Atom Packs The Prospector EP60 review: Ultralight for long distances

There’s something about Keswick-based Atom Packs that just feels cutting edge, forward thinking and modern. The Prospector EP60 is yet another reminder that this brand isn’t stuck in the past, making excessively chunky, heavy and over-engineered gear-hauling monsters.

Instead it’s riding the wave (or did it help create the wave?) of UK enthusiasm for ultralight, minimalist and streamlined hiking backpacks. The style is reminiscent of the American “thru-hiking” scene, but Atom Packs have given the whole concept a very British twist – and it works brilliantly.

The Prospector EP60 has a 60L capacity, but it weighs just 965g including a hipbelt. That’s joyously lightweight compared to many others. You get loads of customisable sizing options, as well as excellent features and a great balance between weight, comfort, durability and structure.

The back panel is rather basic with a flat, straight feel. This may polarise opinion: some will find it too simplistic, lacking in cushioning, ventilation and technology; others (like me) will find it a perfectly comfortable carrying experience.

Testing

Back system: panel, frame and harness

Commonly, when it comes to ultralight backpacks, the trade-off is that the back system is quite simple and straight-forward – and, undeniably, that’s the case with the Prospector EP60. You don’t get any foam cut-outs, ventilation air channels, trampoline-style suspended back systems or any of that other high-tech wizardry you see from many other brands.

Instead the whole set-up is quite basic and minimalist. The S-shaped shoulder straps, which are made from 10mm-thick foam and a 210-denier Robic Extreema face fabric, are pretty nice, moulding to the body fine and delivering a comfortable carrying experience, in my opinion – these are more in keeping with what you get from other brands.

It’s more the Prospector’s back panel and frame that seem very simplistic. On the exterior, the padded back panel is made from 8mm closed cell foam and at the base you get a lumbar pad made from 10mm-thick EVA Foam. On the interior, there’s a plastic frame sheet of very thin, hardened plastic with an alloy stay (a rod of aluminium) down the middle of it.

What does all of this mean? Ultimately, it means the Prospector EP60 has quite a flat back system, which delivers a certain type of carrying experience – a close-to-the-body feel with a sense of straightness and a touch of rigidity. This is what will polarise opinion.

Critics will say it’s not padded enough, is insufficiently ventilated (and thus makes you really sweaty) and is lacking in comfort. Others, like me, will love the simplicity of it all – particularly that close-to-the-body stability you get while carrying the bag, which ultimately delivers a sensation of closer integration between pack and hiker, as if you've become one seamlessly united unit. Which side of the fence will you fall on?

Back length and sizing

Atom Packs are always pretty good at catering for a broad range of size options, thanks to the brand’s modular-style approach to manufacturing backpacks. The Prospector EP60 is available in four back lengths: small (15”-17”), medium (17”-19”), large (19”-21”) and extra-large (21”-23”).

There is a handy article on the Atom Packs website (see here) with instructions and pictures describing how to figure out your correct torso size, which involves measuring from your C7 vertebrae to your iliac crest. If you’re in-between sizes, the brand advises going for the smaller of the two options, as this will “ensure a good fit”.

So, if your torso length is 19”, you should buy the medium pack not the large one. I’m 178cm tall and opted for the medium back length of the Prospector EP60 and it fitted me fine.

When buying an Atom Packs backpack, you also need to select the correct hipbelt size. There are seven options from XS to XXXL, fitting waist sizes from 28”-30” up to 40”-42”, which means all body shapes are catered for.

Volume, shape and weight

The Atom Packs Prospector EP60 has a capacity of 60L, but it’s also available in a 50L version (the Prospector EP50 is £20 cheaper at £275) and a 40L option (£325) that's only available as a custom design and not available off-the-shelf.

If you want a 40L backpack at a cheaper price, Atom Packs’ other ranges can cater for your needs: options include the Notch EP40 (£265), the Atom RE40 (£180) and the Pulse EP40 (£245). Annoyingly all prices went up by £10 on April 1 2025, but Atom Packs told us it was the first price rise in “around five years” and impossible to avoid due to ever-increasing costs.

In terms of shape, the Prospector EP60 feels and looks quite streamlined and minimalist for a 60L capacity. It has a thinner profile than many competitors, which feels nicely dialled-in and pared-back.

While many other packs with a 60L volume feel humongous, excessively wide and almost swollen and chunky, the Prospector EP60 has a far more sleek profile and isn’t too tall. Personally I love it – it’s a way more enjoyable carrying experience.

