Atlas Packs Athlete vs Osprey Stratos 34

Important: Choose the Adventure or Athlete hip belt – otherwise you will have literally no padding on your hips. I don’t recommend using the bag without a hipbelt either. The Adventure belt is more comfortable as it provides two layers of foam padding and a wider webbing and buckle – it’s also bigger and bulkier.

There are downsides to the design—the frame and features make it heavy—but purely from a comfort perspective, the Stratos is a true standout. Weight The Stratos 24 tips the scales at 2 pounds 12 ounces, which makes it one of the heaviest daypacks among those with similar mid-20-liter capacities. For reference, Osprey’s popular Talon 22 is much lighter at 2 pounds 1 ounce (for the S/M size), Gregory’s Inertia 25 is 1 pound 9.4 ounces, and CamelBak’s Fourteener 26 is 2 pounds 5 ounces

I also purchased a Capture Clip from Peak Designs which allows you to fix the camera to the shoulder strap in place while hiking – a great addition to this pack.

What We Don’t One of the heaviest daypacks on the market at 2 pounds 12 ounces, and the rigid frame means it can’t pack down small. This is not a minimalist pack. All the features, cushioning, and structure are overkill for day hikers who don’t need the bells and whistles. Expensive for a daypack at $140

The only gripe is about the sleeping bag compartment it in no way can accommodate my sleeping bag. But overall very pleased.

The only caveat with this backpack is that it technically may not meet airplane carry on requirements. Most airport staff probably won't notice, and I usually put it below the seat in front of me without much issue; the backpack would stick out a bit, and I'm sure some flight attendant could have made a big deal if they wanted to, but it wasn't by that much. I would easily recommend this to friends if they asked me for backpack recommendations. Also, I don't recommend going too much smaller than the 34/36 liters

Great pack. Very happy with the purchase. The only gripe is about the sleeping bag compartment it in no way can accommodate my sleeping bag. But overall very pleased

Hey, don't throw away waist strap buckles of your previous model if you are updating. I attached them to the bottom of shoulder straps to clasp the new buckles in order to avoid hitting them with my hands while walking if waist straps are not used.