The Atlas Athlete Pack is a high-performance backpack designed for hikers, adventurers, and photographers who need consolation, digital camera storage, and sturdiness (with a lifetime guarantee). I’ve used the Atlas Athlete Pack since 2019. Over the final 4 years, I’ve taken my Atlas Athlete to the demise zone on Makalu Summit, greater than twenty completely different international locations, and numerous multi-day treks. In this evaluation, we are going to delve into the options and specs of the pack, in addition to my very own private expertise utilizing it.
ATLAS ATHLETE PACK REVIEW
As somebody who hikes nonstop, travels full-time, and is at all times carrying plenty of digital camera gear, you’ll be able to think about a backpack is kind of necessary to me. I exploit it every single day and retailer my Most worthy possessions inside. I spent just a few years attempting completely different baggage and had just a few that I loved however none got here near the Atlas Athlete from Atlas Packs. In this text, I’ll offer you as a lot data as I can and even share with you the backpacks I used up to now and why the Atlas Athlete outperforms them.
ATLAS ATHLETE QUICK SPECS
- Capacity: 20-40L Expandable
- Fits: Mirrorless w/battery grips and DSLR
- Fits: Lenses as huge as 200-600
- Camera Storage: 7-10 liters
- Non-Camera Storage: 10-30 liters
- Inches: 21h / 23h x 11w x 7d
- CM: 53.5 / 53.8H x 28w x 18D
- Laptop: Fits 16″ MacBook Pro
- Weight: 4.5lbs
- Carry-on: Yes
- Waterproof cowl: Yes
ATLAS ATHLETE PACK QUALITY
The Atlas Athlete mannequin is constructed with high-quality supplies which are constructed to final. I’ve completely smashed this bag through the years. Examples of conditions the place I’ve hammered this pack during the last 4 years and it has by no means ripped, torn, or come aside:
- Climbing into the demise zone on Makalu on glaciers, mountaineering, and excessive chilly
- Hiking via dense forests with sharp vegetation continuously catching the material of the bag
- Exposure to prolonged durations of salt water on longtail boats in Asia
- Many falls and crashes on hikes the place the bag is dragged over rocks and grime
- Thousands of hours of stress on belt buckles
- Years of use of zippers, typically with an overloaded bag
The Atlas Athlete is made with 500D Cordura nylon, which is abrasion-resistant and comparatively water-repellent, guaranteeing that your gear stays dry in any climate situations. The zippers are YKK and the buckles are Duraflex, each of that are identified for his or her sturdiness and energy. I can attest to that as I’m genuinely stunned to have by no means damaged a zipper. While the bag does face up to some rain earlier than it wets your gear inside, it isn’t waterproof. However, it has a water-resistant cowl which is waterproof.
WHO IS THE ATLAS ATHLETE FOR
Adventurers who use digital camera gear: wildlife photographers, hikers, trekkers, and vacationers. This is the premium journey bag that can retailer your digital camera gear. Even should you don’t journey typically, the digital camera storage compartment will entice sports activities photographers, wedding ceremony photographers, and concrete shooters. However, the primary draw to the Atlas Athlete is that it might probably carry a bigger load, a number of cameras, and lenses but be extra comfy than most different common digital camera backpacks.
WHO IS THE ATLAS ATHLETE NOT FOR
This pack isn’t for everybody. These are the explanations you shouldn’t purchase this backpack
- Photographers solely: This pack is just for photographers. The inside design is ready as much as preserve cameras organized and protected. If you simply have one small digital camera you don’t want the inside design, which takes up area and provides weight to an everyday again. This is the mistaken again for an everyday hiker or trekker.
- Budget: It’s not low cost, there’s no approach round that reality… There are backpacks in the marketplace which are underneath $200 and even some underneath $100 that can do the job on the subject of carrying your gear. However, you’ll make sacrifices in consolation, sturdiness, and inside storage design. I used to be utilizing cheaper packs however ultimately switched after just a few lengthy treks with baggage that had been carrying my digital camera gear however giving me again and neck ache as they weren’t designed for giant adventures.
- Regular vacationers: If you might be doing small adventures, exploring cities and by no means embarking on huge hikes or lengthy journeys, I’d say that the Atlas Athlete is doubtlessly overkill. I beforehand had no difficulty with my Wandrd 31L PRVKE mannequin (pictured under) for smaller day journeys, carrying a laptop computer/drone, and so on.
ATLAS ATHLETE STORAGE CAPACITY
ACCESSING THE CAMERA GEAR
As a photographer, having the ability to rapidly entry your digital camera and lenses can imply the distinction between getting the proper shot … or not. As a mountaineering digital camera bag, I would like to have the ability to rapidly cease, get out the digital camera, and put it away inside seconds, in order that I can proceed on my route.
The Atlas Athlete really permits me to simply take off the chest clip and spin it round in entrance of me. I then unzip, attain in, and don’t even need to take the bag off. Alternatively, I usually hike with a Peak Design clip on the shoulder strap which clips onto my digital camera.
The customizable digital camera compartment is nice for photographers who carry a number of lenses, a drone, or a couple of digital camera. I simply unzip that digital camera compartment and make my choice.
ATLAS ATHLETE PACK STORAGE SYSTEM
The Atlas Athlete pack is designed to be compact and light-weight, measuring simply 6 inches in depth. However, it might probably maintain a major quantity of digital camera gear due to its modern design. The bag incorporates a single-fold Origami Camera Core (TM), which creates 3-4 liters of area between the back and front of the pack. This area permits for simple group and entry to your digital camera gear.
