I’ve now used the Everki Atlas backpack for few trips. I got it for traveling and is not meant to be my everyday carry (EDC) backpack. I needed a backpack that allows me to carry more stuff comfortably and I wanted features such as TSA checkpoint friendly and being able to stow it on top of my luggage so I don’t always have to carry it on my back.
The Atlas is a spacious backpack. If it is completely full it will have a hard time fitting beneath the seat on a airplane, but I generally don’t have it that full. The weight distribution has been excellent it so it doesn’t just press down on the shoulders and it offers plenty of pockets and compartments for organization.
The Atlas is a spacious backpack. If it is completely full it will have a hard time fitting beneath the seat on a airplane, but I generally don’t have it that full. The weight distribution has been excellent it so it doesn’t just press down on the shoulders and it offers plenty of pockets and compartments for organization.
The laptop compartment is adjustable and can hold 17” laptops and maybe even bigger. I’m trending the other direction and going away from larger notebooks when I travel so I’m unlikely to test its limits. It would’ve been nicer to have some padding to protect the laptop at the bottom of the compartment but the compartment itself doesn’t go all to way to the bottom of the pack.
The pouch for the tablet is larger necessary (I have a 10” Pixel C tablet) although it has a strap so the tablet wouldn’t fall out. Instead, I’d have prefered if they had two smaller pouches instead of a single large tablet pouch.
I really like the large water bottle pockets and the straps that keep them in place.
The biggest drawback is the easy access pouch at the front. There’s no flap or cover for the opening so it tends to open once you put something into the backpack. I might be pretty inviting to thievevs so I wouldn’t put any valuables there. It is definitely inviting to rain water so either buy a rain cover for the backpack. I eventually used velcro to keep it from opening and bought a generic rain cover in case I get caught in a storm.
My final nitpick is that depending on how you pack it, it might or might not stand on its base. Many new backpacks now are design to stand upright when put on the ground, but depending on the weight distribution the Atlas might topple over.
Having traveled both domestically and internationally with the Everki Atlas, I’m very satisfied with it. I haven’t found a urge to continue to hunt for another travel backpack.
