5 litre capacity
2.18kg weight
AG Antigravity suspension / hip belt system
Stow on the go trekking pole attachments
Hydration compatible
Bottom compartment with separate access
The Atmos AG 65
The first thing which really stands out about the Atmos AG is the stiffness of the hip belt. The hip belt forms a part of the stiff suspension built into the back system. Being used to the hip belt of the Xenith, which tends to flop downward until buckled and drawn in, this was quite surprising. The hip belt clamps in snugly to your hips, helping greatly to transfer the weight to the hips, keeping it off the shoulders.
The pack itself is quite weighty when empty – at just over two kilos. The weight of the pack isn’t noticeable when wearing however, thanks to the impressive load transfer.
The Atmos 65 is shockingly comfortable when carrying loads around the 15 kilos mark, feeling lighter and better balanced than some bags which tend to drag down from the shoulders at times.
The pack sits back nicely, as you can see above, it has a good straight profile.
A thick, padded mesh sits between the bag and your back, allowing good airflow to reduce sweating. This is a nice feature. No amount of breathable fabric in your waterproof coat will help you keep dry if your pack is in constant contact with your back.
Good airflow through the back
The shoulder straps are well padded also, although they don’t benefit from the more comfortable Bioform memory foam featured in the straps of the Xenith 88. The Xenith is a different beast however, intended for heavier loads. At the 15kg mark where I was using this bag, the straps were very comfortable.
Bottom compartment
The Atmos has a bottom compartment accessible by its own zip and separated by a layer of fabric. I use it to store my sleeping kit (sleeping bag, xtherm etc.) but some might wish to use it to store wet kit where it won’t wet out the rest of your stuff. The roll-mat straps at the bottom of the bag are tied up in the photo above, but they can also tuck up inside the rucksack if you don’t like the untidy look. This is the first time I’ve seen this in a pack – it beats cutting the straps off for those of you who hate the sight of swinging straps on a pack.
The Atmos 65 comes with a raincover – a welcome addition. The cover is a much more reflective luminous “hi-lighter” green than the fabric of the pack itself. I always felt the omission of an included raincover was pretty glaring with the Xenith 88, given its premium price point. It’s great to see it included in the Atmos. Like most raincovers, it’ll turn a shower or two, but it’ll eventually start to let water through when faced with a torrential downpour. It could benefit from a strap at the middle through the back, to keep it from coming loose and flapping around in high winds.
High vis raincover
The Atmos has a detachable top cover, useful for when you need to take a stroll away from camp, but don’t need to take everything with you.
The stow on the go pole attachments are easy to use and would prove useful for anyone who uses trekking poles. I rarely bother with trekking poles, but this is a useful feature, allowing you to stow your poles without stopping and taking off your pack.
Once the pack is weighed down around 20kg or more it gets much less comfortable. >20kg weight ranges are more appropriate for packs like the Xenith, with more rigid back systems. The Atmos back system compresses a little, causing it to hang against the back more and pull down more on the shoulders.
15kg really is the sweet spot for the Atmos. At this weight or less the pack feels like it floats. You’re still carrying the weight obviously, but the transfer to the hips feels natural, without pressure spots on the back or shoulders. I’m always a little skeptical of hyperbolic marketing terms like “Anti Gravity” – but the Atmos does feel uncommonly comfortable for a mid-weight load lugger.
Conclusion
The Atmos 65 AG is a fully featured pack. Neat features like the trekking pole attachments, separate bottom compartment and detachable lid are useful. At a weight of just over two kilos those features do come at a cost however.
It’s amazingly comfortable when carrying a weight between 10-15kg – which is the weight range you’d expect in a pack of this capacity. If you pack it down to 20kg or more with heavier items, it’ll not be nearly as comfortable.
If you tend to carry a load and you’re looking for a well-featured pack with unmatched comfort the Atmos AG 65 is a great choice.
Available direct from Osprey
The Atmos AG 65 is available direct from Osprey Europe. Click Here
Ed Benton
@HikersBlog
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