Advnture Verdict

The simple but super functional Deuter Gravity Motion SL has a trim silhouette, feels good and secure to wear, leaving arms free for scrambly approaches.

Pros

+
Dedicated shoe and chalk pockets,
+
Zips open nearly flat
+
Dedicated chalk/shoe storage

Cons

-
No hip belt

You can trust Advnture Our expert reviewers spend days testing and comparing gear so you know how it will perform out in the real world. Find out more about how we test and compare products.

First impressions

A lightweight backpack with a duffel-style full zip closure, the Deuter Gravity Motion SL is simple but highly functional. The shoulder straps are contoured for females and, paired with the cheststrap, the pack carries well (although there’s no waistbelt).

The Gravity Motion features Deuter’s own Lite Back (Gravity) System, where a tensioned Delrin U-frame provides flex and rigidity (even when the pack is half empty), but this can be removed if you’re hauling lots of kit and you wish to extend the pack’s capacity.

Behind the harness, the 3D Airmesh provides a secure and snug fit, while allowing airflow and preventing climbing gear from jabbing you in the back.

Explore the best women's backpacks in our buying guide
10 essential items for a backpacking adventure: don't leave home without them
Learn how to pack a backpack with these tips

Specifications

• RRP: $100 (US) / £90 (UK)
• Weight: 700g/1lb 8.7oz
• Volume: 35L/2140 cu in
• Sizes: One harness size
• Colours: Arctic/Navy, Maron/Arctic

In the field

Besides making the approach trek a comfortable experience, we found that the Deuter Gravity Motion SL is just as functional at the crag as it is at the gym. Inside, the oversized main compartment has loops to tie off rope ends or organize draws and other gear, and you can use this bag as a rope tarp. With the zipper fully open, the main compartment lays nearly flat. Spacious tubular side pockets hold shoes, chalk, guidebook, and more, while the zip and stuff organizer pockets in the right-hand tube can store snacks, sunscreen, car keys, and other essentials.

The zipper to access the main compartment is in the back of the Gravity Motion, between padded panels. A daisy chain on the pack front, as well as top and bottom lash straps, expands this bag’s capacity when you have more to carry than will fit inside. And, when it’s time to grab this pack and shoulder it, a haul handle on the backside makes it easy to hoist. However, we did miss having a waist belt.

Vermont-based writer, photographer and adventurer, Berne reports on hiking, biking, skiing, overlanding, travel, climbing and kayaking for category-leading publications in the U.S., Europe and beyond. In the field, she’s been asked to deliver a herd of llamas to a Bolivian mountaintop corral, had first fat-biking descents in Alaska, helped establish East Greenland’s first sport climbing and biked the length of Jordan. She’s worked to help brands clean up their materials and manufacturing, and has had guns pulled on her in at least three continents.