Ortlieb Atrack Backpack Review: When Rain-Proof Means Actually Rain-Proof

You pulled the rain cover on at the first drops, and the bottom of the pack still came home soaked. A cover sheds rain from above. It does very little when the pack sits in a puddle at the put-in or rides on the wet floor of a canoe.

That isn’t careless packing, and it happens to plenty of hikers, paddlers and travelers. Most packs were never built to keep water out from below, which is usually when a fully waterproof pack starts to look worth its premium price.

So the questions that matter in an Ortlieb Atrack backpack review are what the waterproofing really protects, how the suitcase-style opening changes the way you pack, and which of the three sizes fits your back.

By the end you’ll know whether it’s worth it for your trips. If you mostly hike short, dry trails, you’ll also see why a regular pack and a cover may serve you better.

What Sets the Atrack Apart From Other Waterproof Packs

The Atrack is a dry bag built to carry like a real backpack. Seeing how it differs from a pack with a rain cover, or from a roll-top dry pack, explains both the premium price and why it won’t suit every trip.

Everything below comes from Ortlieb’s own specs, care instructions and how-to video, plus what owners say in reviews on Ortlieb’s US store.

What the IP67 Rating Means

Ortlieb’s Atrack spec sheet defines IP67 as dust-tight and protected against temporary immersion, up to 1 meter (39 inches) for 30 minutes.

That’s why Ortlieb says you can do without a rain cover. The protection is in the coated fabric, the welded seams and the zipper, so it doesn’t depend on you getting a cover on before the downpour starts.

If you’re weighing the Atrack against your current pack plus a cover, my guide to backpack rain covers shows how that setup compares.

The TIZIP Zipper and the Back-Panel Opening

The TIZIP is the waterproof zipper that makes the IP67 rating possible. It runs along the back panel, so the pack opens like a suitcase when you lay it down and you can see everything in the main compartment at once.

Inside, Ortlieb adds four zippered pockets, which answers the usual dry-bag complaint that everything ends up in one dark heap at the bottom.

The catch is where the zipper sits. It faces your back while you wear the pack, so you can’t reach the main compartment without taking the pack off and setting it down. Ortlieb points to a side benefit: in a crowd, nobody else can get at it easily either.

Because you open it lying on its front, the shoulder straps and back padding stay up off the ground. Ortlieb designed it that way to keep the harness clean and dry, which you’ll appreciate when you put the pack back on over a dry shirt.

Ortlieb’s own Atrack how-to video is below, and it’s the quickest way to see how the opening works before you buy.

If you’d rather have a waterproof pack you can open from the top, my guide to choosing a waterproof backpack covers other designs.

The PS33 Nylon Shell

Ortlieb makes the Atrack from PS33, a polyurethane-coated nylon. Its spec sheet marks the pack PVC-free and PFAS-free and describes the fabric as tear and abrasion resistant.

The seams are welded rather than stitched, and Ortlieb builds the pack in its own factory in Heilsbronn, Germany. It gives a 5-year warranty on materials and workmanship and says spare parts stay available for at least ten years.

That warranty covers the first buyer of a pack bought from Ortlieb, an authorized retailer or an online dealer, and it doesn’t transfer. A secondhand Atrack comes without it, so if you’re buying a discounted pack new, check that the seller is an authorized dealer.

The Back System and Sizing

The carry system goes further than the dry-bag label suggests. Ortlieb lists a stepless back length adjustment, meaning you slide it to any point in its range instead of choosing between a few fixed positions. A wide padded hip belt with two zippered mesh pockets takes the load.

The 25 and 35 liter sizes cover back lengths S to L, and the 45 liter covers M to XL. On the Atrack, the capacity you pick also sets the fit range, and Ortlieb’s spec sheet gives those ranges as letter sizes, not inches.

So measure your torso at home first, from the bony bump at the base of your neck (the C7 vertebra) to the top of your hip bones (the iliac crest). Then ask Ortlieb or a dealer which range it falls in, since I couldn’t find inch ranges on Ortlieb’s pages.

The Atrack comes in one unisex version, with no women’s or short-torso harness, so if your torso is short, confirm it falls inside the S to L range before you buy.

Ortlieb pairs the hip belt with ergonomic shoulder straps, stabilizer straps and an adjustable sternum strap. Set the back length first, following the pack’s instructions, then set the straps in order with weight inside, as my guide on how to adjust hiking backpack straps shows.

Atrack 25, 35 and 45 Specs Side by Side

Here are the figures Ortlieb publishes for each size: the empty weight, the outside dimensions, the maximum load it rates the pack for, and the back length range.

Ortlieb warns that overloading the pack can break the material and cause injury, and it tells you to weigh your load if you’re unsure. Treat the max load column as a hard limit, not a suggestion.

You can see the current colors and stock for each size at Ortlieb before you choose.

Comfort, Access and Weight: The Tradeoffs

Comfort

The stepless back length is the main comfort point. If a fixed-size pack has left you stuck between a size that’s too short and one that’s too long, this lets you set the harness closer to your own torso.

Ortlieb describes the shoulder straps as ergonomic and the hip belt as wide and padded. One owner on Ortlieb’s US store says the 35 liter sits well and stays comfortable even when it’s loaded.

What the TIZIP Changes and What It Doesn’t

A roll-top dry pack keeps gear dry, but getting at anything near the bottom means unpacking from the top down. The TIZIP gets around that by opening the whole back panel, turning a tall tube into a flat, open layout.

What the spec sheet doesn’t spell out is the effort. Ortlieb’s waterproofing page notes that its waterproof zippers run with a little more friction than ordinary ones, and the IP67 rating only holds when the zipper is fully closed, with the slider seated in its end stop.

