A close look at two backpacks buyers cross-shop. The Perimeter 50 leans on load carry while the Aircontact Ultra 50+5 answers with low weight, so the pick comes down to which you value.
| Granite Gear Perimeter 50 | Deuter Aircontact Ultra 50+5 | |
|---|---|---|
| GearScore | 65✓ | 62 |
| Capacity | 50 L | 50 L |
| Weight | 3 lb 2 oz | 2 lb 13 oz✓ |
| Rated load | 40 lb✓ | 33 lb |
| Fabric denier | 100 D | n/s |
| Price | $250✓ | $250 |
| Type | Backpacking | Backpacking |
| Frame | Internal | Internal |
Highlighted cells mark the better spec: Perimeter 50 in blue, Aircontact Ultra 50+5 in amber. A blank spec is never counted as a win. Capacity is shown for context and is not scored, since more volume is a sizing choice rather than better. GearScore is the overall rating (0 to 100); re-weight it on the full backpack comparison. Prices are current MSRP.
Put the Granite Gear Perimeter 50 next to the Deuter Aircontact Ultra 50+5 and the trade-offs are clear. The Perimeter 50 wins on load carry and price, and the Aircontact Ultra 50+5 pushes back on low weight.
The Perimeter 50 is a higher rated load (40 vs 33 lb) and a little cheaper. The Aircontact Ultra 50+5 is 5 oz lighter. On the default GearScore the Perimeter 50 leads 65 to 62.
Pick the Perimeter 50 if you care most about load carry and price, which makes it the better call for rough ground and hard use. Pick the Aircontact Ultra 50+5 if low weight matter more to you, or you are focused on counting grams on long miles.
The Granite Gear Perimeter 50. It is a higher rated load (40 vs 33 lb) than the Aircontact Ultra 50+5.
The Deuter Aircontact Ultra 50+5. It is 5 oz lighter than the Perimeter 50.
The Granite Gear Perimeter 50, 65 to 62 on the default algorithm. You can re-weight the factors to match your trip.
It depends on your priorities. Go with the Perimeter 50 for load carry, or the Aircontact Ultra 50+5 for low weight. The spec table above shows exactly where each wins.