Atlas Packs Athlete vs REI Co-op Tarn 18 Pack - Kids'

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.

I bought this for my daughter’s first overnight backpacking trip. She was 6 and we did 18 miles in three days. This pack allowed her to comfortably carry the ten essentials, her down sleeping bag, a cut-down pad, her clothes, and a stuffed cat she sleeps with (in the outside pocket so Kitty could take in the views). The pack is very well made and comfortable

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.

My kids absolutely love this pack, we’ve taken it on several hikes and it’s perfect. It’s the right size to fit all of their essentials and fits them well so they carry it with ease (over rocks, across streams and up trees because that’s how my kids do hiking) The pack has held up to everything they’ve put it through and also cleans up well after their adventures. I have two kids age 7 and 9, one on the small side and one on the tall side for his age and this pack works well for both of them. This is one of the best kid day packs on the market and at a nice price point

This pack allowed her to comfortably carry the ten essentials, her down sleeping bag, a cut-down pad, her clothes, and a stuffed cat she sleeps with (in the outside pocket so Kitty could take in the views). The pack is very well made and comfortable. It’s a “real” pack that’s scaled down where many kids packs are frankly junk. I’m impressed by the design features, materials and build quality

Plus, our last trip, my daughter took an older model Half Dome pack that was not a perfect fit but a great size capacity for her gear. This one was too small for that same amount of weight/gear. Maybe we just need to get her smaller gear tho.

I am a petite woman (5'1") and this bag fits me perfectly. I use it for commuting and day hikes. The buckle with the whistle on the sternum strap is prone to slipping off, so I would suggest knotting the strap at the end to prevent losing it. Otherwise, no complaints!