The Many Benefits of the Atlas Athlete Camera Backpack

There are a lot of pros and nice features to the Atlas Athlete pack. It’s nicely designed and works well.

Expands from 20 litres to 40 litres

The top-loading backpack shell easily expands from 20 litres to 40 litres. Atlas describes it as #EveryDayCarry mode and #GetOutOfTown mode. When the compression straps on the side and lid are all pulled tight, the gear area and camera core store about 20 litres with about 10 in the camera core. The camera core is permanently built into the back panel but can change sizes depending on what you are doing. More on that in the next point. Tons of daisy chains on the top and back can hold a bunch more gear if it doesn’t fit inside. The hip belt is removable as well if you are just cruising around town and don’t need the support. If you want to get out of town, loosen all compression straps and the lid and the Athlete can hold about 40 litres of stuff with about in the camera core. With the bag loaded down, you’ll likely want the hip belt on.The lid above the top-loading opening holds about 5 litres of gear and works well for quick access items.

Origami Camera Core: Easy Configuration

The camera core is permanently built into the back panel of the pack. It’s easy to lay the pack down on the water-resistant front and open the back panel between the backpack straps to get camera gear. The clam-shell lid opens large to easily get at all your stuff. There are a couple of stuff pockets in the camera core lid for smaller items like cards or hard drives.Photographers continually struggle with bags and the amount of gear they need to take. If I’m travelling, I’ll take most of my kit with me so I have it all, but if I’m going fast and light, I’ll take a camera body and one, maybe two, lenses. Sometimes I take a GoPro or 2. I don’t have a drone yet but that will come one some trips and not others. Configurability is the name of the game.The top row in the camera core  has 2 configurations. Pushed in means there’s more space for camera gear, 3 small lenses or 1 large one. Pull on the little handle and it flips out reducing the camera gear space by about 2 litres and giving more space on the other side in the backpack for other gear. A nice, simple solution for more or less space without using multiple removable camera modules.

Sticky velcro on dividers

Some camera bags use velcro dividers but the velcro doesn’t stick well. The velcro used in the Athlete is super sticky and easily holds everything in place. It’s so sticky it’s almost hard to place the dividers. Longer dividers with a bend in them and elastics to hold the tops together for even more configuration would be nice.

Space for a laptop

Inside the centre of the pack, just behind the camera core, is space for a 15″ laptop. It easily slides inside with no hangups. It would be nice to be able to put a water bladder in this spot as well so the weight is centred. It would just need a hanger loop and a hole in the shell to route the hose.

Space for gear

Small camera bags only have space for the camera gear. They can’t carry anything else unless it fits in one of the tiny pockets. With 30 more litres to store extra gear, the Atlas Athlete can carry lightweight overnight gear or enough for long day trips. I’ll use multiple layers of clothing, food and emergency equipment on a day hiking or travelling so it’s nice to have space for everything.

Well-padded shoulder straps

The shoulder straps and and hip belt carries 35+ pounds well. The pack is built durable like a hiking backpack just with camera features as well so I wouldn’t hesitate to take this one on longer hikes. I’d love to see a version with slightly more gear space for a few more days on the trail with just one pack.

Removable waist belt

The hip belt is removable. For just cruising around town in the #EveryDayCarry mode, it’s nice to pop out the hip belt. There are also 3 different sizes of hip belt you can get so it will fit almost every kind of body type.

Pop-out quick draw pockets

The small hip belt pockets can hold a bar or small cameras. If you want more space for a lens or more stuff, just pull out the quick draw pockets. They easily hold medium sized lenses right on your hips with no extra attachments. I haven’t seen this feature on any other packs. If you need a larger GPS or other lenses at the ready, these big pockets are perfect.

Multiple sizes

Pack size and hip belt size are configurable so they’ll fit almost every body size.The frame size comes in Short and Tall. Short is great for 5’0″ up to 5’9″. The Tall frame works well for 5’10” up to 6’6″.Once you pick your frame size, pick the hip belt size for your waist. Medium works for 28 to 32 inch waists. Large works for 32 to 36 inch waists. X-Large works for 36 to 42 inch waists.

What Needs Work

There isn’t much I didn’t like on the Atlas Athlete. There’s just one thing that could use work but is very minor.

Hydration bladder pocket on the side

Having a hydration bladder on the side of the pack means it can be off-balance with that much weight on the side. As long as you pack with this in mind with a tripod or heavier items on the other side, it feels fine. I’d prefer to have the water in the middle with a little hook and hose hole near the laptop pocket. I rarely carry both at the same time. I’m either shooting out on the trail and have a hydration bladder, or are travelling/editing and having a laptop with me. This is a small issue though and is easy to work around.