Look after it as the care section below explains, and it should keep sealing. Treat it like an ordinary zipper, forcing it or pulling at an angle, and Ortlieb warns that its waterproof performance can suffer.

Pockets and Access

Those inside pockets give the main compartment some structure. Outside, two mesh side pockets take water bottles, and a daisy chain (a strip of sewn webbing loops) on the front holds Ortlieb’s attachment kits for helmets, trekking poles or skis.

Ortlieb fits a sealed port for a drinking tube and sells its own Atrack Hydration System to go with it. If you plan to use a different bladder, ask Ortlieb whether its tube will seal in the port before you rely on it around water.

Four compression straps come with the pack to steady a part-full load and slim it down. One owner on Ortlieb’s store, a boat captain in Alaska, found the strap tails very long once cinched tight and worried about them snagging, so he added a buckle at the top.

He also wished the zippered hip-belt pockets were a little larger, which is worth knowing if you like to carry your phone and snacks there.

Weight Versus Protection

The Atrack is built for protection first. The 25 liter weighs 50.4 ounces (3.15 lb) empty, and the coated fabric, welded seams, waterproof zipper and adjustable back system all add to it, so check it against the listed weight of any pack you’re comparing.

If you carry camera bodies, electronics, medication or documents that can’t get wet, the math changes, because a few extra ounces cost far less than replacing what’s inside.

Who the Atrack Suits

The Atrack makes the most sense for a fairly specific kind of trip. If one of these sounds like yours, it’s worth a close look.

Who It’s Built For

• Paddlers in kayaks and canoes, who need gear dry on a wet hull floor and like seeing everything at once when they unpack at camp
• Travelers heading into heavy rain, river crossings or days of wet weather, where a rain cover alone starts to wear thin
• Hikers in rainy regions who are tired of wrestling a cover on and off and want the protection built into the pack
• Commuters and city travelers who like that the main zipper faces their back in a crowd
• Anyone carrying camera gear, electronics or medical supplies, where water damage would be expensive or risky

Skip the Atrack If

• You count every ounce of base weight on ultralight trips, because the waterproofing adds weight you’ll carry all day
• Your hikes are mostly short and dry, where the extra weight buys protection you won’t use

Whichever pack you end up with, the fit starts with your torso length, and my guide on how to measure your torso for a backpack shows you how to get that number at home.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Submersion protection: rated IP67, so the pack can be briefly dunked, not just rained on, and needs no rain cover

Suitcase-style opening: the TIZIP opens the whole back panel, so nothing hides at the bottom

A real carry system: stepless back length, a padded hip belt and stabilizer straps

Cons

Weight: 50.4 oz (3.15 lb) empty for the 25 liter, the price of the waterproofing

No access on the move: the main compartment stays shut until you take the pack off

Zipper care: the TIZIP needs regular cleaning and lubrication to keep sealing and running smoothly

Caring for the Atrack

Cleaning the Shell

Ortlieb’s care instructions keep it simple: wipe the pack with a damp cloth, or clean it with warm water and a mild soap solution. For heavier dirt, it suggests a soft brush and gall soap.

Let it dry completely before you store it. Leaving the TIZIP open while it dries lets air reach the inside, and TIZIP, the zipper’s maker, says a zipper that isn’t fully dry should be stored open.

Looking After the TIZIP

Ortlieb says proper lubrication before use is essential for the zipper to work reliably, and it recommends its own TIZIP lubricant or a comparable product. Dirt between the teeth can stop the sealing lip doing its job, so clean the zipper the same way you clean the fabric.

Ortlieb says sealing zippers run a little harder than ordinary ones, so some resistance is normal. Use the TIZIP lubricant the way its instructions say, because TIZIP’s guidance on where to apply it differs by zipper type.

Pull the slider straight and steadily rather than at an angle, don’t force the two sides apart, and close it all the way. Ortlieb’s instructions are clear that a slider pulled at an angle can affect the waterproofing.

If the zipper starts getting harder to close, clean it and lubricate it again before your next trip. TIZIP’s own handling instructions also call for fresh lubricant after a long spell in storage.

Storing It Between Trips

Ortlieb says not to store the pack rolled up or folded, because that can crack the coating, and to keep it out of UV light so the color doesn’t fade. Don’t fold or crush the zipper either, since that can affect how it works.

Ortlieb Atrack Backpack Review Verdict: Who Should Buy It

Buy the Ortlieb Atrack if your main worry is keeping expensive or irreplaceable gear dry where a rain cover isn’t enough. The IP67 rating, the TIZIP and the welded PS33 shell make it a protection-first pack, not a regular backpack with better rain resistance.

The tradeoff is access. To reach the main compartment you stop, take the pack off, lay it down and open the zipper, so if you like snacks or a camera within reach while walking, that routine gets old.

At the $$$ price tier, it makes the most sense for paddlers, rain-country hikers, wet-weather travelers and anyone carrying gear that can’t get wet.

Part of what the price buys is repairability. Ortlieb says holes in the welded fabric can be rewelded by Ortlieb or its authorized service partners, and spare parts stay available for at least ten years.

If you’re set on it, the size is the last decision. The 25 and 35 liter share the S to L back range, so choose between them by how much you carry, and go for the 45 liter only if your torso suits M to XL.

If the Atrack feels too specialized for how you hike, a regular daypack and a good cover may be the better buy, and my roundup of comfortable daypacks for beginners is a good place to start.

Best for Wet-Weather Trips

Ortlieb Atrack

A fully waterproof IP67 backpack that opens along the back like a suitcase. Worth it if your gear has to stay dry on the water or in heavy rain, less so if you like reaching into your pack on the move.

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