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M Osprey Atmos 25 Backpack REVIEW

by Jay Ham and Alison Simon

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Article Summary:

The Osprey Atmos 25 backpack is a small volume, internal frame backpack. At 2 pounds 3 ounces production weight (0.99 kg), the Osprey Atmos 25 backpack is not the lightest pack in its size class but it has plenty of features and performance to make up for the extra weight. By lightweight standards it's bombproof. Six external pockets and two hydration pockets make packing and then finding gear a simple task. What really sets the Osprey Atmos 25 backpack apart is the Airspeed frame, a trampoline-like, mesh back panel tensioned by a flexible hourglass shaped frame. The frame is stiff enough in the vertical axis to support weight, but has torsional flex to conform to your hips and torso as you move. Osprey combines tubular and rod aluminum to create a spring-loaded frame that suspends the Osprey Atmos 25 backpack away from your back, leaving 1.5 to 3 inches of open space behind the mesh back panel. No more sweaty back. The shoulder straps and hipbelt are perforated as well, making this one of the most breathable packs we've used. The space between the mesh back panel and the main packbag is a great place to store your hydration bladder and saves space in the pack for your gear.

Our pre-production Osprey Atmos 25 backpack has a comfortable carrying limit of about 25 pounds and, with a volume of 1,525 cubic inches, it is difficult to load the pack in excess of that. A slight modification to the hipbelt angle would increase the carrying weight of the pack and prevent the lower edge of the hipbelt from digging in to hips with a 25-pound load.

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