Deuter Womens Compact Air EXP 8 SL Daysack- Review

I’ve had my old hiking daysack since I first ventured into the outside world of hiking and so therefore it’s had a good run and in that time I’ve become more aware of what I want in a daysack.  My previous bag was a decent size and actually a bit too big as I never really filled it on an average day out in the mountains.  One of my walking partners has a lovely compact bag which made me think that actually I could be better off with a smaller bag too.

I was contacted by independent outdoor retailer e-outdoor to review something off their website so based on the above I chose the Deuter Womens Compact Air EXP 8 SL Daysack.

Technical Specification:

• Mesh shoulder straps, mesh hip fins with two zipped mesh pockets and Aircomfort Flexlite back system for three sided ventilation
• Stowable helmet flap
• Hydration system compatible with separate bladder compartment, Velcro sealed drinking tube opening and tube line
• Internal organiser and tool mesh pockets
• Expansion feature
• 3M reflectors on hip wings
• Reflective safety light and tube loop
• Zipped front pocket
• Side compression straps also suited for fixing protective pads
• Detachable rain cover
• Material 250D Pocket Rip Nylon
• Capacity: 8L + 2L

Taking on a recent family trip to the Yorkshire Dales I was able to give the bag a decent test on space and comfort.

Firstly I like how it looks, visually speaking it’s very pleasing to the eye with the colour choice of Blueberry and Spring offering a nice change to the boring colours.

The bag fits snug into your body and offers enough packing space for my every day requirements when hiking, although I don’t tend to carry an awful lot anyway but it fitted my basics of waterproofs, 1 extra layer of clothing, lunch and water nicely.

I particularly like the expansion feature allowing you an extra 2L of space if required and the side pockets on the waist strap are a nice addition giving you easy access to small items like sweets, tissues etc.

Even though it’s a compact bag, there’s still room to fit a hydration system should you use one when hiking, but also side pockets if you prefer to carry bottles of drink instead.

There’s a detachable rain cover and a helmet holder (a mesh section located just above the rain cover), I wouldn’t use this as a helmet holder whilst hiking of course but would come in handy should I have a bit of extra clothing, maybe a thicker layer that won’t fit inside that you can then easily attached to the outside of your pack.

The Deuter Womens Compact Air EXP 8 SL Daysack is currently available on the e-outdoor website for a reasonable £58.95 with Free UK delivery.