Conclusion on the Atlas Athlete camera pack

The Atlas Athlete pack is a fantastic travel and hiking camera bag. Its origami camera core and loads of extra space for gear make it a very versatile pack that will handle many situations outside. If you’re looking for a camera back that can carry extra gear, make sure you check out the Atlas Athlete. Atlas only have the Athlete and Adventure packs so far. The Adventure is the same size but has a slightly different configuration. I’ll be following Atlas closely to see what they come out with next. I’m expecting big things from them when their first camera bags are this good.

What camera bag do you use?

What are your requirements for a camera bag? If you have an Atlas Athlete what’s your review of it? Throw a quick review in the comments below. Atlas provided a sample backpack for this review. 

The post Atlas Athlete Camera Backpack Review first appeared on Pack & Trail.

Aqua Quest Sport 30 Pro Backpack Specs

First the specs.

• Price (MSRP): $159.95 (CAD)
• Manufacturers weight: 1.9 lbs / 850 g
• Capacity: 1800 cu in. / 30 L
• Size laid flat: 27.5 x 12 in / 70 x 30 cm
• Size closed: 21.5 x 12 x 9 in / 55 x 30 x 23 cm
• Color options: Charcoal, Red

The Sport 30 Pro is a good price for the quality and durability of it. It’s a bit heavier than some waterproof bags but you get more durability, comfort and stability for that weight.

Likes

Here’s a quick list of the good stuff.

• Stellar waterproofing
• Internal liner protects waterproof layer
• Mesh pockets on hip belt
• Moulded foam backplate for more support and cooling
• Extra reflective material on back

Dislikes

Not everything is perfect. Aqua Quest, here are my suggestions for making this bag even better.

• Fix the hip belts from pointing up
• Add more pockets inside
• Make the hip belt pockets bigger
• Streamline the look of the main compartment

Comfort: the most comfortable back panel

AquaQuest Sport 30 Pro back panel

AquaQuest Sport 30 Pro waist belt

Let’s get into the details a little more.Most waterproof backpacks have little to no structure making heavy loads uncomfortable. The molded foam back panel on the Sport 30 Pro gives it some structure and padding without drastically increasing the weight. It also protects you from poorly packed items inside or oddly shaped things like a camera tripod.While the pack felt comfortable with almost anything in it, heavier loads produced a slight concave curve to the back panel. This lifted the top of the panel away from my back and pointed the hip belt sides up a bit. The hip belt was still comfortable, just a bit higher than usual.

Storage: more than just a big sack

AquaQuest Sport 30 Pro internal storage

AquaQuest Sport 30 Pro internal liner

AquaQuest Sport 30 Pro hip belt pockets

Most dry bag backpacks are just one big sack with straps glued on. Storage on the Sport 30 Pro is like that too, one big sack. There are some upgrades to the storage on this one though.An internal nylon liner protects the waterproof outer layer and makes the inside easier to clean. Just flip the liner inside out to clean up after carrying dirty items or a spilled lunch. The liner is all black though so it can be difficult to see what’s at the bottom without direct light. During daylight hours it wasn’t a problem.An pocket about the size of a medium sized book is sewn to the internal liner near the top for more space to store small items. Nice for key’s phone, gps or inReach.The Sport 30 Pro has more storage on the outside than the typical dry bag backpack as well. Small mesh hip belt pockets, seven reinforced webbing loops on the front and one small water bottle pocket on each side holds more gear. 1 L bottles fit but barely. Smaller or narrower bottles like a cycling bottle fit great as did my GPS or snacks for the trail.

Stability

On one hike, I found myself late for an appointment and had to run back to the car. With water, lunch, extra layers and camera gear in the bag, I rolled the top down tighter and pulled in the shoulder straps and hip belt. The stability was as good as any 30 L pack I’ve tried running with when cinched down.Without it being relatively full it would be tough to tighten it down enough to not bounce around. Some sort of external compression system would help with the stabilizing larger loads or adjusting smaller ones.

Durability

A common issue with waterproof backpacks is the durability. Aqua Quest is known for the durability of their packs and the Sport 30 Pro is no exception. I’ve used the pack almost every day for the last seven months hauling lunch and gym clothes to work, camera gear and layers on the motorcycle and trail clearing tools into the woods. Weather has been everything between driving rain to hot sun. The pack is still in hardly showing any signs of wear and is still 100% waterproof.

Waterproofing

AquaQuest Sport 30 Pro waterproof testing

This pack was 100% waterproof to begin with and still is. 420D RipStop fabric, TPU lamination, a DWR coating, and heat taped seams should keep this pack waterproof for longer than other packs made with thinner materials. The roll top on the Sport 30 Pro isn’t meant to be submerged for long periods of time but short dunks are no issue.Keep in mind electronics in the mesh side and hip belt pockets will not be kept dry. During testing I had batteries in the mesh pockets while I had the bag sitting in a stream. It wasn’t long enough to kill the batteries thankfully.

