Attitude Supply ATD2 Backpack Review

With a brand name like “Attitude,” you’d be forgiven for expecting the ATD2 Backpack to be brightly colored, oddly shaped, or even have flashy logos everywhere there’s a blank square inch of fabric. This “style for style’s sake” approach isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as we’re sure there are users out there who would find that appealing. However, Attitude Supply’s approach to their ATD2 Backpack seems to be very focused on functionality, and they even have a pretty complete and lengthy explanation for the features they’ve included.

These include a clamshell-rolltop combo opening for the main compartment, a removable frame sheet, waterproof fabric, and quality hardware. All of that in a package that’s more daypack-like than their bigger ATD1 Backpack. That said, there are still weak points in the design that we feel are worth pointing out, especially for a brand that seems very detail-focused and keen to iterate on their designs.

External Components

We’ve brought up styling first, so it’s only fair to address that elephant in the room before anything else. Far from the flashiest backpack we’ve seen, the ATD2 is very stealthy due to its all-black design. It has a fairly tall shape, which should translate to more weight centered on your back. It is fairly strappy looking due to the compression system, but strap keepers help keep the mess to a minimum. All in all, the ATD2 looks very sleek, clean, and inconspicuous.

Now, let’s talk about materials, which are a particular highlight for the ATD2. Beyond potentially appealing styling and a stacked features list, build quality is a far more objective way to evaluate a backpack. The main fabric is Challenge Sailcloth ECOPAK 600-denier recycled polyester. As the name suggests—and the fact that it’s waterproof laminated—it’s very weather-resistant. To be clear, water can still get inside this bag, whether through the rolltop or gaps in the zippers, so don’t go dunking this in the river. There are a few recognizable (read: reputable) names here as well, like Duraflex for the buckles and YKK for the zippers.

Attitude Supply says the Challenge Sailcloth ECOPAK fabric is comparable in abrasion resistance to the 500-denier CORDURA®. That said, they’ve also used a thinner X-Ply layer, so it definitely has a bit of X-Pac feel going on as well (minus the signature diamond pattern). Still, it’s not an overly thick fabric that’s too rigid or cumbersome. Spoiler alert: a lot of the pack’s structure is courtesy of a removable back panel, not the fabric itself.

Attitude Supply also makes it a point that the fabric is laser cut, which apparently lessens fraying. We assume that’s because the laser effectively singes the laser, eliminating loose threads. To be fair, we haven’t spotted any loose threads or fraying, and the ATD2 is overall really superbly made.

At the front, near the bottom, are three loops where you can hang extra accessories. External attachment points like these are particularly handy when you need to carry something bulky separately from the rest of your gear. Think yoga mats, shoes, a compact tripod, etc. Of course, you’ll need to use extra accessories like straps and/or carabiners, but at least the provision is there.

There are also padded handles on all sides, which is more common with travel backpacks and less so with daypacks like the ATD2. We dig it, though, since they’re very low profile, so they don’t clutter the look. In fact, we really like how we can’t feel the top handle against the neck. Other daypacks with really long handles can do this, and it bugs us whenever it happens.

Over to the sides are compression straps, four in total, with two on each. These help cinch the pack’s load even more, making the carrying feel more streamlined. Our only concern is that, given enough slack, the G-hook can disengage along the way. Tightening the straps mitigates this, of course, but you’ll have to do that often if you’re also frequently taking gear in and out of your pack.

A neat feature of these straps is that they come with VELCRO strap keepers. These are a step up from elastic loops other brands use to manage the slack on their straps. Both are effective and are much better than having none at all—we find dangling straps really bothersome and distracting, in case you’re wondering.

The water bottle pocket is a tad too loose for our liking. For daypacks like this, we usually use 18 or 21-ounce travel water bottles like a Hydro Flask Standard Mouth. Slick and fairly slender bottles like it can slip out. On the other hand, bigger bottles like a 32-ounce Nalgene fit more snuggly and, thus, are less likely to fall out when the bag’s tipped over. Fortunately, you can use the compression strap above to anchor your bottle’s handle (if it has one) for a more secure fit.

The thickness of the shoulder straps’ padding feels very reassuring. They’re beefy and might look stiff, but are fairly cushioned. They’re also contoured and naturally flow down from your shoulders towards the back.

The sternum strap has a conventional side-release buckle, which is still our preferred type over fancier magnetic ones. The strap is mounted on loops along the shoulder straps, with five loops on each side for five levels of height adjustment. This works for the most part, though it doesn’t offer the granularity of a sliding sternum strap you can find on other backpacks.

