Osprey Atmos 65

The Atmos 65 is designed for about a 30lb load IMO. I own several packs: Aether 70, Atmos 65, Gregory Boltero 70, Granite Gear Meridian Vapor etc. This spring/summer I have walked about 275 miles so far, partial JMT-PCT and San Rafael Wilderness 70 miles.

My newest purchase, Atmos 65, works very well up to 30 lbs more or less. The placement of the pack and hip belt on the small of your back is crucial in achieving the correct fit, I hear many complaints about 30+lbs and sore back. The hip belt emerges out of the back of the pack with seemingly little distance width wise for your back.

Although, I believe "they" have figured it out and the configuration is great. The pack placed too low and one experiences two points of pressure on the pelvis which is formed in the posterior dorsal (back) by the sacrum and the coccyx
(the caudal part of the axial skeleton), and laterally and anteriorly by a pair of hip bones.

If the pack is placed just above this and snugged down on the small of the back not the center back portion of the bone plate and than the shoulder and sternum straps are adjusted thoughtfully, an excellent fit can be had. Simply put, nudge the pack upward on your back fully loaded before snugging down on the hip belt of course.

I have just walked 2,600 vertical feet 4.5 miles and 5 miles back down 9.5 miles total with a 30 lb. load. This is my third walk in 4 days testing and adjusting to the new pack.

The pack works. In my opinion if you are carrying a 35-45 lb load the Aether or Gregory Boltero pack or similar is better suited. I am in the process of refining my loads for a 6-7-8 day outing down to around 30-32lbs fully loaded including tent and good food/snacks. An art form worth exploring.

I am discovering that I can enjoy great food and comfort while traveling light. The Atmos 65 is my inspiration for refining my weight/load for these extended walks (60-80-100 miles). The pack has great volume, packs well with a little patience and ingenuity. A great addition to my small collection of packs.

I use the Neo-Air sleeping pad, Marmot Helium bag, Copper Spur1 tent, very minimal but high quality clothes, 1 titanium cooking pot and stove, one H20 bladder and 1 16oz ss bottle for hot and cold, one titanium spork, 1 headlamp, H2o pump, 1/2 a book to read, lots of powdered
electrolytes, powdered green foods, dried fruits and walnuts/almonds, breakfast/dinner, power bars, SPOT gps and a few other odds and ends.

6 nights 7 days starting @ 32lbs including some H20.....Some can do better I'm sure but I am happy @ 32 for 7 days walk.

BTW I rarely take my 1lb 8oz Bear Vault along. I prefer 2 40' ultra light lines @ 2 oz. The Atmos 65 is good so far, time will tell.

After 10+ years of hauling around my Dana Designs Terraplane -- a gigantic load hauler that was super-comfortable but also really heavy -- I decided to to move to something lighter, especially for summer hikes in the Sierra Nevada.

Since I sweat a lot, and I've always heard good things about Osprey packs, I quickly zoomed in on the Atmos 65, both for its weight (~4 pounds) and the nifty ventilation system. I am writing this after a few overnighters and one 5-day trip.

The Atmos 65 is a very competent pack. Compelling features for it are moderately capacious hipbelt pockets, a separate sleeping bag compartment, and of course the ventilated backpanel (basically a tensioned mesh panel against your back leaving an airspace). It also has a rear mesh pouch, elastic side pockets, space for a hydration bladder, and the seemingly-obligatory dual ice-tool loops.

While the Atmos is competent, I can't say I love it; it's really good but not great.

- Bear canisters are required for the Sierra Nevada so I always carry one (the classic Garcia). Fitting it into the pack is trickier and tougher than it ought to be (the packbag is a little too narrow except at the very top and bottom).

- The vented back can be nice when it's windy but it doesn't, in general, feel that much better than my previous packs.

- The ventilated back really eats up a lot of packbag space, and it makes it even harder than with most other packs to fit the hydration bladder in.

- The frame support for the vented back apparently is designed for differently-shaped hips than mine. It occasionally rubs, although it's not a huge issue.

