I have a lot of bags, probably more than most people. Most of it is due to my job, but some have also been personal purchases. I’ve tested many bags over the years and have my favorites. One thing I have come to accept is that there is no one bag for everything, but I’ve come pretty damn close with the new updated Deuter Speedlite 20.
I’ve carried the original Deuter Speedlite 20 for several years and it has been a great pack. While attending the 2018 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market show, I was able to get my hands on the newer updated version of the Speedlite 20. There are some similarities between the two and some differences as you’ll see in the side by side photos below.
I do have a home office that I work out of, but I do like to frequent my local coffee shop at least once a week. Weather permitting I enjoy working from one of the local Metro parks and that requires me to either hike in or bike in. Now I really like my GORUCK packs and my Recycled Firefighter pack and have used them A LOT, but sometimes it’s just a bit too much for my needs or I just want to keep away from the military/tactical pack appearance. That is where the new Deuter Speedlite 20 comes into play.
The Deuter Speedlite 20 is a total departure from the tactical bags. Even some of the tactical companies out there make ‘grayman’ bags designed to blend in, but they still have some tactical feel or look to them, in my opinion. That’s not really the companies fault, it’s just where their roots are. Deuter has never been in the tactical market, which makes it a great pack for urban adventures.
One of the pieces of gear I carry in every pack is my Crye Precision soft armor insert. The soft armor fits in every ‘tactical’ pack that I own, but doesn’t always fit into a ‘normal’ backpack due to its width. To my surprise, it slipped right into the hydration sleeve inside the Deuter Speedlite 20 along with my 13″ MacBook Pro. Bonus! I can now 100% blend into urban environments while maintaining some ballistic protection and have absolutely no tactical footprint.
The Deuter Speedlite 20 has the perfect amount of room to support both my mobile office and adventure/go-bag loadout. That allows me to move seamlessly between urban environments and rural environments. Because of that, I can now take my mobile office off the beaten path and enjoy the outdoors while remaining productive.
