Deuter Climber 22L Backpack for Kids: In-depth Review

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As we discussed in the video, we’ve been really happy with the Deuter Climber 22L pack. We have found it to be a workhorse pack that is pretty rugged and able to conform to the evolving needs of our kids’. In other words, we think that it not only will handle the kids’ adventures of today, but also of tomorrow.

But like with any pack that tries to do many things, that comes with the “cost” of it not being specialized. So, if you have specific activities that your kids are getting into, you may want more of a specialist pack for that activity. But when it comes to a one-stop shop for a pack that our little guys can use, this pack fits the bill.

We do often get asked, however, what are some of the alternatives on our radar, and what are our considerations when making a selection.

First, there is a big difference between a kids backpack and - say - a tent, when it comes to our family’s considerations. With the kid-specific equipment, we are far more cost-conscious; we know that the kids are going to outgrow this early equipment. We are going to be buying it all more than once. Conversely, it’s hard to outgrow a tent. So, for the kids’ stuff, we do tend to look for more general-purpose items that can cover the fundamentals of the various hiking, backpacking, climbing, and camping uses we have. As they get older, bigger, slow down their growth, and get into more audacious objectives, getting equipment that does one or two things really well rather than many things well enough may be more appropriate.

Also, when it comes to backpacks in particular, the limitation is often your kid’s weight, not height. Kids are developing and should, therefore, be conservative about the loads they place on their bodies (the same things goes for any weight lifting slightly older kids might do). According to the health professionals at Sutter (and others), a child should not carry more than fifteen percent of their body weight as a pack weight. So, for a one hundred pound kid, that’s only fifteen pounds in pack weight. If that pack weighs two pounds, that’s only thirteen pounds of gear. For a fifty pound kid, that’s only seven and a half pounds of total weight (including pack). 1L of water, without the container, is over 2.1 pounds. You can see why getting a pack larger than 22L may not make sense for awhile.

But, once our kids are big enough to take on larger loads, I already know that a true backpacking pack is going to be needed. 22L just isn’t enough volume when they begin carrying sleeping bags, extra clothes, and water all on their own. If your kids are at that point, you may want to consider something like the Ultra Light Adventure Equipment Kids’ Spark. Now, you certainly are going to pay more for something so specific, but maybe it will be worth it to you. Unlike the Climber, the Spark truly has an adjustable torso length. You measure you kid’s torso length, now (see my video, above where I discuss how to measure torso lengths), and ULA makes that the minimum torso length on the pack. (Note, the smallest they can make it is twelve inches.) You can then adjust the shoulder straps on the back panel via a Velco attachment, to move to progressively longer torso lengths. Also, should you kid really hit a growth spirt, you can also replace the hip belts, to increase their size, as well. The XXS hip belt covers from eighteen to twenty-four inch waists, and then each hip belt after covers another four inches, incrementally.

But, like anything that is so sophisticated, there are some down sides. First, there is the cost. This is a real-deal pack, and you are going to pay for it. You also lose the simplicity that is the necessary downside of sophistication. From the Spark, you can remove the water bottle holsters, interior stash pocket, hydration sleeve, handloops, shock cord, and aluminum stay. So, now you are making specific setup decisions for each trip. That is great customization but also means there is prep work in getting your gear optimized for your particular next trip. Taken to the extreme, you can even bend that aluminum stay to the shape of your kids’ back. (Which begs the question, shape of their back when? Their back shape is going to change).

If you want something adjustable but with out all the bells and whistles, Osprey and Deuter have options, but not for the really little kids. Osprey has the Ace, which comes in the Ace 38L and Ace 50L versions. Deuter has the Deuter Fox 40L. All of these have an adjustable torso, but not the removable items that the Spark has. Please note that there is a Fox 30L, but this smaller size does NOT have an adjustable torso. These packs also cost considerably less than the Spark but more than the Climber. But, like with anything, that lower cost comes with a tradeoff, too. In this case, it’s weight. The Fox 40L and the Ace 38L weigh about 10 ounces more than the Spark. The Ace 50L obviously weights even more. That may not sound like a lot, but if you are trying to keep your kids carrying weight at that magic mark of fifteen percent of their body weight, that ten ounces can be a tenth or more of their carrying weight that you just ate up with the heavier pack. Have you reached the point where the extra volume capacity of the pack isn’t even useable because of your child’s physiological weight limitations?

So, the Climber will be with us for awhile. What it came down to, is two things: First, the technical attachment points on the pack accommodate the kids’ love of climbing, not just backpacking. Heck, it’s in the pack’s name. Second, the packs that were less than 20L just didn’t have the volume we needed to be able to backpack and camp, but the packs getting bigger than that just weighed too much for our kids to be able to use the space the packs afforded. So, insert the Deuter Climber. It can help us get to the crag, but it can also help us get to camp… at least for a number of years. And then, once camping with bigger packs is a real option, the Climber will still have its place as a great climbing and alpine day pack.