Jack Wolfskin 3D Aerorise 40 Pack Review 2024

Ultralight and using innovative 3D printing tech, this Jack Wolfskin hiking pack is a sign of things to come.

PROS

• Lightweight
• Very comfortable carry
• Good options on side compression cord

CONS

• Very expensive
• Difficult to remove the floating lid.

When the Jack Wolfskin 3D Aerorise 40 pack first arrived on the CGR adventure desk our first impressions were – WOW. A fully featured trekking/hiking 40L pack coming in at under 1 kg is worth a look at. Also, our interest was aroused by the innovative 3D-printed back and lumber panels, they looked cool. What shocked us was the price – £400, yes you read that correctly. That’s way more than any top-end branded packs – so what’s with the price tag?

Well, as with any first production frontier tech you’re paying for being an early adopter. Make no mistake we’re going to be seeing a lot more of this tech – the newer Prelight Rise 35 takes the tech further and refines the Aerorise 40 by streamlining and reducing the pack size and ditching the lid (more of that shortly).

In the test, the Aerorise 40 proved to be a comfortable and good carry for various activities including day hikes, hut treks and climbing. For me, the 40L is more suited to shorter, multi-day adventures of the hut-to-hut variety. In my mountaineering instructor days, I’m sure I could have squeezed all my kit for a 2 nighter on mountain leader training courses. So plenty big enough for climbing days out in the mountains.

The 3D Aerorise 40 is plenty big enough for a full day of climbing.

The pack has a sewn-in lining that extends the pack for another 10L, this coupled with the roll top closure and floating lid offered plenty of room. It was very difficult to remove the lid, however. Why remove the lid? Well, you may reach your hut and decide to climb the next day and want to streamline the pack for climbing. This was pretty standard in my winter climbing days, also I often want to reduce the size of the pack for day hiking so easy removal of the lid is pretty important for me. It’s good to note that the newer Prelight 35 has ditched the floating lid so that takes the problem away. For some, however, it wouldn’t be an issue at all. The lid is fastened using burly aluminium buckles.

The material is tough, Bluesign approved 70D recycled nylon and felt robust and durable. It’s showing no signs of real wear and although it feels lightweight I’m sure it’ll last many years. The shoulder straps and hip belt are also comfortable without being too bulky and padded, they have worked perfectly fine, even under a heavy load of climbing gear. Pockets include 2 lid pockets with printed emergency procedures on the inside, there are also two side pockets and a zipped pocket on the hip belt. Annoyingly there is no key clip – at this price point, I would expect a high-quality clip on the inside lid pocket. The side pockets can be secured with the side compression cords and there are plenty of options with the daisy chain side strips and at the front. The compression cord can be fully removed to use at the front giving maximum lashing flexibility.

Streamlined for day hiking. It would be better is the lid was easier to remove.

There is also a separate, zipped pocket for hydration bladders with an exit on the left hand side and an elasticated hose retainer on the shoulder strap. The right hand shoulder strap has a hyperlon loop strong enough to load with a GPS for those who use it. The front is finished off with ice axe/hiking pole loops and a discrete Jack Wolfskin logo. The back length is fixed, I would say I am a regular pack length and the pack has fitted nicely – I’m 170 cm.

Finally, the 3D-printed back panels don’t look like much but are, without a doubt, the best part of the pack. Squishy and fully breathable with their honeycomb pattern. The more I look at them the more I marvel at the design and the way they have been made. I also like the way they grip my back meaning the pack doesn’t slide around when on the move.

So, like all frontier tech, yes it’s eye-wateringly expensive (although currently on sale – Jan 2024) but hats off to Jack Wolfskin for trying out new tech in a way that will become the norm. The Aerorise £D 40 is a good pack, well featured and perfectly suited to long days out in winter as well as shorter multi-day adventures. The design has been further refined with the Prelight 3D 35 which is due out in March 2024 but it probably rep represents a good buy at the sale price for those who like to be ahead of the crowd.

The Jack Wolfskin Aerorise 3D 40 is available direct from Jack Wolfskin UK. The SRP is £400 but is currently on sale at £240.