The Origami Core is fastened and isn’t an insert like many different baggage, which saves on weight. It is totally customizable and so they offer you plenty of inserts to design it to greatest match the gear you are attempting to retailer. My tip is to place your heaviest gadgets on the backside to not overload the dividers.
The again panel of the Athlete Pack shuts tightly in your digital camera gear, guaranteeing that your tools stays protected and safe. This design additionally helps with weight distribution, making it simpler to hold your gear for prolonged durations. Even when the again panel is open, your gear is not going to fall out if packed correctly.
WHAT I USUALLY CARRY IN MY ATLAS ATHLETE
I normally have my pack set as much as match my every day digital camera gear. I’ve the highest flap down as I like to make use of that as a storage space for jackets, meals, and different gear that isn’t a digital camera. My common digital camera setup for a giant hike is:
- F4 24.105mm lens
- F4 16-35mm lens
- Sony A7riv
- Mavic Air2s and a pair of batteries
- Insta360 (facet pocket subsequent to a water bottle)
- Small accent bag with batteries and filters
- 100-400m (typically)
The relaxation is filled with meals, water, and garments. I’ve typically camped with it and carried out multi-day treks. It is usually a bit tight when you need to carry the sleeping system and further meals and so on. nevertheless it does work. I did the whole Manaslu Circuit Trek in Nepal with the Atlas Athlete and whereas I didn’t want a sleeping system, I wanted lots of heat garments, layers, and further gear. I carried a drone, 100-400mm, and two different lenses.
ATLAS ATHLETE PACK COMFORT AND FIT
The Atlas Athlete mountaineering digital camera bag is designed with consolation in thoughts. The padded shoulder straps and again panel present glorious help and cushioning, even when carrying heavy gear. The pack is totally adjustable, making it straightforward to attain a personalized match to your physique kind. The chest and waist straps can be adjusted to distribute weight evenly, lowering the pressure in your shoulders and again.
The principal cause I purchased the bag, is as a result of I needed one thing for multi-day or lengthy single-day hikes and adventures. I needed to have the ability to carry the cameras I wanted alongside the meals and garments required.
The Atlas Athlete makes use of a very stable hip belt that permits you to shift the load from the shoulders to the hips like an everyday backpacking bag from Osprey or Gregory. It’s as shut as you may get to an ergonomic backpacking bag within the type of a digital camera bag.
ATLAS PACKS HIP BELT OPTIONS
The hip belt on the Atlas Athlete pack is considered one of its standout options. Each pack comes with a customized hip belt that’s out there in a variety of sizes and types to accommodate completely different physique varieties and total load. The hip belt is designed to evenly distribute the load of the pack, lowering pressure on the shoulders and again and making it simpler to hold heavy gear.
One of the distinctive options of the hip belt is its Molle attachments, which let you simply connect and entry extra gear or equipment. The hip belt can be well-padded, offering additional help and cushioning to your hips and decrease again. Additionally, the hip belt options magnetic fastenings, that are straightforward to make use of and mean you can rapidly and securely fasten and launch the belt.
Overall, the hip belt on the Atlas Athlete pack is a key element of its comfy and purposeful design. The customizable sizing choices, Molle attachments, glorious padding, and magnetic fastenings all work collectively to make the pack simpler to put on and extra versatile for a wide range of actions and adventures.
ATLAS PACKS MODELS
There are literally two principal fashions on the subject of Atlas Packs. I’ve used each and might actually say that whereas I’m stoked concerning the Athlete mannequin, I don’t love the Adventure mannequin. I attempted the Adventure on a 7-day trek round Madeira Island on the Caminho Real 23. It wasn’t dangerous however I felt that it was a bit cumbersome and uncomfortable. There was an excessive amount of room for cameras and never sufficient gear for a bag that measurement on the subject of mountaineering. It can be nice for somebody who has lots of digital camera gear and must nonetheless take it on an journey. I can match all my gear within the Atlas Athlete, which I discover far more comfy and ergonomic. I ended up switching to a Gregory 70-lite backpacking bag for longer journeys and simply throw my digital camera gear in a dice.
BACKPACKS I USED BEFORE THE ATLAS ATHLETE
I really used the Wandrd Prvke 31L for a very long time. It did me very nicely for a few years and was smaller and extra compact. However, as my adventures began to get extra intense, the bag was letting me down. On lengthy hikes, I couldn’t match sufficient additional gear in and it was overloaded. It brought on lots of neck and again ache. Before the Wandrd Prvke 31L, I used a finances Victoria Tourist bag from Amazon that had a pleasant little digital camera compartment. It was $70 and served me nicely.
ATLAS ATHLETE AS PLANE TRAVEL CARRY-ON
The Atlas Athlete is virtually at all times okay for carry-on baggage. I’ve by no means had an issue wherever on the planet besides with very finances airways in Europe who offer you tiny bag allowances that just about no bag would match. It matches underneath the seat in an emergency however I at all times stow it overhead and it matches in each instructions. If you pack it to the max, it may be a bit suspicious because it appears like a backpacking bag so strive to not overload it and convey consideration to the bag.
ATLAS PACKS ACCESSORIES
Atlas Packs provide a variety of add-ons which are designed to work seamlessly with their backpacks. So whether or not you want a bigger hip belt for additional help, a sternum strap for higher stability, or an upgraded shoulder strap for extra consolation, they have you ever lined. They additionally provide you with modern designs reminiscent of nets, straps, loops, and buckles that assist connect ice axes and further gear to your pack.
I hope this was a real and useful information concerning the Atlas Athlete mountaineering and digital camera backpack. This evaluation has been 4 years within the making and I hope my sincere appraisal of Atlas Packs and the Athlete have helped you determine if it’s the backpack for you.