The Atom Packs Notch is a 40L ultralight backpack with EcoPack (EP40) weighing 29.6 oz. It’s a trendy pack with an inner body that’s nice for fast-and-light in a single day journeys or day mountain climbing. The Notch is a roll-top pack with the standard structure of an ultralight backpack consisting of two aspect bottle pockets, a entrance mesh pocket, and a backside mesh pocket for storing snacks, hats, gloves, or snack wrappers. Whereas the pack is unisex, it comes with female-friendly S-shaped shoulder straps with stretch pockets to carry small bottles, electronics, a smartphone, or sun shades. A detachable hipbelt can be supplied.
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- Weight: 29.6 oz (840g)
- Quantity: 40 liters complete: 35L principal, 5L exterior pockets
- Kind: Inside Body (Plastic Sheet and 1 body keep)
- Gender: Unisex
- S-shaped Shoulder Straps: Sure
- Entry: Roll-top
- Hip belt: Detachable
- Load-lifters: No
- Pockets: 6 (2 open shoulder strap pockets, 2 aspect, 1 entrance, 1 on backside)
- Hip-Belt Pockets: No add-on out there)
- Seam-taped: No
- Bear Canister Compatibility: BV450 matches horizontally, BV475 and BV500 are finest carried on prime
- Supplies: Ecopak EPX200, 210d Robic Extreema, Dyneema Mesh, 500D Textured Nylon
- most really useful load: 15 kg (33 lbs)
- Worth: $270
Atom Packs is a British ultralight backpack producer positioned within the UK’s Lake District Nationwide Park, shortly changing into a premier cottage backpack producer in Europe. They make inexpensive customized and ready-made ultralight backpacks with EcoPak, a extremely sturdy, waterproof, and PFC-free material produced from recycled polyester. I reviewed their “Mo” backpack, since renamed the Prospector, a couple of years in the past and was impressed then by the standard and thoughtfulness of the design and manufacture. They ship packs internationally, so you should purchase them should you reside within the USA or different nations.
Notch Backpack Storage and Group
The Atom Packs Notch 40 (ready-made mannequin) is a trendy roll-top pack that appears actually cool in black Ecopak with gentle blue and orange highlights. (Atom affords this pack in a variety of customized colours, too.) Nonetheless, the inside is white, so you’ll be able to see what’s inside.
Whereas the pack material is waterproof, the seams usually are not sealed, so I’d nonetheless suggest lining the within with a plastic bag. The principle compartment will not be hydration-compatible, and there’s no place to hold a hydration system inside.
The Notch has two aspect water bottle pockets that may match two SmartWater bottles or one 1L Nalgene bottle. The bottles are reachable when carrying the pack. The aspect pockets have an elastic twine/cordlock combo to safe the bottles alongside the highest and drain holes within the backside to take away moisture. The pockets are made with “Robic Extrema”, simply Robic nylon with Excessive-Density Polyethylene Fibers (HDPE) fibers working by means of it and simple to patch with Tenacious Tape should you gap it.
The ends of the roll-top will be buckled to the perimeters of the pack with lengthy webbing straps or collectively on prime of the principle compartment. If buckled on prime, you’ll be able to loop the aspect webbing straps across the entrance of the pack for added compression or to connect gear like snowshoes or a foam pad. The highest of the roll-top has two plastic snaps to carry the highest closed earlier than rolling. I’m shocked extra backpack producers don’t use these snaps. They don’t catch on clothes like velcro, they usually present an excellent “roll” with out having to insert a stiffener.
The Notch additionally has a backside stretch pocket on the bottom of the pack, which has change into widespread on decrease quantity thru-hiking packs previously two years. Many individuals use it to stash a day’s value of snacks and meals or hats and gloves to allow them to be reached when you’re strolling with out having to cease. One finish of the pocket is open, whereas the opposite has a small trash gap the place you’ll be able to stuff sweet and snack wrappers for later disposal. The underside pocket is made with Dyneema Mesh and nylon 6.6, which is fairly sturdy, however I’d nonetheless anticipate this to be a put on level in the long run. If you happen to hike in Bear Nation, I’d suppose twice about stuffing meals into it until you propose to retailer the pack subsequent to your bear canister at a ways out of your shelter at night time.
