I've been carrying the Atom pack for 3 months now. I use it as my EDC (Every-day Carry) bag. Without getting into discussion of man-purses and the like, I almost always carry some kind of bag with me and the Atom is the current favorite.
Looking through it now, it currently holds:
cellphone wallet bandana/handkerchief small container of various medications a couple of pens small notebook work ID container of alcohol gel 3 flash drives sil-nylon grocery bag earplugs business card holder lipbalm leatherman juice mini-sharpie marker small container of mints blackberry for work paperback very compact, soft baseball cap granola bar or two
As you can see, it holds quite a bit and yet isn't completely full and doesn't feel crammed. According to Patagonia is measures 427 cu in and is 15" x 9.5" x 4". It is one of those bags that looks pretty small but holds a lot. At times I've crammed it full adding a water bottle and other stuff to the above. Since it has no hard back, if you stuff it, it will be less comfortable to carry, but for reasonable loads it is comfortable.
It is designed to go over your right shoulder in a sort of cross the back carry, and it is sided--it won't hang properly across your left. It can take a little time to get used to how to put it on, but quickly becomes automatic. For short distances you can slip it over a single shoulder but it tends to slip off since it wasn't designed for that and the shoulder strap won't lie flat. One nice design element is that when worn as intended, it can just be rotated around the shoulder and goes from across your back to across your front very easily. This allows the bag to sit more or less horizontally in front of you for easy access to the contents or, in less savory areas or in crowds, for more security.
The shoulder strap has a small, fleece-lined pocket that could hold an MP3 player or a cellphone. The main bag has an additional fleece-lined pocket where I store my wallet but could be used for sunglasses or some electronic device. The main compartment has a mesh zippered pocket, the main space and a open top pocket across the back of the bag. An organizer panel of some sort would have been nice but considering how small the bag is it isn't really necessary. A small mesh pocket along the spine of the pack would have provided a place for a small water bottle but again isn't a big deal.
The outside of the main bag has two compression/accessory straps which I often use to hold a fleece shirt. They can be hidden away if so desired. I've run a piece of 550 cord through each of the hide-away pockets and tied it in a loop so that the cord sort of lies parallel to the straps. This may seem redundant, but I often clip my keys to the straps and on several occasions then dropped my keys when I when to unstrap my fleece. The 550 cord loops give me some place to clip to that can't be unclipped. I used orange cord and also like the look on the blue fabric. The shoulder strap has a quick-release buckle if you wanted to ditch the bag without slinging it over your head.
The back of the main bag and shoulder strap are made of a mesh-like material for breathability. The main bag is made of Patagonia's proprietary "double-weave" fabric which they claim extends the life of the fabric. It is 100% recycled but feels and looks very nice unlike some of the early attempts.
Overall quality is, as one expects from Patagonia, truly excellent. I've owned Patagonia gears for years and years and never been disappointed.
I think the Atom is great for everyday carry, travel, or even short hikes. I love it and my wife liked mine enough to get one of her own.
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