fleece, lunch and a small first aid kit. Mesh side pockets hold a bottle each, the zipped top pocket keeps keys and sunscreen handy, and a side smartphone pocket keeps your phone out of the main load. The pack measures 47 x 28 x 22 cm.

How it carries

A round-profile spring steel frame tensions the back mesh away from you, so the pack touches you at the shoulders and hips and leaves a ventilated gap in between. On a humid Queensland climb that gap is the difference you notice by the first lookout. Breathable hip fins steady the load, and a sternum strap that adjusts two ways keeps the shoulder straps where you want them.

Fitting it

The AC Lite 17 is one size, made for back lengths of 44-54 cm, which Deuter match to walkers around 170-195 cm tall. Snug the hip fins first, then the shoulder straps, then the sternum strap.

Access and organisation

A central zip runs the full length of the front, so you open the pack like a suitcase rather than digging from the top, and a zipper garage stops it creeping open on the trail. Outside there are gear loops for a jacket, a pole attachment and a glasses stow system on the shoulder strap. Inside sits a key clip.

• Full-length front zip opening with zipper garage
• Zipped top pocket and side smartphone pocket
• Mesh side pockets
• Hydration compatible, up to 2 L
• Removable rain cover included
• Pole attachment, gear loops, glasses stow, key clip

Weight

810 g empty for a framed, ventilated 17 litre pack. That is light enough to forget about on a fast walk, and the frame still holds the load off your back. If you regularly carry more than 5 kg, step up to a Deuter Futura with a larger capacity.

Looking after it

The fabrics carry a DWR finish made without intentionally added PFAS, and the pack is bluepass and Green Button certified. Deuter back it with a 2-year warranty.