Osprey Atmos AG LT 65 Review

The Osprey Atmos AG LT is the lightest version of the wildly popular Osprey Atmos. It is comfortable for hauling heavy loads deep into the backcountry. But the Atmos LT is lighter than the original Atmos, so it's more versatile for shorter trips as well. It's easy to use, has the most supportive back panel and hip belt of any pack we've worn, and has the right amount of pockets to stay organized without being too much.

Comfort

The Atmos AG LT is wildly comfortable. The mesh back panel and hip belt wrap comfortably around your body from the waist up to create a hug-like feel that feels supportive and doesn't bounce like some trampoline mesh back panels do either.

A suspended trampoline mesh-style back panel is common, especially among Osprey backpacks. But the Atmos AG LT takes the trampoline mesh one step farther by incorporating it into the hip belt as well. This makes the hip belt grap onto your hips, before even tightening the straps, creating a comfortable, supportive ride.

The suspended mesh on the back panel and hip belt feels strange at first, and some people might not like it right away. But after you've worn the Atmos AG LT for a while, you grow to love how comfortable this pack feels. It feels very unique, in the best way possible.

The back panel distributes weight across your back and hips very well. As you adjust the load lifters and shoulder strap length, you can feel the pack weight shifting from your shoulders to your hips and back.

With proper load lifter adjustment, you can load a surprising amount of weight onto the hip belt. When testing for comfort, all of our testers were shocked at how much weight shifted onto their shoulders when they unclipped the hip belt entirely. Even if you overload the pack, the mesh back panel doesn't bounce or sway as much as many suspended back panels do, either.

This pack is very comfortable in hot conditions, because it allows air to flow between your back and the pack itself. Since the back panel suspends the pack off your back, it creates ventilation for your back, reducing back sweat. If you commonly deal with chaffing in hot weather, this pack could help reduce uncomfortable hot spots that lead to chafing.

The shoulder straps are well-padded and comfortable. They are thicker on top of your shoulders, where you need the cushion, and thinner where they wrap onto your chest. The thick padding on top of your shoulders is very springy, while not feeling too mushy.

Ease of Use

The Atmos AG LT is very well-designed and easy to use. It has all the pockets you need to stay organized on the trail without having too many pockets, so it's hard to remember where you put that granola bar.

It has very large zippered hip belt pockets that can easily hold even the largest smartphone. Some backpacking packs struggle to keep up with the rapidly growing size of modern cell phones, but the Atmos AG LT has big enough pockets for practically anything.

You can access the main compartment through the top, a zipper on the side, and through a zippered pocket along the bottom.

You can access the main compartment of the Atmos AG LT through the top and through a side access zipper on the side of the pack. Unlike many full-featured backpacking packs, this does not have a sleeping bag compartment. Most of our testers don't use the sleeping bag compartment often, and we appreciate the simplicity that one less zipper creates.

Also, since the Atmos AG LT doesn't have a sleeping bag compartment, there is space to put a small zippered pocket to hold a waterproof pack cover. This is a useful feature that further sets the Atmos apart from other backpacks.

The Atmos AG LT has massive side stretch pockets to hold your water bottles. These pockets can be loaded from the top or the side. You can reach side openings of these pockets without taking the pack off, too.

It has an external stretch pocket on the back of the pack as well. This is where we like to store our tent stakes, bathroom kit, a rain jacket, snacks, and other items we want to access quickly. It also has two exernal compression straps to attach a large sleeping pad or other bulky items that won't fit inside the pack.

The top lid has a single zippered pocket that you can access it without opening the lid. The lid is also removable, and there is a small, minimal cover you can use to protect the cinch closure opening if you remove the lid to save weight.

Weight-to-Volume Ratio

At just 4.2 ounces, the Atmos AG LT is pretty light for a full-featured pack for backpacking. But still, this is not a lightweight pack, even when you copmpare it to other full-suspension backpacks.

The Atmos AG LT is a trimmed-down version of the original Atmos AG, so it is lighter than the original. But it's still not a lightweight pack, by any means. However, it doesn't try to be super light, focusing on comfort instead.

Adjustability

The Atmos AG LT is available in two sizes. You can adjust the torso length in one-inch increments along the back panel.

The pack can be adjusted to fit a 17-20 inch torso in the small/medium size. The large/extra-large size can be adjusted to fit 21-23 inch torsos.

The waist belt padding can be adjusted, which is pretty unique among backpacking packs. If you have a larger waist, you can extend the padded portion of the hip belt to wrap up to six inches further around your waist.

We've had several testers with different body shapes try this pack, and the Atmos AG LT fits all of them well. We find this pack's multiple adjustment points make it ideal for most people.

Should You Buy the Osprey Atmos AG LT?

The Osprey Atmos AG LT 65 is wildly comfortable for carrying anything but the heaviest loads. It has a well-ventilated back panel that wraps comfortably onto your hips, which is different than every other backpacking pack we've seen. This is our favorite pack for when you're looking for ultimate comfort.

What Other Backpacking Backpacks Should You Consider?

If you're looking for a lighterweight pack for minimal backpacking, you should consider the Granite Gear Blaze 60 or the durable thru-hiker favorite, the Ultralight Adventure Equipment Catalyst. For carrying even heavier loads, check out the Osprey Aether 65. If you're looking to cut even more weight, check out our review of Ultralight backpacking backpacks.