Osprey Atmos 50....

[gold bond]

Anyone used this pack? Whats the good, the bad and the ugly on it?

[Cuffs]

I have (had) the old model, they changed it slightly for spring '09. I love the new style and will be getting one. I did love my older model, only sold it to pay for the new one!

[Jayboflavin04]

I met a thru at big bald in april that had the old style Atmos. His hip belt was rubbing him raw on top of his hip bone(iliac crest). Dont know if this was a fitting problem or what not. Just throwing that out there for ya.

[Kerosene]

Here's a review of the older style Atmos 50.

[gold bond]

Thanks to all !!! I am thinking seriously about buying one ($199) cause I want to try to accomplish a few goals.... Lighten my load...I really like Osprey gear and I currently have the Cresant 85. It weighs 7.8 lbs and holds apx 6000 ci of "stuff"!! I want to go to the smaller bag and I have "seriously" went thru all my gear and have picked what I feel I really need and feel as though I can lighten my load. I can cut 3-4 lbs just on my pack weight with this pack!

[Jayboflavin04]

Goldbond,

The Atmos was my first choice also! I ended up in the aether 70 slightly lager than the Atmos 65, but heavier(boo). While I was dissapointed to end up in this pack I gotta say I like it. Very comfortable, and you can ditch the top compartment to lighten the overall pack weight. Might wanna try on the aether series also.

[Codger]

Good pack for less than 30# after that get a heavier pack.

[gold bond]

Thanks guys!! Definitly some things to think about!!

[Donnie]

If you are looking at Osprey, I would check out the Exos series. I believe it was introduced within the past year and it appears to be a great pack. Although I have no personal experience, I have heard great reviews from others.

-Donnie

[gold bond]

Looks good Donnie...Thanks!

[daddytwosticks]

The greatest selling point about the Atmos 50 (I have an older model) is it's ventilation...that is about it. It is heavy for it's capacity and somewhat difficult to load/pack (my opinion). Despite these shortcomings, I still use-and like-my Atmos 50 for certain hikes. Osprey makes nice packs. I also own an older Aether 60.

[bigcranky]

Is your current Crescent 85 pack filled up with gear when you go hiking? If so, you might think about downsizing your gear first, then downsizing your pack. I did that as I transitioned to lighter gear, moving from a Gregory Shasta to a succession of (slightly) lighter packs. It was easy to carry lighter gear in the big pack until I was satisfied that it would fit in the smaller pack.

As for the Atmos 50, I agree with Daddytwosticks, it's nicely ventilated but the curve in the suspension makes it hard to load, and it's heavy. Check out the Exos 58, which has a similar ventilated frame without the extreme curve, and is lighter and has more capacity. Both of these packs have metal frames that wrap around your hips -- make SURE that these frames don't dig in anywhere. I tried a Stratos pack for a while that was totally miserable for this reason (otherwise a nice pack.) I had an Exos 46 in size large loaded up on my back for an hour at a local outfitter, and the frame felt great all over. So just try to check before buying.

Also, be aware that major pack brands are often on sale in various places. If it were me I would try to avoid paying full price.

[bronco]

I started using one this hiking season. it is a nice pack much lighter than my other pack, half the weight and half the capasity. I have had the issue with the pack and my lower back getting raw and red. It is pretty uncomfortable and you have to keep aware of the problem. My gear is inside and mounted to the out side to carry my gear, my old pack everything is inside. the pack is not water proof so I have a large storage bag to put my gear in to keep it dry. I carry around 35 to 40 lbs depending on food. I like the pack it has 2 large pockets I put gear in that I my need during the day. You have to load everything from the top so I put the food on top. I got mine at a discount price so that helped me make the purchase to try it out. I like the pack it gets the job done.

[daddytwosticks]

Get the Atmos 50 (or any pack) professionally fitted! There is no reason to carry an uncomfortable pack!

[trailfoot]

I met a thru at big bald in april that had the old style Atmos. His hip belt was rubbing him raw on top of his hip bone(iliac crest). Dont know if this was a fitting problem or what not. Just throwing that out there for ya.

I switched to the Atmost 65 during my hike last year and I had the same issue rubbing my hip bone raw. It was a fit issue. The next town I got the Large and everything was OK. I like the 65 and love the ventilation that it has. I agree with some of the others that the pack is a little heavy for what you get but it is a nice pack and a lot of hikers last year had the Osprey packs. I asked everyone out there what they liked and disliked about the pack before I bought one.

[Ender]

I have the pack, and really like it. But I also understand that it's the type of pack that either fits you, or doesn't. I'm lucky in that it fits me well.

Pros: Great for hot weather. Comfy (for me). Light enough. Has a lid with a pocket. Great stuff pocket on front of pack.

Cons: Doesn't fit everyone (fits me though). Not the very lightest pack out there. Kinda wonky to pack because of the weird shape... you get used to it though.

I'm curious now about the new Exos series... looks about the same, but lighter.

[Powder River]

I thru hiked with the 2006 style and loved it, with a few caveats. These issues have been fixed in the '09:

On the old version, the double pyramid shaped frame bars jutted into the cargo space, creating a 3 inch ventilation gap. On the inside of the pack, these created two problems. One is that the packing space was not only limited, but irregular shaped. I found I could not fit a large sized food bag, but instead got two smaller food bags so I could pack them in "double barrell" fashion. This was not a big deal as long as nothing in your bag had a huge diameter, such as a bear can. If you did have a large diameter object, then it would push the frame bars (usually just one) out of the way, which in turn would dig into your upper or lower back where the frame bar makes contact. This would be extremely uncomfortable.

Usually this is the criticism you will find about the atmos, which has been fixed. I bought the '09 version, and the frame now has a cross beam structure and has been reduced to about a inch and a half of intrusion, so that when you are packing you only notice a hump from top to bottom of the pack, but not side to side. There is tons more space in the new model. The only drawback is the atmos has put on weight since 2006.

[Ol Mole]

I also have the 50 I bought 2 years ago. It is the most comfortable pack to wear, but I have difficulty squeezing everything into it. Those of you that have experience with it, please let me know what fits where. By the time I get my Sleeping bag and tent in the main compartment with clothes, there is little room left. I'd like to hear where others put their items. thanks.

[daddytwosticks]

Ol Mole...I've carried a WM Caribou, Prolite 3 short pad, Eureka Spitfire tent (one man), MSR Titan pot, Snowpeak Giga stove w/canister, generic camp flipflops...these were most of the bulky items. No filter (use Aqua-Mira) and a change of camp clothes and Therma-wrap insulation. Other small misc. odds and ends. Yes, it's very cramped with not much room for about three days worth of food. With a liter and a half of water, the weight starts getting up into the mid twenties.

[daddytwosticks]

Sorry...didn'y read the whole post! Water goes in the cramped side pockets. Flip flops go in one of the front exterior vertical pockets. Tent fly also in vert. ext. pocket. Rainwear in stretch pocket. Stuff needed often (TP, maps, snacks, water treatment, spare bandana, etc.) go in top lid or hip pockets. All other stuff in main compartment.