Description of Osprey Packs Atmos 65 Pack - 3800-4200 cu in:
Given the popularity of the award-winning Atmos 50, that Osprey introduced the Atmos 65 Backpack this season is no surprise. The lightweight Atmos 65, which comfortably holds more than 40 pounds of gear, is equally suited to either an overnight or a weeklong backpacking trip. Osprey gave this backpack its AirSpeed suspension, a sturdy but lightweight system with a beefy but forgiving aluminum frame as well as strong and flexible titanium struts. This pack will move with your body as you bound up the trail, scramble on rocks, and leap across streams. The breathable mesh back panel lets air circulate so you don't sweat to death underneath your pack. This pack has thicker harnesses than the Atmos 50 to accommodate a larger load. An ErgoPull hip-belt lets you disperse the load evenly over your hips so you don't get pressure points. The Atmos 65 has a sleeping bag compartment, an internal hydration sleeve, and several external pockets for gear you want to keep accessible.
Bottom Line: Make your escape into the backcountry with the fully loaded Osprey Atmos 65 Backpack.
A perfect fit! I am 5'11' 185lbs. with a mid size torso. The large Atmos 65 is the most comfortable pack I have put on. I loaded down with 40lbs. or 18 kilos and trekked my way through downtown Manhattan for a good 2 hours. Airspeed system added some much needed relief from sweat and really made the pack feel snug. Never felt off balance or over-burdened. Recommend not packing a bladder in the pack or the airspeed pocket, it will increase sweat. Recommend Rick Steeves’ pack cubes for org. 3 large ones fit perfect in pack.
This pack has two very redeeming features, one serious design flaw and several small pros and cons. The strong points are that it is just over three pounds and very comfortable when fully loaded. Some of this comfort is from the air flow mesh (airspeed) against your back. This air flow area also creates a great place to store a hydration pack or rain gear. Unfortunately, the airspeed frame protrudes into the main compartment and reduces the diameter by half at the middle of the pack (from 14 to 7 inches). You need to be very creative when packing, especially if you need to fit in a bear canister. I would hate to try packing up quick in a storm. Also, if you do manage to fit all your stuff around the airspeed frame it makes the two outside pockets so flat they become unusable. Not to mention trying to get water bottles into the two outside stretch pockets. Pockets on the hip belts are a nice feature but require two hands to operate. Also, the hip belts do not hang open when you pick up the pack so it requires four hands to put the pack on your back. Several small attachment/adjustment features on the pack are clever and useful.
The two things you want most in a pack is lightweight and comfort. The Atmos 65 fills this bill. I think I will keep this pack and use if for long day hikes where packing efficiently is not an issue.
I've used this pack for a year and a half and it's done everything I've asked of it and more. First off the tech specs are wrong: the pack does have gear loops and ice axe loops, just look at the picture! There is a "shove it" pocket that could hold a shovel. I've overloaded this pack and it always had a little room for more. One liter platy bottles fit just right in the side pockets. I've wrapped a 3/4 ridgerest around a thermarest for winter camping and the back straps were long enough. I use the sleeping bag compartment to hold my two man tent. I shove my sleeping bag deep into the main pack bag. Everything else goes around the hydration sleeve. Rain gear goes outside in the right zipper pocket. Filter and mug in the left one(with room to spare in both). The top lid always has room for that one more thing. Snacks and camera in the belt pockets. I do agree that zipper work is a two handed job. When you get to camp ditch everything and this is the best working hydration pack ever!Remember this is basiclly an ulta lite "frame" pack. If you ditch your bulky, heavy gear and pack right this pack will see you anywhere.
