Atom Packs Prospector 60L Backpack

I’ve written about backpacks before, and mentioned my long history of trying many, from the ultra heavy, frankly overbuilt (for my needs anyway!) Fjällräven packs and also the excellent Granite Gear Blaze 60 which was my lightweight pack of choice until earlier this year. But hey, backpacks are such a crucial part of our gear that it was inevitable I’d find myself trying a new one again.

I became aware of Atom Packs from several YouTubers who were using them. They’re quite recognisable with their brightly coloured panels, and after actually going on a wild camp in Dartmoor with someone who was using one herself, I started to consider getting one myself, as having seen them in the flesh, I was really impressed with the build quality.

Atom Packs is a British company working out of small workshop just outside Keswick in the Lake District. They offer ready-made models and as well as fully custom packs (which you can design yourself through their frankly addictive online customising tool), and the company grew out of founder Tom Gale’s own time on long trails. That heritage really does come through. The designs of their packs truly feel refined by people who have carried them for weeks, not just drawn them on a screen. If you like supporting local makers who repair what they sell and obsess over materials, that is very much a part of the appeal.

Of course, their custom options are the most appealing but not wanting to splash that kind of cash without being sure that they were going to be a comfortable option for me, I picked up a used one on eBay and took it on the Affric Kintail Way a week later. Since then, I’ve used it on many other overnight hikes, and have now placed an order for a custom one (initiating an excruciating 11 week wait while it’s made!), and I also bought one of their smaller, 30L Atoms for day hikes and the occasional ultralight bivvy trip. To say I love these packs would be an understatement!

Let’s take a quick look at the Prospector. Previously called “The Mo” (apparently named after Atom founder Tom’s partner’s trail name, Motown), it is the biggest pack in Atom Packs’ range and it’s built for people who want the grams to stay low without giving up practical trail features like load lifters, a real frame and a padded hip belt. Atom Packs do offer a range of more stripped down packs for those gram weenies out there who can do without those features.

Once the pack is loaded, the weight sits close, and transfers cleanly to the hips, with the adjustable load lifters keeping the bag from tugging backwards on steeper climbs. The hip belt is removable and comes in a range of sizes, which helps you get more of a dialled fit. On paper the 60L pack comes in around the mid-900 grams mark depending on size, with a rated load capacity of about 19 kg, so you get real structure without a big weight penalty, and the Prospector feels very comfortable to wear, even with loads in excess of 15kg.

The primary fabric these packs are made from is Sailcloth EcoPak for the panels, specifically EPX200, which is a recycled 200 denier laminate with a cross ply that resists tearing. The base is upgraded to EPX400, a heavier 400 denier variant for extra abrasion protection where you plonk the pack down on rock and gravel. Side pockets, straps and belt use 210D Robic Extreema, a very robust high tenacity fabric that puts up with the constant scuffing bottles and bushes deliver. The back panel is 500D nylon for strength at the seam junctions and comfort against the body. In short, the Prospector is tough and durable.

It’s worth noting, however, that while Atom Packs use highly water-resistant laminated fabrics, but they do not tape the seams. That means that, unlike packs from manufacturers like Hyperlite Mountain Gear, the Prospector is not a true waterproof pack. In typical showery weather you will be fine for a while, but on a properly wet British day you should use a pack liner or dry bags for the things that must stay dry. Atom Packs state this plainly on their website. The upside is fewer failure points and simpler construction; the trade-off is that the liner becomes part of your standard kit. 

As mentioned above, the Prospector is made for carrying heavy loads. The big difference versus many minimalist ultralight sacks is that the Prospector has a proper frame sheet with an alloy stay, proper load lifters and a shaped, padded belt. That combination keeps the bag stable when you add several days of food, and it avoids that “barrel on the shoulders” feeling you get from frameless designs. The S-shaped shoulder straps and removable foam padding on the inside add to comfort on longer days.

Like any big load carrier, the pack has a removable hip belt, which comes in a variety of sizes. A comfortable hip belt is key to comfortably carrying heavier packs, as the majority of the weight should ideally be carried by your hips instead of your shoulders. Atom Packs sells clip-on pockets that can be added to this belt if you want additional storage for small items. I’ve personally found these really useful. While I also use one of the company’s Roo waist packs, as a photographer there’s a plethora of small items I need to keep close at hand, and so while my one hip belt pocket is used for a stick of sunscreen, a small can of Smidge and a small first aid kit, the other comfortably fits my DJI Mini 4 Pro drone (I use the waist pack for the controller and a few other small bits and pieces).

The main pack’s pocket layout is simple and very usable. The two side pockets are large and forward-facing, enabling you to grab a bottle or other item from them mid stride, while bungees along each side provide additional security for any longer items stashed in these pockets, like tent poles or hiking poles, and also allow you to cinch your load somewhat. Each pocket will swallow two one litre bottles (or, indeed, a compact cook set, tripod, poles, etc) and has drain holes, so you are not carrying extra rainwater.

Up front you get another pocket (the one I bought from eBay has a bullet net pocket, although I’ve chosen to have one of the stretchy Dyneema pockets on my custom pack) that has space for stashing items you’ll want to access during the day, and there are additional bungees on the outside of this pocket, providing space for other items like wet clothing. When ordering a custom pack, you can choose to not have these bungees, but personally I find them extremely useful.

Lastly, there is a genius little stretchy bottom pocket for snacks and bits you want on the move. This bottom pocket also has a small hole on the one side for you shove wrappers or other litter easily back into it. This is the kind of thoughtful feature that really sets Atom Packs apart from more mass produced bags currently on the market. I tend to keep snacks and a map in mine, although I know many people use this pocket for stashing small clothing items like hats and gloves too.

You can also get additional stretchy pockets sewn into the front carry straps, for keeping bottles, phones or other small items close at hand. The roll-top closes down neatly with a Y-strap on top if you want to lash additional items under it, while additional side clips and straps allow you to cinch down the top of the pack, compressing things neatly. These features allow the large 60L volume to compress easily down to around 40L, which makes it very adaptable to different seasonal loads. None of it feels fussy. It is all the stuff you actually use, placed where you want to find it. 

Simplicity is key here, and coming from a long past of fastidiously organising things into more complicated packs’ various pockets, I actually find this simplicity incredibly refreshing. It’s fundamentally changed the way I pack and organise my gear, for the better.

So who is this pack for? If you already hike light and want a pack that stays light yet still hauls comfortably when you add winter layers, a load of food for remote sections, or a couple of extra litres of water on dry ridges, the Prospector 60L is ideal. If you value simplicity, big side pockets you can actually reach and the reassurance of load lifters and a real hip belt, it makes a very strong case for itself as your long route pack. I’ve loved using mine and am looking forward to many future adventures with it.

The pack I bought off eBay was the medium torso size, which fits me but I did find very slight gapping between my shoulders and the shoulder straps. When it came time to order my custom one, I wanted to be sure I got the sizing right, so I contacted Atom Packs directly and ended up making an appointment to actually go to their workshop and get fitted. This turned out to be a lovely trip! I was shown all around the workshop, was able to see all the fabric options in person (as the colours can be ever so slightly different than they appear online, since our screens all have different brightness and colour values), was shown all the different features and different packs and got to try lots of them on. If you’re able to go and visit them, I’d highly recommend it! As it turns out, the small size torso was a significantly better fit for me, so that’s what I went with for my custom order.