Speed Lite Pro 19

The Deuter Speed Lite Pro 19 is a fast-hiking pack that borrows from trail running: vest-style straps, drinks on your chest and poles you can stash without breaking stride. At 630 g it carries a proper day kit for long, quick days in the hills.

Who it's for

Fast hikers and peak baggers: a dawn-to-dusk loop of the Wilsons Promontory southern circuit, a fast push up the Staircase Spur to Mount Bogong, or a Blue Mountains day linking three tracks. Deuter rate it five out of five for hiking, and the recommended load of 6-10 kg is generous for a 19 litre pack.

Capacity, and what actually fits

19 litres takes a shell, a warm layer, lunch, a first aid kit and a head torch, with soft flasks up front. The pack measures 50 x 27 x 18 cm, and side compression straps cinch it down when it is half full. A stretch mesh front pocket swallows a wet jacket.

How it carries

Wide, perforated vest-style shoulder straps breathe the whole way through and spread the load across your chest. The LiteAir back uses a lightweight skeleton frame sheet with a flat reinforced structure, so it hugs your back without adding weight. Supple hip fins, stabiliser straps and a lightly elasticated sternum strap that adjusts two ways keep the load still when you move quickly over rough ground.

Fitting it

One size for back lengths of 44-54 cm, which Deuter match to walkers about 170-195 cm tall. Snug the shoulder straps until the vest sits flat on your chest, then set the sternum strap height and clip the hip fins.

Access and organisation

This is where the Pro earns its name. Soft flask pouches on the shoulder straps and a zipped strap pocket for your phone sit right under your chin, a zipped hip fin pocket holds snacks, and quick-release bungee loops on the shoulder straps take your poles on the move. The main compartment opens with a zip right around the top, and a zipped top pocket with key clip, a mesh side pocket and a wet compartment inside complete the layout.

• Soft flask pouches on the shoulder straps
• Zipped shoulder strap pocket; zipped hip fin pocket
• Quick-release pole holders on the shoulder straps; ice axe and pole attachment
• Zip-around main opening; zipped top pocket with key clip
• Mesh front and side pockets; wet compartment inside
• Loops for a mesh helmet holder (sold separately)

Weight

630 g for 19 litres with a full harness and hip fins. That keeps the pack out of your mind on a long climb and leaves energy for the descent.

Looking after it

The body is 120D recycled polyamide with a DWR made without intentionally added PFAS, and the pack is bluepass and Green Button certified. Deuter back it with a 2-year warranty.