Osprey Atmos 65 Pack

Comments about Osprey Atmos 65 Pack:

I backpack for up to 5 days in the Grand Canyon twice a year, and have gone light weight, making this pack ideal. I typically carry between 25 and 35 pounds depending on how much water I have to carry. Anything over that goes beyond the pack's design. Because of its relatively small capacity and lightweight design, you most likely will also have to own the latest lightweight gear. If you do, this is a great pack!

Comments about Osprey Atmos 65 Pack:

I used this pack to hike Mt.Whitney, half dome & other day hikes. This pack was amazing up half dome on a summer day hike (17 miles round trip). Super light and comfortable, tons of room for a day hike. Mt.Whitney (2 day trip) was the complete opposite (winter hike-22 miles RT & 3ft of snow above 11,000'). I will admit, I had the pack stuffed (52lbs) which is probably why it was very uncomfortable. The pack suspension kept rubbing and digging into my shoulders so much that I actually had small bruises after 2 days. Again, I believe this only happened due to the heavy load.

This pack, like many has its strong and weak points, so...

Pros: Awesome with light weight (under 30lbs), Airspeed frame works great and keeps your back dry (compared to normal packs). Hip and shoulder pads are pretty comfy. The pockets were well thought out regarding locations and uses. The pack has a whole lot of custom adjustments for added comfort (under 30lbs).

Cons: Internal frame pokes into shoulders with +35lbs (and yes the pack was adjusted correctly). I am 5' 10" & 155lbs. With my torso, I needed the large size; however, with my thin frame the hip belt had to be cinched all the way, and still barely fit me. The pack is not the easiest to pack or unpack due to the top loading design.

Overall, I would recommend this pack for day hikes and light loads around 25lbs and really discourage anyone who wants to carry 35+lbs for more than 15 miles.

Comments about Osprey Atmos 65 Pack:

This is a great pack. I own several brands of backpacks (including 3 Osprey packs), but my Osprey Atmos packs are the most comfortable and best canyon hiking packs I have ever tried on. They carry a lot of weight very well. As a gear snob, I always end up buying the latest and greatest stuff. I often outfit large groups of people for Grand Canyon trips; every time the people with the Osprey packs seems to carry the weight better and enjoy their hikes more because of it. Out of all the gear I own, this pack continues to be my first pick. Buy this pack!

Comments about Osprey Atmos 65 Pack:

I've taken this pack for a few trips and really like it. It feels great. It has a great amount of room allthough I couldn't fit a bear keg into the main comparment, however, I've found that I can fit the keg nicely between the top compartment and the main compartment. Although rope and a bag is a lot lighter. I do wish the top compartment could be removed and used for short hikes once basecamp is set up. I have the large and am 6'3" and 160lb. The pack doesn't dig in at all when I carry it, like some have said.

Comments about Osprey Atmos 65 Pack:

I gave the #65-Large pack the acid test in the summer rains of the high snowy mountains of Norway on a month long hike. With the milege there and here at home it has carried 40 to 50 lbs. over a total of 500+ miles. It has been submerged in rivers and fallen thru ice crevices(just temporarily until I could get back on my feet) and looks none the worse for wear. In fact it still looks new! Everything inside stayed dry. Wish I could say the same for my boots. I was a bit concerned when being trailed by musk oxen on the high tundra plateau thinking perhaps the red color might confuse me with a bullfighter, but no problem. With all its' bells & whistles, pockets, straps, buckles, compartments, strength, water tightness, comfort adjustments and payload vs. dry weight, it's a winner. I've used many packs over the last 40 years and this one gets the Oscar. Now I am looking for another for my son.

Comments about Osprey Atmos 65 Pack:

I just finished a three week thru hike of Vermont's Long Trail with this pack and loved wearing it. Unlike other long distance hikes I've taken, even after 275 miles my shoulders and hips were never sore from the pack straps. Keeping my water purifier, stove, fuel, and a water bottle in the outside pockets allowed plenty of room for clothes, food, and hammock on the inside, and the sleeping bag in its own dedicated 'pocket', Thermarest on the outside straps. The mesh "pocket" between your back and the pack is a handy place for a hydration bladder and the hip pockets are great for a snack bar and small camera. Very thoughtfully designed pack. A Sea to Summit sil-nylon LARGE pack cover tucked in one of the side pockets made this thing bomber.

Comments about Osprey Atmos 65 Pack:

I purchased this backpack upon the recommendation of REI store employees. However, after extended use I have chosen to return it. I feel this pack is a good pack but there are other designs available that will suit my needs.
Note: This pack is NOT (what I consider) a true 65 liter pack. The area enclosed in the mesh back panel contributes to the volume and isn't a useful space. It is much more like a 55L pack.

Pros:
-Ventilation is excellent
-Numerous separated pockets allow easy stashing of items
-Hipbelt pockets more generious than others
-Padding on shoulders and hipbelt it superb, it isn't soft and cushy but it won't cause you to build up sweat either
-Shoveit pocket is great!
-ample access to main compartment via top, bottom and side access

Con's
-When loaded side (water bottle) pockets become difficult to use
-Water bladder sleeve runs into sleeping bag area, nigh impossible to replace a bladder once pack is even partially loaded.
-Curvature of frame makes loading difficult (its not that bad but compared to other packs it is a nuisance)

*Largest Con* (and my reason for returning)
due to the design of the frame the lower portion of the frame has quite a bit of curvature, I have found this rubs against an area just behind my upper hip bones causing initial discomfort and, eventually, trip-ruining pain. This will not occur on everyone, try it out in the store with an eye to any areas the frame touches you. I did not think of this issue at the time of purchase.

Comments about Osprey Atmos 65 Pack:

Like most reviewers here, I found the pack extremely comfortable in the store. It could hardly be felt even with the weights REI provides for testing. Opsprey tag claims that the waffle pattern on the hipbelt and shoulder straps 'reduces fatigue'. However, on it's first overnighter, carrying only 28lbs. over 10 miles, I found the shoulder straps digging into my shoulders and the frame pushing into my lower back. This seems to be a common complaint for lighter, more bony framed people. I'm 6'1" and 155lbs with a 31" waist. After the trip I had a a stiff lower back and sores on both collarbones where the shoulder straps dug in. This probably is only due to my tall, light frame and not as big a problem for more average-sized bodies. It also makes sizing a problem - a large fits my height but I had the hipbelt cinched all the way in. I would recommend to lighter, taller people to get a pack with shoulder straps & hipbelt that can be swapped out.

I would use this pack on shorter trips with less gear, but not for extended trips. As others have mentioned, packing around the internal frame is also an issue, but once you place a bladder between the frame and the mesh panel, things really open up. I find the 'hidden' zipper to be too small to provide much useful access to the main compartment - except for a shirt or small item that happens to be right underneath. I did enjoy the mesh panel for ventilation and will miss that on a pack with more back padding.

I decided to return the pack to get one with more shoulder & lower-back padding as well a swappable hipbelt.

Comments about Osprey Atmos 65 Pack:

I just took this pack to Joyce Kilmer on the Jenkins Meadow Trail. Going up to Jenkins Meadow (5 miles, moderate to mostly strenuous - think 5.5 hours of stairmaster) and carrying a 40 lb load, this pack took it all in stride.

Excellent balance and fit. This pack has the best waistbelt I have ever worn, and my other packs are Dana Terraplane X and Gregory Pallisade. You can tighten the waistbelt to where it absolutely will not slip down at all. Best load control of the three mentioned at 40 lbs. Possibly the most comfortable as well.

I was concerned about what appeared to be skimpy padding in the shoulder straps and waisbelt but that was not a problem. No sore shoulders or hips after 10 miles and two days. The pack forces the weight unto the hips, with most of the weight seeming to ride just above the upper glutes in back and the iliac crest on the side, and no pressure on the lumbar spine. I find I actually prefer a pack without a lumbar pad after wearing this pack.

My only beef, and it's minor, is that with a platypus inserted between the pack and the mesh backpanel, (and there are clips on the frame specifically designed for this) my back got sweaty. Without the platpus, the mesh screen backpanel is very well ventilated.

Some folks have complained about the elastic side pockets not accomadating Nalgene bottles and I could see that being a problem since pack compression straps are on top of these pockets. However, I think that most Osprey packs, and this one in particular, are especailly accomodating for hydration systems. I was a long time Nalgene bottle fan, but I have ditched my Nalgenes for a 2 Liter platypus hydration system and collapsable 1 liter playpus canteens. The latter fit nicely in the side pockets, as does a Pur Hiker water filter.

The upper back pockets hold tons of stuff that require quick access. One pocket even has an interior zipper that accesses the main compartment of the pack. I used the stretchy back "shovel pocket" to carry a ground tarp and a fleece jacket. There is a strap that secures any overflow, which later also included my long sleeve shirt.
I think this pack is extremely versatile. It is light enough to be used for dayhiking, and stout enough to carry the swag for a week long trip if you are going light to ultralight. I think that it would also be a fine choice for a 3-4 day winter hike in the Southeast.
I plan to use this pack for all of the above. After spending 3 days on the trail with this pack, I feel comfortable it can handle all those chores.

Comments about Osprey Atmos 65 Pack:

My overriding concern was to reduce the weight of my back pack. The Atmos 65 weighing 3 lbs. 10 oz was a reduction of approximately 1/2 from my current back pack.

I wanted an interior space for my down sleeping bag and the Atmos 65 provided just that.

The 4000 cubic inches of storage space proved more than adequate for my storage needs. Perhaps I could afford to move even lower in capacity but seeing that the next step down (Atmos 50 ) does not come with a sleeping bag compartment, I decided to stay with the 65.

The Atmos 65 is quite a versatile unit. The large inner compartment is accessible from the top as well as from a smart entrance from one of the side compartments. The inner compartment is divided by a fabric panel isolating the sleeping bag compartment but may be adjusted to form one continous compartment.

There is a floating top positioned above the main compartment which is standard on many bags.

There is also a stretch fabric panel on the very front which is capable of holding many of those quick grab items.

I especially appreciated the fabric pockets on the outside of both sides of the easily adjustable hip belt - a great place for camera, maps, etc. The pack also comes with 2 side pockets for such things as water bottles, etc..

The hipbelt and shoulder harness are not as "beefy" in respect to their padding due to the attempt to lighten the weight of an ultralight pack but this proved to offer no less support or comfort.

There is an internal sleeve for a hydration system - an important feature for me as I like to sip all day long as I travel.

The most revolutionary aspect of this pack is its "air speed" mesh covered space separating the pack it self from the user's back yet offering no less support or snugness of fit. It is difficult to describe this feature; you have to check it out. This space between the mesh and pack is also accessible for storage. I tried putting some wet socks in there to dry as I hiked. I also stored the water system in there for a try and it also worked well.

My main concern about the pack was that it did not have any adjustments for torso. I am 6' 3'' tall and for me, a pack with out adjustment has to land spot on for it to fit well. I am surprised and pleased to say that it did just that.

The construction, fabric, compression straps and zippers are all quality.

Needless to say I am very pleased with this pack and look to put it to futher tests on the trail.