We’re also not fans of the toggle anchoring the sternum strap on the loops. Caught at the right angle, toggles like these can still slip out, based on our experience. However, that hasn’t happened with the ATD2, and the toggle is chunky enough to minimize the chances of that happening.

There’s also a waist strap in case you need the extra support. It won’t take any weight off your shoulders like the padded hip belts on travel backpacks, though. This is more for making sure the ATD2 stays close to you while you’re biking, and if you don’t fancy using it, you can simply stow it in the nearby twin pockets.

Lastly, there’s the back panel. There’s no mesh, so, unfortunately, breathability isn’t very good, especially since there are no significant air channels either (the seams segmenting the back panel don’t really count). We don’t mind as much, though some users, understandably, find this a non-negotiable, so we’ll leave that up to you.

Attitude Supply did go out of their way to make sure that there was a luggage pass-through. Having a pass-through lets you put the ATD2 on your carry on luggage’s handle to give your shoulders a rest. As a feature, it makes sense to bring a daypack like this for lighter gear and haul the rest in carry on luggage if you’re going on an extended trip.

Fit Notes

The general fit of the ATD2 is comfortable, thanks to those beefy shoulder straps. Despite our reservations about the sternum strap, it does the job of pulling the shoulder straps closer together. The same can be said about the waist strap, further locking the lower half of the ATD2 closer to the body.

That said, we wish the ATD2’s shoulder straps had load lifters as well. The pack sits a bit further back and lower than we’d typically like a daypack. We usually prefer to wear them high and closer to the traps, and a couple of load lifters would help the ATD2 achieve that fit. The tiny bit of sag isn’t a deal-breaker, though, so we won’t gripe about it too much.

Inside The Backpack

The ATD2 really only has one secondary compartment, and it’s the front pocket. A welt on the left side stealthily hides its zippered opening. There’s only one zipper, which goes all the way down to give access to a left-facing sideways opening. Inside, you’ll find a fairly bright brown liner, which contrasts nicely with most of our black-colored accessories. Organization includes two mesh pockets with four pen pockets in front, plus a slightly wider one on the far side—that last one is presumably for a permanent marker or chunky multi-tool. There’s also a key leash where you can attach your keys so you can pull them out faster.

Admittedly, we’re not the biggest fans of the sideways orientation of the pockets. Past experiences with similar layouts led to gear falling out after jostling the bag in question. To its credit, the ATD2’s pockets don’t have a ton of headroom to allow most items to slip out, so it gets a pass. Plus, a sideways-facing pocket like this is easier to rummage through with the bag swung around on one shoulder (your left shoulder, in the ATD2’s case). On that note, be sure to slot the ATD2 with the front pocket facing up if you’re utilizing the luggage pass-through so you can still access it.

It’s not uncommon for rolltops to have a secondary opening, and in the ATD2’s case, the back panel opens like a clamshell. Two beefy YKK zippers seal the opening, and our only gripe here is they’re a bit hard to pull around the relatively tight upper corners.

It’s worth noting that having the back panel swing open instead of the front is the opposite of what you’d usually find on backpacks with clamshell-style openings. This means you’re packing your gear into the scoop side, i.e., using the rest of the bag’s fabric as your catchall. Is it a good or bad design? Well, our only complaint is that the back panel’s heft—especially once you have a laptop and/or tablet in the built-in sleeve pockets—causes the bottom of the bag to sag. This makes arranging packing cubes and other bulky gear particularly tricky because you’re not quite sure if everything fits once you fold the back panel over again.

Attitude Supply specifies that the laptop sleeve is only rated for up to a 15-inch device. While we could squeeze in a 16-inch MacBook Pro, it was an uncomfortably tight fit. It’s not impossible, but we don’t recommend it. There are also four loops (two at the top and two near the bottom) for additional first-party pouches, as well as a mysterious zippered opening.

Where does it lead? To the removable frame sheet, as we mentioned earlier. This gives the back panel most of its structure. Though it’s not made of anything too fancy (Lightweight Curve, as Attitude Supply calls it, or self-reinforced polypropylene), it does have a carbon fiber-like pattern that feels durable and rigid.

So, what about that rolltop? As far as rolltops come and go, the ATD2’s single FIDLOCK buckle and relatively short roll means it’s fairly easy to open and close. Still, we mainly used it for quickly storing a sling. However, whenever we had to stow it away, it wasn’t really worth unzipping the entire back panel.