- The hipbelt pockets are harder to use than I expected, the big openings turn out to not be so big.

- It would be really really nice to have a daisy-chain of some sort somewhere on the pack to attach random stuff.

- The sleeping pad straps have said sleeping pad hanging so low that I've actually abraded holes in my pad stuff sack, just from setting the pack down (Sierra Nevada granite). This is really annoying!

OK, all that being said, this pack is light, I've gotten the fit dialed in and it is capacious enough for a weeklong trip without any real problems.

All of the above gripes are really pretty small: it could be better, it's not perfect, but it's a good pack. I certainly won't be returning it to the store. But I might not keep using it for 10+ years, either.

I wanted to love this pack but I could not get it to fit. I am 5'11" with a 30" waist. I needed the large for my torso and a small for my hips. I actually bought the medium, got it home, packed it up, and took it back. It hurt to wear for more than ten minutes at 30lbs.

It seems that the pack wants to ride away from the back because of the trampoline like mesh that is stretched between the aluminum suspension. At 30 lbs the pack did not ride solid at all. Consider also that it may have been largely an issue of fit. I actually considered keeping the pack and having Rainy Pass sew on a new belt.

The pack has a HUGE capacity. To get to 30 lbs I put every piece of camping gear I owned plus two gallons of into it and it still had room to hold more. I kid you not- this pack will hold a lot.

Problem is that it can't handle or effectively distribute the weight of a lot of gear. Along with the voluminous main body are really well placed pockets and bottom access. The Atmos 55 would make more sense to me given that the 65 could hold everything and the sink. The 55 would still be plenty large and wouldn't tempt someone to over pack with a pack that has a definite upper limit.

I decided to return the Atmos because no matter what I tried I could not find the sweet spot. And I tried everything. I was told by the outfitter that Osprey packs "don't fit everybody", and in my case they are correct.

Thing is, I still LOVE the design of this pack. I would still consider having one adjusted or altered if I say, found one cheap on eBay or something, just to see if it made a difference. I would do the happy dance if Osprey ever redesigned this pack to mate the pack body with the suspension that they use in the Aether line.

My 3 star rating is because of the fit issue. If this pack fit, I'm pretty sure I would have kept it.

Let me start by saying that until recently I had not packed for 25 years. I only have experience with two of the modern packs. I started off with the Lassen pack for my first two trips. I opted to go for something lighter for this trip due to knee surgery and back problems, and maybe age :-). The Atmos looked like it fit the bill well.

Received the pack last week and was very pleased with the construction and weight of it. I ended up with a 33 lb load with my new pack. Our trip consisted of a 1700ft ascend in just 2 miles, and a return decent of 1700 ft in just 1.75 miles. There was no trail, many very technical areas, several creek crossings/rock hoping and beating brush some of the way. We were int he Trinity Alps towards the end of July, it was hot.

I am 6'1" 255lbs and could not have asked for a more comfortable pack. The pack adjusted great and road very well. I think this pack will serve me well for quite some time. The only thing I would like to see changed is the water bottle holders. They are a bit of a bear to get bottles in and out of but the pack is designed for for a hydration bag anyway. Perhaps they will loosen up with some usage? The webbing of the pack keeps a nice airspace and does take up room in the pack but it was a "GREAT" feature for hiking in the heat.

Overview; I am very pleased with my new pack and would buy it again.

Pros: great construction, light weight, very comfortable, great ventilation by having the airspace between your back and the pack.

Cons: side water bottle pockets might be a little tougher to use than other packs? Pack is set up for a hydration back.

Well, 50 years of age recently hit me in the face. I have been doing a bit of day hiking for the last few years, but I haven't seriously backpacked for about 30 years. It was time to get back to it! But where to start with all the new packs and technologies?

I started my research online and liked what I read on the Atmos 65. I tried on on at a local shop and I was hooked! I just needed to get it for a price I wanted to pay. Scored it at Moab Sports as a 2008 closeout.

