Manhattan Portage Atlas Sling Pro Review

This sling is a collaboration between Manhattan Portage and Everyday Carry. Considering the quality expected from Manhattan Portage gear and the minimalism consistently featured on Everyday Carry, we’re amped to try this thing. Let’s see how it does!

External Components

The primary pack material is 100% recycled CORDURA® re/cor™ RN66, which we dig. It’s a durable material that does well in the rain. Plus, it’s recycled, which goes a long way for the team here at Pack Hacker. If you can use more sustainable materials, why wouldn’t you?

The zippers are from YKK, which we’re pretty familiar with. If you aren’t so well acquainted, YKK is one of the best brands for zippers on the market. They’re popular, and for good reason. At the time of writing, we’ve had our hands on thousands of bags and can count the number of times a YKK zipper has failed us on one hand. Seriously, they’re that good. When there’s a problem, we’ve found it’s usually an issue with how a brand uses them. They just work!

The rugged plastic hardware is from YKK, too. While YKK is known for its zippers, its hardware is no slouch. They might not be the cream of the crop, but they all get the job done here.

We’ve got a handle on the top, left, right, and bottom. Yup, that’s all four sides. You can grab this thing from any which way. This might seem like overkill; however, none of them get in the way while you aren’t using them, so it’s no biggie. If you don’t want to use them, we’ve got a solution for you. Don’t!

There is PALS webbing across the front of the sling so that you can attach various MOLLE gear here. Or, throw on a carabiner to keep things simple. Like the handles, this doesn’t get in your way if you don’t want to use it, and it looks pretty rad.

The top of the pack’s front face is a hook-and-loop fastener. It’s the soft side, so you don’t have to worry about it scraping you. There’s a Manhattan Portage and Everyday Carry patch on it to start; however, you can remove this if you want to. Because it’s a hook-and-loop fastener, you can replace it with whatever you want. Or, go with nothing there for a sleek look. It’s worth noting that there is a non-removable logo on the bottom right, but that’s much less noticeable.

At the time of writing, this pack comes in black and navy. The latter has black accents, so you can’t escape the darkness. However, both look sleek. You’re out of luck if you’re looking for something to match your pink daypack, though we think the black would go all right!

Fit Notes

The back panel has good, solid padding. It has aeration, too, so that things stay fresh and cool. The materials used are a little loud when manipulating them, but this doesn’t happen often. It’s somewhat crinkly. However, while you’re wearing it, this isn’t an issue. Overall, it’s comfortable.

The strap has an ample padded section on the top, where it will rest on your shoulder. This adds comfort but is bulky for a sling of this size. The rest of the strap doesn’t have any padding. While it is comfortable enough, it can dig in if you have a full load or like to wear it tighter.

The strap is reversible, which is ideal for lefties and righties alike. Or, if one shoulder gets tired after a long day collecting rocks at the beach, you can switch it from one side to the other. This thing (probably) wasn’t designed for carrying rocks, but who are the designers to tell you what you can or can’t put inside your sling?

The strap buckle swivels, which is unique. It makes the strap more comfortable and versatile, but it can be annoying when you’ve got the sling in a comfortable position and can’t get it to stay there because of the swivel. Overall, it feels like a net positive.

Inside The Sling

A small front pocket is suitable for a phone, wallet, or other little item. If you’re worried about putting an expensive device here, you can use it to hold a snack in case you get hungry.

The secondary compartment is large and has a lot of space to stow gear. A liner pocket inside works for larger flat items, but the rest of the room is yours to wrangle. Smaller objects don’t do well here because there’s so much space, and it’s easy to lose track of things that aren’t in an organizer.

The main compartment has a tablet sleeve that can stow up to an 11-inch device, which is quite large for the sling’s size. The sleeve is well padded, too, so you don’t have to worry about your iPad smashing during regular use.

Opposite the tablet sleeve, there are two zippered pockets crafted from mesh. They’re stretchy so that you can fit a lot of gear inside. This is an excellent spot to lock down smaller items you don’t want running amok in the main compartment or the secondary pocket we just went over. It’s easier to find what you need in a smaller spot like this.

There’s a hidden compartment inside here that’s separated by a divider. A zipper runs around the outside of the mesh-zippered pocket side of the area, and this opens the tech pouch portion of the bag.

Here, there are 21 stretchy loops for various-sized gear. Because of this organization, you can forgo a tech pouch so long as you are okay with how you have to access this compartment. If all your gear is locked down, leave the hidden compartment open (or partially open if that’s how you roll) and head out. On a bumpy ride, a few things might fall out of their elastic holdings, but we haven’t had that issue.

Overall, a lot is going on here for a minimalistic-looking sling. However, the everyday gear community typically finds joy in stowing everything they need for the day in one small bag, and this pack offers that. The organization is intuitive, the materials are durable, and the carry is comfortable. What else can you ask for? Well, a few more rocks wouldn’t hurt…