Deuter Climber Children's Hiking Daypack I 22l Youth Trail & Alpine Backpack, Hydration System Compatible I Ages 6+ Up

Why did you pick this product vs others?: Great for age and beginners. The quality is great and cushion on back. It carries great weight and worked perfect for our 10 year old

We have three of these packs, our kids have used them from ages 6 through 12 so far with the usual backpacking complaints (how much longer, it’s dark out, the dogs are laying on me, and I’m cold) and joy (when can we go again, what’s for breakfast, look at that view, and I’m going to shower and nap when we get home). What they haven’t complained about is the comfort of the pack. It carries all of their essentials well (sleeping bag, pj’s jacket, hat, mittens, rain jacket, winter jacket, fleece, mini pillowcase, extra socks, survival bivy), one liter of water, cup, spoon, bowl, and snacks. All three are still small, and can only carry up to 10% of their body weight, keeping their packs light is a priority so my partner and I carry the rest.

Bought this pack for my 7yr old daughter to use for hiking overnighters. I was torn between this and one made by Osprey, but the Osprey was out of stock when I needed to purchase for a recent hike, so Deuter won out. PROS: -its a well proportioned pack for little bodies. The side tension straps cinch down the thickness of the pack nicely, so it doesn't feel overly bulky on my daughter to the point of brushing into everything constantly. - the brain has one external and one internal zippered pocket that nicely hold loose items that can be grabbed quickly. I stuffed my daughter's rain gear and a fleece sweater in and out of the top pocket many times on a recent trip, rather easily. - this pack has a durable coating on the underside, to stand up to mud and dirty surfaces. - all the straps have a generous amount of overage, for good adjustments as she grows. -zippers and clips are well made and will tolerate alot of wear and tear. - straps are well-designed and comfortable. Not a single complaint of them rubbing her neck or collarbone, or pressing into her skin. CONS - Despite the ratings saying it's designed for a 14-17inch torso, there aren't any significant ways to adjust, other than just fiddling with the tension straps. My daughter has a 14inch torso, and was complaining about it feeling too long, where she kept wanting the waist to be tightened to make the pack sit higher. Ospreys velcro adjustment on its torso is a clear winner here. The flip side is that I was able to use it as our day pack for a side trip, and I could just loosen all straps for it to fit my 5'4" frame. - the hip belt really could use at least one zippered pocket, able to hold chapstick, and a small snack. - the stretch side pockets can stand to be another 1-2" taller, and angled toward the body instead of away from it. My daughter carried a 33 ounce Smart water bottle in one side, and if not attached to a platy hose, would have slipped out every time she bent over.

My son is 8 years old and 4 feet tall, and this backpack fit him very well. We stuffed a sleeping bag and two mattress pads in there, so he was actually able to contribute to packing things in. Hiked about 4 miles roundtrip in it, and he was very happy wearing it.

I bought 2 backpacks for my boys with the intent of using them this summer for family backpacking. This pack out shines the osprey pack I bought (and I'm a fan of that brand!). Favorite feature was the size, & comfort with the waist strap/back support.

Excellent pack for our 8 year old and will last for a long time for him. He said he likes all the pockets and the different pouches are nice.

Love everything about this pack. Super lightweight, comfy as could be and just an overall winner!!

The outside of the pack, farthest away from the back of the person, shows what looks like a black elastic square designed to attach a helmet firmly to the outside of he backpack. Mine did not come with that which is disappointing, as this was for my son's first climbing trip. The inclusion of that feature was a big part of why I chose this particular pack. Overall, the pack seems decent, but I'm disappointing to not have the feature shown on the picture of the product.