I just returned from an overnight trip on the AT. Yesterday I humped about 45-50 pounds with it (I was packing about 10-15 liters of water for my sisters I was meeting on the trail). In spite of my get gassed on the way up the mountain, the pack hauled it without any discomfort!

Today with a substantially lighter load, 8 miles never felt so effortless. Absolutely no problem! I am truly impressed with its comfort and ergonomics. Yeah, I've read some grousing about how its shape minimizes some of its usable space, but packed properly, this puppy can really haul!

I can't wait to try it for an extended weekend trip. Hope all my experiences with it will be this pleasurable!

This pack rocks! Fairly light weight, not ultra light. Take the time to fit and pack it correctly, and it will feel like an ultra light. I purchased the newer version, 2009 I guess. It is a very nice upgrade from the earlier model. I love the vented waist and shoulder pads! The back vent works great as well.

I took off .5 star only for the hard access to the hip pockets. They are really quite small. Expect to carry your fire starter, chapstick, small candy or just a few items similar to these in those. I guess some deduction for the intrusion of space inside the pack, due to the vented back, may be appropriate, but all good things come with a cost.

It's worth a dry back to me. I have packed up to 50lbs for a 12 miler and it was perfection! Any heavier and you may want to split up some gear with your buddy. Many exterior pockets that can be compressed makes this pack a winner for me. you may want to consider purchasing a small pouch to add to the waist belt.

At full price it's a great value. Very nice pack built with quality materials! Good job Osprey! Oh yeah...It looks cool too!

I bought this pack for winter hikes in the Adirondacks, and I love it. Weight distribution is unbelievable, like you're not even carrying a load- just make sure you buy the right size. I got mine at EMS, usually there is someone there with some knowledge of how the pack should fit.

The whole mesh deal on the back panel is not perfect- on a winter hike my back still gets pretty hot. But it is way better than my old daypack. I can usually avoid sweating now.

There are convenient ice axe loops, enough room inside the pack to stash crampons, and plenty of loops on the outside to conveniently strap your snow shoes to the pack.

The only thing I hate is that the top of the pack sits too close to my head. I seem to hit my head on it all the time. But that's annoying at worse, and definitely not enough of a reason to not buy this pack.

I've not used this pack for lightweight backpacking (nor do I plan to because I'm not into that), but I will say that for just an all around great winter pack, this is it.

This pack is a great pack. I personally think that the waist belt is useless as is for any weight if you have a curved back like me.

I replaced my stock belt with the belt from the Aether 70 (isoform). I got just the belt at Eastern Mountain Sports and have had it sewn into the original belt by a seamstress. It was a cheap mod. (fifty dollars) and with that modification the pack is perfect for me.

I live in New England and deal with the cold of The White Mountains and go to the heat and humidity of the Catskills and it performs perfectly.

I carry a bear canister inside on the top and all my gear fits underneath. I average under 30 lbs, closer to 25 fully loaded. I carry 2 liters and although it's not the most easily accessed the suspension is second to none for me.

It's a little big when ducking under fallen tree limbs like in the Green Mountains where its very overgrown and not as maintained but it's worth it.

I really loved how this pack felt in the store. the Airspeed suspension back-panel section seemed like it would be great given I live in Arizona and your back can get really sweaty humping a pack around.

The main problem with this pack is that that awesome Airspeed suspension is so far off your back that it takes up A LOT of room in the main compartment. No way the usable room of the pack is 65L with that Airspeed back panel taking up all that room. Had to return it after a couple of trips (Thanks, REI).

I have since gone ultralight, and the newer Osprey Exos series gets it right. the Exos still has the Airspeed suspension, but it much shallower. It is still deep enough to allow air to circulate behind your bag, but shallow enough not to eat up any space in the main compartment, and it's a POUND lighter than the Atmos!