Atom Packs outlines in detail how the 60L volume is achieved in the Prospector EP60. The main body has a 55L volume and the two side pockets add 2.5L each, while the excellent front stash pocket – which is super-stretchy and feels very robust and durable – can add a further 5L, taking the total to 65L.

One observation I have regarding these volumes is that to get the full 55L capacity out of the main body, you probably have to load it up pretty high, meaning some of your kit might extend above the top of the back panel (particularly with smaller back length sizes), and may give the bag a slightly top-heavy feel.

Yet, as long as you’re not excessive with it, I think it works fine. Also, there’s a real sense of versatility with the Propsector EP60, which is ideal for long-distance trekking. Need to carry more food in-between re-supply points? The cavernous top section of the bag’s main compartment can cater for it without any worries (and this just means you’ll do less rolls of the rolltop closure when closing up the pack).

Taking on a section where less food needs to be carried? No problem – you can roll down the rolltop closure more tightly to a lower position, giving the pack a lighter, more streamlined feel. It’s as if you can transform the pack between different volumes for an ever-changing, fine-tuned feel on the trail.

Finally I get to the weight of the pack. The Prospector EP60 has an official weight of 965g, including the hipbelt. By most standards, this is ultralight, offering a big weight saving compared to most mainstream brands.

Consequently it’s well-suited to long-distance hikers taking on multi-day trips, particularly those who are trying to minimise their base weight. You can further reduce the weight of the Prospector EP60 by removing the back panel and hipbelt, but most users probably won’t choose to do this.

However the Prospector EP60 is far from lightest and, by Atom Packs’ standards, it’s not truly ultralight. The Atom RE40 is only 453g, for example, and the Pulse EP50 is 675g – so there are other gram-saving options available, but only if you can get your camping kit into a smaller volume, of course.

The benefit of the Prospector EP60 is the bigger 60L capacity and a higher maximum load, up to 19kg according to Atom Packs – although, personally, I’d prefer to keep it to 15kg max.

Features: lid, straps, pockets and weather protection

For a lightweight, minimalist backpack, the Atom Packs Prospector EP60 isn’t exactly short of features. There are loads of nice design touches and all of your hiking and backpacking storage needs should be catered for. There’s no lid, however, with Atom Packs opting instead for a rolltop closure, but personally I like this style and I don’t miss the absence of a lid.

In terms of straps, you get loads of webbing, loops, toggles and other places to attach your gear – the options are plentiful. There’s a specific sewn-in loop for attaching an ice axe, which works just as well for trekking poles too, while across the body of the pack there’s a “zig-zag elastic” webbing cord, which is ideal for storing a Z-rest foam sleeping mat or for drying out your clothes – Atom Packs really have thought of everything to help out the long-distance hiker.

When it comes to pockets, you’re similarly well looked after. You get two stretchy 5L side pockets, each of which is easily big enough to accommodate a 1L Nalgene (or two 1L Smartwater bottles, the thru-hiking favourite). The other main pocket is the front stash pocket, which has a 5L capacity and is a great extra option.

Made from a Dyneema stretch fabric, it feels super durable. On both shoulder straps you get two smaller stretchy mesh pockets, which are handy for items you need easy access to, such as a phone, GPS device, smaller water bottle or pair of sunglasses. As standard, you don’t get zippered pockets on the hipbelt fins, which is a slight omission, perhaps.

But you can buy them separately for £22.50, with each hipbelt pocket weighing 35g. Finally there’s a sleeve-like pocket at the very base of the pack, which Atom Packs calls its “trash port” – yet another clever addition.

Another little feature worth mentioning is the inclusion of hydration tube ports. Behind each shoulder strap, you get a port (hole), allowing access inside the bag where there is a hanging clip for your hydration bladder.

The Prospector EP60 is made from a number of different materials including Ecopak EPX200 across the body and base, a 200-denier 100% recycled polyester fabric with a DWR treatment. This material feels strong, durable and robust enough to cope with a battering from the rough and tumble – and atrocious weather – you’re likely to encounter on a long-distance trail.

The side pockets, shoulder straps and hipbelt are made from a 210-denier Robic Extreema material, the back panel is a 500-denier textured nylon that is similar to Cordura, and some of the pockets are made from Dyneema Mesh.

Final verdict

A wonderfully lightweight backpack with excellent trail-ready features for long-distance hiking – but it’s not designed for heavier loads.

If you're looking for a more robust gear hauler, check out our roundup of the best packs for backpacking.

About the author

James Forrest writes regular features and route guides for Trail and LFTO, and has been one of our main gear testers for the last few years. James is based on the edge of the Lake District so when he isn’t off on his latest crazy adventure or challenge, he’s walking in his local fells.