Attitude Supply ATD1 2023: Review

Attitude Supply is an Italian company created by Michele Fasano. For many years the ATD1 was the only product. It is somewhat fitting as the ATD1 is designed to be a multi-purpose bag that can be used from everyday carry to one bag travel on long trip.

In 2023 Michele is launching a new version of the ATD1, bringing some of the design changes from user feedback and from the ATD2 to the original. At first I was reluctant to review the ATD1 because I am not a fan of roll top style bags. I was however intrigued by the full back panel access design, and the unique styling of the bag. So I took the ATD1 on a multi-week trip from the US to Hong Kong with several stop overs. I used it as my large personal item bag on international flights, and my EDC bag while I run around Hong Kong everyday.

Tech Specs

	Metric	Imperial
Height	50-70 cm	19.7 – 27.5 in
Width	30 cm	12 in
Depth	26 cm	10.2 in
Weight	1.7 kg	3.72 lbs
Capacity	23-55 L	1220 – 3356 cu in

• Outer Fabric:  Challenge Sailcloth Ecopak® EPLX600. a waterproof laminate of 600d fabric, X Ply net and RUV film, all made out of 100% post consumer recycled textured Polyester.
• Lining Fabric: Challenge Sailcloth RBC®200. a 200d plain wave, post consumer recycled Polyester, PU coated and impregnated with eco-friendly C0 DWR treatment.

Quality and Comfort

The bag is extremely well built. I have always been a fan of the ECOPAK material. On the new ATD1, the ECOPAK offers just the right amount of stiffness to hold the shape, but soft enough to be collapsed down, using the compression straps in when I want to carry less. This organic shape reminds me of the feeling of a well draped Italian suit jacket.

The bag has four handles on each side of the bag. The handles are very comfortable and in a crowded subway for example, I take the pack off my back and carry it with either the side or the top handle instead. These handles use a tubular webbing that is often used in climbing equipment. Inside there is a 4mm thick EVA 50 foam that gives it some volume and comfort. The handles give a subtle flair to this otherwise very understated bag.

The straps are well padded and segmented. Together with the load lifters, I get the bag hugging my back nicely. Carrying a medium load walking all around Hong Kong for hours is not a problem. I did not need any breaking in period for the pack.

One minor issue with the side handles – on each side, the tie down strap for the roll top runs down the side of the pack and often I confuse that strap with the side handle. After some use I have trained myself to find the actual side handle by feel, aided by the different material on the handle.

The ATD1 is noted for the wide spacing of the shoulder straps. They are 8 cm apart, compared to the average of 5 cm distance in most other packs. They also flare outwards from the top attachment point. This wide spacing is by design so that it fits a wider range of users, though I found it marginally too wide for my smaller frame (66 kg, 170cm / 145 lb 5’7” ). I often use the adjustable sternum strap to help keep the bag balanced on my body.

The shoulder straps are padded just enough and wide enough to spread the weight across my shoulders. The back has a semi flexible frame sheet that should slowly mould to the wearer’s body. I carry this bag several hours at a time running around the city and I always feel that it is distributing the weight around my shoulders and back very effectively.

Organization and Access

This is a bag with two compartments – the highly expandable main compartment and the full width and height front compartment with it’s own volume. There is minimal internal organization in the main compartment. Two stretch sleeves on the back panel holds my MBP 14 inch and my 11 inch iPad Pro with a keyboard case easily. There are three attachment points at the top edge — a loop for hanging a hydration pack, and two small webbing loops for attaching other pouches using a set of optional ATD Pouch Link that can be attached to their AFP ‘flat’ or ASP ‘sling’ pouches. Any pouch or other attachment that uses common Slik clips and webbing will work here.

The stretchy sleeves on the back panel do make it harder to insert my laptop and my iPad back into them just by unzipping the back slightly at the top when the pack is full.

With the roll top rolled down to the smallest volume, and the side compressions pulled fairly tight, I still find the main compartment to be surprisingly spacious. I took the ATD1 to play Pickleball in Hong Kong. I had my shoes, paddle, towels, changed of clothes, a few pouches, large bottle of water, and still have room to stuff my merino hoodie inside. When I go shopping, I can easily put a shopping bagful of items in the ATD1. On the occasions that I needed more space so I simply unroll the top to expand the pack.

Both compartments are lined with a 200d gold / copper color liner that is semi floating and DWR treated. This design makes for a very flexible and water resistant compartment.

The front compartment, with two stretchy pockets offer a lot more organization abilities. They can either hold earbud cases, or battery packs. They are stretchy enough I often put a small pouch in there. The compartment has it’s own volume and can push into the main compartment for more space. When I am on the go I pack the front compartment up quite a bit because it is easily accessible.

What’s perfect

• The large luggage passthrough works very well for travel
• The front compartment is extremely useful for storing more frequently used items
• The roll top and the compression straps make this bag very versatile – it does not look huge when I shrink down the volume, making it easier to use in crowded subway and as a personal item bag on plane rides
• I personally loves the understated look of the bag
• The wide spacing between the shoulder straps fits a larger range of users

What’s Not

• The bag has a lot of webbing on the side; The roll top strap interferes with accessing the side handle and goes into the water bottle pocket. However all the straps have built in strap keepers to help with management.
• I have trouble getting the zippers on the back panel around the top corners when I try to open and close the back at first. The nicely wrapped binding gets in the way. After two weeks of use it is getting easier to operate.
• Although the bottom is less angled on this new version, the bag does not stand well on it’s own. I have to lean it against something always, not ideal when I am at airports and hotel lobbies.
• Being made in Italy with premium fabrics, the ATD1 is expensive.

Wrap Up

This bag won this non roll-top bag user over. The cut of this bag makes the bag look and feel much smaller than it’s capacity. The front compartment is cleverly designed to be useful. The bag is a good balance of a “throw everything in” roll-top design with a organized front. While I prefer the shoulder straps to be perhaps one inch closer, it is comfortable to wear. Personally I would like the front zipper to be on the other side but I learn to live with it.

This bag met the design goal of being one bag fits all – great for one bag travel, and also every day carry. As of time of this article, the bag is available for preorder here.

Disclaimer

The ATD1 backpack was provided by Attitude Supply as a sample for review purposes, the content of this review was not shared with Attitude Supply before publishing. Our reviews are unbiased and never modified to keep a brand happy.