New vs. Old Osprey Atmos 65

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oldranger
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New vs. Old Osprey Atmos 65

Post by oldranger »

On another thread I posted that I had managed to snag last years version of the Atmos 65 at a significant discount over the 2013 version. However when I looked it over there were 3 differences that resulted in my returning the 2012 version to REI.

1. The 12 version had mesh pockets on the waist band while the new version has woven fabric.

2. The shoulder straps on the new version can be adjusted for longer or shorter backs while the 12 version is not adjustable.

3. The waist belt on the new version has additional adjustment capabilities over the 12 version. (This appears to be an advantage for "widebodied" backpackers. but check comment below)

A friend suggested that I trade out the men's waist band for the women's but the waist bands are sewn in and cannot be changed. I checked out the women's version (Aura?) but the shoulder harness is much narrower and it would rub on my neck.

Conclusion: The Atmos 65 is 1 lb heavier than my Exos 58s but should be a little more comfortable at the start of long trips when food weight exceeds 20 lbs. One of the weak spots of the Exos 58 is that the mesh back panel extends around the frame at a wearpoint, consequently requiring regular returns for repair (FREE except for cost of shipping to Osprey). The Atmos 65 shares another weakness of the Exos 58 in that the wings of the bottom of the frame protrude in a manner that the fabric that wraps around the frame gets worn. This problem is resolveable however by covering that section with duct tape at the beginning of a trip so the duct tape takes the wear.

The good thing about the design of both the Exos 58 and Atmos 65 is that both are kind of hybrids between and external frame and and internal frame pack in that the "trampoline" mesh separates your back from the pack and allows air to circulate. I have noticed that my back is always much drier than than my companions at the end of the day. On the other hand the distance between the load and your back can create some issues if you are dealing with class 3 or higher terrain (which is now beyond my desire to negotiate).

One issue with the Atmos 65 over the Exos 58 is that there are no tie downs on the cap of the pack. I generally strap my 2 lb. Flycreek UL1 on the top of my exos 58. So I may be able to carry it internally in the 65 or I may have tiedowns sewed onto the top of the Atmos 65 when I get it.

A final issue with both packs is the wraparound design of the frame. If you have wide hips you need to make sure that the frame will not be to narrow. I have encountered a few people on the trail that complained about the frame being too narrow for them

Bottom line: I really like minimizing the weight of my total load and the Exos 58 does that but at the start of trips I really overload compared to the designed load. (Note I have had no equipment failures in the field due to the load though one strap did tear loose as I was tightening it last summer.)

Because I enjoy spending money on equipment I will buy the Atmos 65 (much cheaper expenditure than my wife's plan to remodel our bathroom) when it is on sale or I can use a 20% discount from REI. At 20% off it will be a little less than $200.

Mike
Mike

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whrdafamI?
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Re: New vs. Old Osprey Atmos 65

Post by whrdafamI? »

I bought one these packs from Mountain Gear for considerably less as it was a close out. I suspect it was a 2011 model. The hip belt pockets were also mesh. The problem I had was that straps of the hip belt were way too short. (Maybe I could lose a few pounds?) At any rate I returned it and got the newer model from REI. Have used it a few times and have been very happy with it. It seems to ride very comfortably and carries what I need for a 7 day gig. Nice to drop a few pounds from carrying my Arcteryx Bora 95.
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oldranger
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Re: New vs. Old Osprey Atmos 65

Post by oldranger »

Bill wrote:
The problem I had was that straps of the hip belt were way too short. (Maybe I could lose a few pounds?)
Geeze! I was thinking about cutting off a few inches of the waistbelt. The 2013 version also has the ability to extend the waistbelt by a couple of inches.

Mike
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Re: New vs. Old Osprey Atmos 65

Post by Rockchucker »

I have the exos 58 and love the way it fits and carries. For me it is huge, I can't hardly imagine needing more.
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Re: New vs. Old Osprey Atmos 65

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Loaded up my new Atmos 65 to total 40.5 lbs. then walked the "butte" yesterday. It was noticibly heavier than my Exos 58 loaded with 33 lbs. but still comfortable. Now if there was only a way of hooking it up to a helium balloon! Hmm how much volume to get 50 lbs of lift? Well with a little help from google about 900 cubic feet or a little over 33 cubic yards. Might as well try to ride an elepant up and down the trails!

Mike
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Re: New vs. Old Osprey Atmos 65

Post by Rockchucker »

oldranger wrote:Loaded up my new Atmos 65 to total 40.5 lbs. then walked the "butte" yesterday. It was noticibly heavier than my Exos 58 loaded with 33 lbs. but still comfortable. Now if there was only a way of hooking it up to a helium balloon! Hmm how much volume to get 50 lbs of lift? Well with a little help from google about 900 cubic feet or a little over 33 cubic yards. Might as well try to ride an elepant up and down the trails!

Mike
Instead of having the ballon lift all the weight how about 25% of the weight. Then maybe a weather ballon would work.
I'm no suture for my future.
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