The entrance stretch pocket can maintain 5L of things however will not be included within the 40L quantity of the remainder of the backpack. There are additionally seven material loops sewn into the seams of the entrance pocket which Atom has threaded with elastic twine. I’ve left it in place for illustration, however I normally take away cords like them as quickly as I get a pack that has them. I hike off-trail so much, and also you don’t need elastic cords hanging off a pack for that form of factor.
Backpack Body and Suspension
The factor that makes The Notch backpack an excellent carry are the interior body, the hip belt, and the truth that the pack is barely slim (10.5″ vast on the base), like a climbing backpack. All that makes it tremendous snug to hold, with a hipbelt that doesn’t slip.
The Notch body is a formed plastic sheet with a middle aluminum keep which comes pre-bent however will be modified should you want one thing just a little completely different. Each terminate within the heart of the pack, behind a modest lumbar pad on the hip belt. Each body elements are detachable, however there’s little motive to. As well as, the again of the pack behind the shoulder straps is padded with 8mm closed cell foam and lined with 500D textured nylon, which has a softshell look and feels good towards your again.
The hip belt has a single heart buckle with two tiers of webbing straps so you’ll be able to tighten it to match the form of your hips, enabling a custom-made match for each women and men. The hip belt is 4″ vast, backed with spacer mesh, and flippantly padded, with a modest lumbar pad within the again which helps hold the pack in place on the hip girdle. The hip belt is replaceable should you want a distinct measurement and is held in place by velcro behind the lumbar pad. The Notch doesn’t include hip belt pockets, however Atom Packs sells them as an non-obligatory add-on. They slip over the hip belt and are held in place by back and front webbing loops.
The shoulder straps are S-shaped, so that they’ll work for women and men, curving across the delicate bits They’re additionally flippantly padded and backed with spacer mesh. Each straps have daisy chains sewn on the entrance, however they’re each lined with sewn-on and non-removable stretch mesh pockets sized for a Smartphone or snack bar. Regardless of this, you’ll be able to nonetheless entry the daisy chains beneath them and transfer the sternum strap up or down. The elastic mesh of the pockets will maintain onto your cellphone even should you bend over however doesn’t present any moisture safety within the rain. The pockets are too small to carry water bottles nonetheless.
Exterior Attachment Factors and Compression
I’ve already touched on a number of exterior attachment factors, together with the webbing loops and elastic twine surrounding the entrance stretch pocket and the shoulder strap daisy chains. The Notch additionally has a prime Y strap which is appropriate for securing a foam pad or bear canister to the highest of the principle compartment. An ice axe loop and a bungee twine additionally safe the shaft.
Along with the highest compression supplied by the roll prime’s aspect straps, The Notch with a single tier of aspect compression straps made with webbing as a substitute of the ridiculous cords supplied by different pack producers. They supply a lot better compression and are good for securing lengthy objects alongside the aspect of the pack. Whereas the webbing straps are lengthy sufficient to safe a NEMO Switchback foam pad towards the aspect of the pack, they’re adjusted utilizing slide buckles quite than side-release (squeeze) buckles, which might be my choice as a result of it’s simpler to safe cumbersome objects with them.
Suggestion
Atom Pack’s Notch 40 is on the market as a inventory mannequin with a set of normal options or as a customized construct together with your selection of colours and different choices. I believe the inventory all-black mannequin reviewed right here is gorgeous in its look and performance. The pack carries splendidly due primarily to its stiff body and slim dimensions, extremely adjustable hip belt, and simply accessible pockets, that are reachable when you’re in movement.
Disclosure: Atom packs donated a backpack for assessment.
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