Patagonia Atom 24L Day Pack - The Little Pack That Can Do It All

A year ago, it was time for a new day pack. I had two conditions: it needed to be 22 to 25 liters in volume and come with a lifetime warranty. 

Enter the Atom 24L backpack by Patagonia.

Does it hold up? How much can you actually fit into 24 liters of pack volume? How convenient is the wide opening? Where can you go with it?

Let's answer these questions and more.

The Test Object

The Patagonia Atom 24 is a day pack that can be used for hiking and outdoorsy adventures, but it can quickly get converted to a city / office / work pack as well. 

It comes with a removable padded tablet sleeve that slides into a back pocket inside the main compartment. Alternately, the same compartment also fits water bladders up to 100 ounces in size. The pack features the little hole for the water bladder's hose as well as a small zippered compartment for the little things. That small pouch is spacious enough for a phone, small wallet, hand sanitizer, pen, lip balm, and a small snack. 

On the outside, the pack has two elastic side pouches for various items. They're deep enough for most phones. The pack features an adjustable sternum strap to secure it to your body. It is attached with hooks and can be moved up or down, depending on your preferences, or it can be removed entirely.  

Where It Was Tested

On countless day hikes over the course of a year, we put this pack through a lot. It ascended the summit of Mount Langley at over 14,000 feet in the High Sierra and descended into some deep canyons in the heart of Death Valley National Park. It scraped against many rocks, granite and limestone alike, got snagged on tree branches; and had its zippers opened and closed way too many times to count. Occasionally it took a trip to civilization in the big city, like Reno and Los Angeles.

What We Think

After complaining about day packs for a long time, I finally found one that I like. 

The padded back panel is very nice, because it keeps the water bladder insulated from my back. Speaking of the water bladder, this is probably my only critique point, since the pouch the bladder sits in is a bit too wide. The water bladder can unhook and collapse to the bottom of the pouch, and it makes it so you have to dig to access the rest of the pack. Giving the pouch an elastic rim would help a lot here. 

But otherwise this is a fantastic pack! 

I love the fact that the main compartment's zipper opens halfway down the sides. You are not digging around in a deep black hole whenever you need something, but you can actually open the pack far and look for items with your eyes instead of feeling around with your hands. After all these trips I have taken the pack on, the zippers still run as smoothly and effortlessly as on day 1. I can't say that about all the packs I've owned in the past...

I also like the measurements. The ratio of length to width to depth is great, and I often get surprised by how many things I can fit into a little 24-liter pack. It is wide and deep enough to fit a pair of trail runners; yet, it is tall enough for a 100-ounce water bladder or a tablet or a small laptop (up to 13"). 

What's really impressive is the quality of this pack! Yes, I know that Patagonia has high quality standards and an Ironclad Guarantee, but still - I put things through a lot of harsh environments here and am used to getting holes in everything from packs to pants and shoes. 

Especially the elastic side pouches usually get holes pretty fast, but after a whole year of at least weekly use, there are just a few snags on the left pouch while the right one still looks pristine. Does that mean my spatial awareness is better on the right side than the left?

The outside of the pack is very clean-looking; however, it still provides small webbing hooks here and there where you could attach straps or a bike light if needed. It does not come with its own ice axe loop, but you can attach one to the webbing. 

The shoulder straps are adequately padded. Even when the pack is full of water, gear and food, they provide more than enough cushion.

I like the tablet sleeve, too. Occasionally, I have to go to a big city and pretend to be a civilized person. With the Atom 24L day pack, I can just remove the hiking supplies, add the tablet sleeve with my tablet, and start driving. I don't have a need for an extra backpack for city or office purposes; this pack simply does both.

What Do I Usually Fit Into This Pack?

Here's a list of things I usually carry on day hikes with the Atom 24 day pack, so you get an idea of what 24 liters can do for you: 

• small compartment: card wallet, phone, lip balm, hand sanitizer (2oz), cough drops, hair ties, a pen, car keys.
• back pouch: water bladder, either 64 oz or 100 oz, depending on destination, weather and water availability.
• main compartment: sunscreen, small 1st aid kit, medical tape roll, rain jacket, fleece sweater or light synthetic puffy, beanie, 2 neck warmers, snacks, lunch sandwich, inReach, more snacks, candy (Haribo for the win!), headlamp, power bank, emergency blanket, extra snacks, a few dog p**p bags for trash, gloves, water filter with 2-liter Cnoc bladder ... and did I mention snacks? 

When packed with all this, I still have a little room for extras, about 3-5 liters' worth.

Would I Get The Patagonia Atom 24 Day Pack Again?

Absolutely! 

To answer the questions from the intro: 

1. Does it hold up? Yes, and surprisingly well. One day, when it eventually bites the dust, I can send it to Patagonia's repair facility in Reno and they'll get it back up to speed.
2. How much can you fit into 24 liters of pack volume? A lot! See the pack list above.
3. How convenient is the wide opening? Very convenient! I like seeing things instead of having to dig blindly through a deep cylindrical pack. Some people might be afraid of opening the zipper too far and letting things fall out, but you just need to be a bit cautious. 
4. Where can you go with it? Into the High Sierra on Class 2-3 routes, into the desert, to Los Angeles, and many more places. 

Photo Gallery

Just below the summit of Mount Langley

At Second Lake in the North Fork of Big Pine Creek

Scrambling in the desert

Snowshoeing in the middle of winter

The small compartment

A few signs of use after year 1

The padded tablet sleeve

The pack can also contain dog treats - the nose knows...