Packs

I finally took the plunge and ordered the pack that will essentially house my life for the next year. After much deliberation and 'analysis paralysis' I decided to go with the Osprey Atmos 50, the Outside Magazine 2005 Backpack of the Year. My primary concern and cause for deliberation when trying to pick a bag was that I want to be able to use it as a carry-on, and not have to check it when I fly. At ~25in long, the Atmos 50 is slightly larger than the official carry on dimensions of 22"x14"x9"; this was the primary sticking point, but I think that there are a couple ways to reduce the size enough to pass it as a carry-on. We'll find out soon enough I guess.

The primary reaons I decided on the Atmos were it's ultralight design and construction, pocket placement and strap arrangement, all mesh back panel. For full details, see the official Osprey site.

The other pack that I looked at was the Deuter Futura, which came second place among Outside Magazine's backpack choices. What I liked about the Futura was the fact that in addition to top loading, it also allowed access to the bottom compartment direcly, which is a big plus. Its slightly smaller size was another nice factor, but I think it was a tad too small.

What ultimately disuaded me from this pack was that after trying it out fully loaded, I determined that the side and back (primarily) pockets were largely useless when the pack was full. A full pack also made it very hard to open and close the zipper to the bottom compartment. Finally, it lacked the number and configuration of straps available on the Atmos. I still think this is a great pack, just not for this trip.