Extras

AquaQuest Sport 30 Pro waterproof rolltop closure

AquaQuest Sport 30 Pro velcro on the rolltop closure

AquaQuest Sport 30 Pro water bottle pockets

Basic waterproof bags aren’t much more than a dry bag with waterproof straps. Sometimes that’s all you need. When you want to carry one every day, you might need a bit more. The internal liner makes cleaning and drying easy. The molded foam back panel increases the comfort when carrying and with heavier loads. An integrated pocket inside, hip belt pockets and webbing loops allow you to carry a few more things outside.One downside to the roll top is the lack of water bladder hose port or pocket inside. Rolling the top loosely left room for the hose though. Inside, the bag is certainly big enough to hold a bladder. There’s nothing to hang it from so it’s left to sag in the bottom.For those that go out at night, extra reflective striping on the shoulder straps and webbing help you stay more visible.One small complaint with the look of the bag is that it does still look like a big sack. The styling on the non-Pro version of the bag looks more sleek. In the bush I will take features and durability over looks every time but it would be nice to have both.

Conclusion on the Aqua Quest Sport 30 Pro

AquaQuest Sport 30 Pro – external storage webbing

Because of it’s comfort, durability and waterproofness, the Sport 30 Pro earns a highly recommended.Small improvements of bigger hip-belt pockets, lower hip-belts and a bit sleeker, more trim design would make this a perfect bag to wear for everything, every day.After daily use for most of this year, the bag looks great and is still in great shape. It’s comfortable and holds everything I need on a day-hike easily.Not ever having to worry about water getting in my bag soaking clothes or electronics was exactly what I was looking for in a pack. Aqua Quest does that and more.

Aqua Quest Sport 30 Pro Backpack Review

The post Aqua Quest Sport 30 Pro Backpack Review first appeared on Pack & Trail.

It’s only a 33 litre bag so it’s not going to fit tons and tons of stuff for overnight hikes but for every kind of day hike/ski/snowshoe, this is the one I’ve been using. That said, I have been able to fit everything I need for a couple days in it for warm weather summer camping. Sleeping pad, tent, sleeping bag, stove food, water. All of it. In a 33 litre! That might be more of a testament to how small and light gear can get these days than the awesomeness of the pack. But lets get back to the pack.

Basic setup of the Talon 33

The Talon is a pouch bag which means that it’s just one big pouch that you stuff everything into with a strap and lid on top. The Talon 44 is also laid out like this. The Talon 22 is a zippered pouch with no lid. The large pouch makes up for most of the storage space with the remaining few litres in the lid on top. There is one small pouch inside the lid and one underneath it. These work well for keys, cell phones or other things that you need to keep separate from everything else.

The large main pouch has a strap to slide it shut at the top and that’s about it. it’s only got the one opening at the top so if you need anything at the bottom, you’ll be hauling everything out. I’ve taken to putting small things into light stuff sacks to make it easier to organize and remove everything. On the front of the bag is a wet gear pouch with drainage hole at the bottom. Also at the bottom are ice axe straps and an adventure racing tow loop.

The Talon 33 has a separate compartment between the main pouch and the back of the pack for your water bladder and a little clip near the top to keep it from sinking all the way to the bottom of the compartment. The straps have small loops on them to keep the water hose organized and little elastic compartments for small items like a camera or a protein bars. The hip belts also have large zippered compartments on them. I can fit my point and shoot camera in one of them or my GPS. I’ve recently upgraded to a Garmin Montana 600 GPS from a Garmin Colorado 300. It’s quite a large GPS and it still fits.

There is no frame in the Talon 33 but it doesn’t have a bit of a stiffener in the back panel. You can still fold it in half if you need to but it gives the bag a bit of shape. The 44 has a light internal frame to it. The 22 just has a stiffener like the 33.

My favorite features of the Talon are the size, mesh belts and ruggedness. I’ve found the size to be perfect for almost everything I do. It’s almost a little small for some of the longer winter trips if I have to carry lots of layers but for the most part it’s perfect. The mesh belts and shoulder straps are adjustable, comfortable and breathable. I haven’t had them chafe at all and aside from the regular sweat from a good hike up a mountain they aren’t especially warm. The bag has been on countless hikes, ski tours, and snowshoe trips as well as travelling around Australia and New Zealand. Everything on the bag except for the ends of a couple small bungee cords that came off is in great condition.

If you’re looking for a decent sized daypack for almost any adventure, I’d highly recommend the Talon 33. I regularly travel, hike, ski tour and snowshoe with mine and it’s perfect for all those things. The only thing I’ve come across that it doesn’t perform well has been carrying skis. Luckily when I’m touring, my skis are on my feet most of the time so that hasn’t been an issue much.

If you’re looking at getting a Talon and have any other questions, leave a comment below or email me!

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