If you are buying this pack for the purpose it is intended for you will love it. It is by far the most comfortable pack I have ever put on. I recently took it on the Kalalau trail in Hawaii and my back was never bothered, the Sierra Club rates this trail a 8 out of 10 as far a difficulty. This pack is not made to haul heavy loads so you need to either pack light or have a lot of the new light gear in order to go for a week. It is really only meant for 40 pounds or below but if you are a light packer or have light gear you will be glad you bought this pack.

It has a lot of pockets to pack you stuff well, which is one of the reasons why I upgraded to a new pack. My old pack only had one main compartment and then the top pouch.

This is a fantastic multi-day or even day pack. It is considerably light and well built. The mesh backing creates a nice wall of air between you and your pack eliminating any hot spots or sweat build up. It also has holes in the side for a hydration pack tube.

The waist pouches aren't too difficult to reach and it cinches up very easily. It even has a built in whistle into one of the front clips.

I have used it about 25 times and have not had any wear issues. I also put 65 lbs of water in it for training on the weekdays and it handles it without an issue.

It has plenty of adjustable straps to conform to your body to help eliminate and areas that you don't want overstressed.

I have owned 3 backpacks and this is by far the best. I won't buy anything except an Osprey from now on.

After section-hiking the AT from Springer Mt., GA to Rangeley, ME with a Kelty Flight 4500, I bought the Osprey for my final 220-mile section hike to Katahdin.

The Osprey was a great improvement in comfort and convenience. Though theoretically 500 cubic inches smaller that the Kelty, the Osprey held all my gear with a bit of volume to spare. Given the unexpected heat of Maine in August, I greatly appreciated the mesh back panel, a welcome contrast to the coated nylon against my back with the Kelty.

The many pockets were handy once I figured them out, especially the sleeping bag pocket, which also held my sleeping pad. Unlike the Kelty, the Osprey didn't collapse into a formless lump when unpacked, and it seemed sturdy, though I can't rate its durability after so short a test.

Now that I've completed the AT, I look forward to hiking other trails for this pack.

After a bad experience with a Mountainsmith pack I decided to go with this pack. I have been extremely happy with it. It carries well and it simple and intuitive to adjust.

As long as you don't plan on overloading this pack (45 + LBS) I think that you will be extremely happy with this pack. The internal frame does cut into some usable space in the pack and can make it difficult to locate items quickly, using stuff sacks has solved this problem for me though. And having the air able to circulate on my back is a nice feature.

Just got off the trail with this great pack, I've been through 3 different packs in the past few years looking for a good light comfortable pack and I think I will be keeping this one for awhile. Seems like it reely conforms to my back.

Only thing I didn't like was that the pockets on the waistband kinda shrunk after tightening the waistband making it hard to get my camera in and out.

The most comfortable pack I've worn in 40 years of backpacking. Trade in the pounds of your old pack for the ounces of the Atmos. The suspension is great and the venting is wonderful. I've used it for weekend and week-long trips and it is currently packed (32lbs) for thru-hiking the Long Trail (24-28 days). Lighten up some of your gear, pack the Atmos, get a skip in your step and have some fun.

You need to do a little warm up before you go on long trips. After the first day my hips were sore from the spartan padding on the hipstrap that is supposed to aid in ventilation. Overall though great pack, kinda small but the thru hikers that I met on the AT had managed to find a way to put two weeks of supplies in it so it can be done.

This pack is great...the only thing keeping me from rating this a 5 star pack is the internal frame supports that really cut into your space inside. The pack is very comfortable and easily adjustable. If the frame supports were closer to your back you could definitely store more gear! I consider this pack a toss up between it and my Gregory Z-55.

I bought this pack right as spring sprung since it was on sale. I was deciding between this one and another and my wife has the women's version the Aura, but this one went on sale.

My first trip out with it was amazing! Just a quick 5 mile overnighter, but my second was an entirely different story. The second trip was a few day adventure around Little Cottonwood Canyon, uphill it killed, downhill it weighed on me, I had to take a break almost every 15 mins!

My wife was making fun of me (which I think hurt worse than my shoulders did). So I sold it, paid the difference between the two original packs and got the other, I am so much happier.