Review: Deuter Race X Air

I got the Deuter Race X Air as a gift this summer from my wife. Since then it has gone on plenty of long rides in the woods, been used for commuting and hiking. The bag is great.
For long rides in the woods where you need to carry tools, a pump.  extra tubes, food, arm warmers and a jacket it is perfect.  Every detail is thought out on this bag, typical German design, nothing extra nothing overlooked.
At first glance it looks like a larger bag than it is, but because of the arched back it holds a bit less than it appears to. Don’t get scared off, it can hold all you need, I have even jammed a Lenovo x61s 10″ laptop in it.
It has an arched frame in the back to allow for better ventilation and to keep the contents of the bag from digging in to your back. That crazy thin mesh strap in the foreground is the shoulder strap. And that honeycomb pattern is reflective material.

The outside of the bag has a pocket that can hold way more than it appears at first. It has a hook for your keys and can hold your wallet, power bars and more.


The outside has a loop of reflectve material to hold a blinky light.

One the sides of the pack are two mesh pockets to hold bottles, clif bars, or dog treats..

The pack has a built in rain cover, that stashes in a pocket in the bottom of the bag. This bag is the 2009, the 2008 does not include the rain cover. So keep that in mind even though REI says it does.

 

The waist strap is really thin, which is fine since the bag can only fit 850 cubic inches.

The camel back bladder hydration reservoir can be removed easily with this big velcro opening.

The tube secures to the shoulder strap with velcro too.

The bite valve comes with a cover to keep it clear during transport.

 

The valve can be shut off by turning it inward.

 

The bladder secures with velcro. That big orange thing slides off to fill up.

 

It opens all the way so you can clean it, or fill with ice in the summer.

 
A look inside the bag.
You can see from the flash in this pic that the side of the bag has reflective material integrated in to it.
Deuter says:

The Race X Air hydration pack is the smallest of Deuter’s Race Series and is designed for optimal ventilation and just enough room for the essentials.

  • Suggested for singletrack and cross-country rides up to 2 hours
  • Advanced Air Comfort back system keeps pack from coming in direct contact with back; air passes freely though on 3 sides to help keep you dry
  • Highly breathable mesh shoulder straps feature lightweight anti-chafe pads
  • Features mesh side pockets and zippered stash pocket
  • Includes 2 liter reservoir and integrated, detachable rain cover
  • Reflective safety light loop, light sold separately

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *