Possibly the best lightweight day pack we've ever used from the nice people at Osprey on the other side of the big pond. Just don't wear it for mountain biking ;-)
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Osprey Atmos 25
Tested
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Price:
£70.00
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Weight: 880 grammes
(medium)
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Features:
Lightweight pack available in small, medium and large back
sizes, capacities 23, 25 and 27 litres respectively.
AirSpeed suspension system, contoured mesh back panel with
flexible alloy frame, thermo-formed and perforated waffle
pattern shoulder pads and hip-belt, hip fin pockets, full
panel loading main compartment with zip opening, welded
front stretch woven pocket, stretch woven side pockets,
hydration pocket, additional hydration cavity behind mesh,
ergo pull hip straps, side compression straps.
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Lightweight, comfortable, cool, stable.
Nothing really.
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The Concept The Atmos series is Osprey's take on the
lightweight day sac with the 25 being the smallest of the three -
there are also 35 and 50-litre versions available. The pack's aimed
at pretty much anyone looking to minimise weight but without
sacrificing comfort and stability. There's also more than a nod to
hot condition comfort with a suspended mesh panel back system and
perforated foam hip and shoulder straps maximising ventilation.
Features The Atmos is swimming with cleverly thought-out
detail, but the heart of the sac is the clever AirSpeed back system.
It uses a flexible top-spec aluminium frame with a tensioned mesh
back panel stretched over it. The frame bends with the torso, the
panel holds the pack away from the back for ventilation and comfort.
You can also pop an additional hydrationbladder inside it.
That's just the start though, the hip-belt and shoulder straps use
neat perforated foam, there are handy hip-fin pockets for quick
access to frequently used items like cameras and food, stretch side
and back poclets allow easy stuffing and a big zip gives rapid access
to the main body.
All the detailing is neat and carefully claculated too, so the big
zip-pulls are easy to grab hold of and the hydration tube guides on
the shoulder straps actually guide to pipe into just the right
position, angled inwards, instead of straight down. Nice.
In Action We've been using the Atmos for a few months now and
it's become our first choice day sac for everything bar climbing and
biking. It's a fantastic carry. Load it up, weigh the Atmos in your
hand then put it on. As soon as it's on your back with its close,
easy fit, it's as if the weight has been halved. It's uncanny, but
true. This really is a very effective lightweight back system.
It's also pretty damn cool in hot conditions. Perhaps not quite as
cool as a pack with open sides to the back cavity, but not far off
and, more to the point, it doesn't feel like it's trying to pull away
from the back the way some of those packs do. The perforated harness
and belt are comfortable too and the perforation certainly doesn't
hurt cooling while cutting grammes at the same time.
We also love the detailing that adds up to mostly hassle-free use.
Those mesh hip pockets are spot on for quick access on the move and
the stretch exterior pockets are just right for stuffing away spare
clothing and other wet things. Twin side compression straps let you
cinch things down when the sac is part loaded and you can rig the
hydration tube to route to either side.
It also seems to be larger than its nominal capacity of 25 litres,
more like a conventional 30-litre pack with the easy to access main
compartment swallowing a surprising amount. If things get too much,
you can even re-locate your hydration bladder in the cavity between
mesh and sac and free up some more internal space. A zipped back
pocket with water-resistant zip makes up for the lack of a lid
pocket.
Downsides? You need to unclip the top compression strap for easy
access to the main zipper plus if you use it for mountain biking, on
steep descents, the top bar can foul the bottom of your helmet and
restrict your vision, and yes, we did crash as a result... We'd also
be wary of using it in 'rough' climbing situations where rock
abrasion might be an issue.
We don't say this sort of thing often, but the Atmos 25 is a damn
near perfect lightweight day pack. It carries beauitifully, is well
suited to hot conditions and can be cinched down to be super stable
as well. One of the best day sacs we've ever used, period.
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Performance
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Value
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Pushed for time:
Damn near perfect lightweight day sac with a fantastic
ventilated back system, a great carry and fantastic
detailing. Lovely :-) Not cheap though.
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