u/nicklethelon

My last bag is The North Face Never Stop Utility Bag, grabbed from a local TNF shop when walking by several years ago and liked the tote-like hand carry. I like to switch to hand carry when on mid-full load to relieve the body for some while (maybe I just haven't experienced what is a good harness should be) or on my way back from sweaty sport.

Over the years, some issues start bothering, and start looking for one with features solving my pain points:

1. 24-35L Volume. Went more greedy browsing review blogs/YouTube videos, until I tried 35L version of Evergoods Civic Travel Bag, I found it too bulky for my torso to handle pack larger than 35L;
2. Good harness. For the old one, there is almost no harness system and the back panel is flat and not breathable, so both my back and the back panel soaked with sweat after a long carry or under hot & humid weather ( in Hong Kong);
3. Water resistance. The water resistance of the old one is not great. I remember there was a down pouring day, and papers inside the main compartment did not survive despite I was covered in umbrella;
4. Alternative hand carry ways. When hand carried, the old bag tends to touch ground when going uphill/upstairs, making it not very "elegant" and made me reconsider vertical hand carry for my height;
5. Two water bottles pockets, one for water and another for a umbrella, or sometimes I will use it to put my sweat shirt after sport (reddit please recommend packing cube capable to store really sweaty bomb inside the pack);
6. [Optional] Stow-able shoulder strap, to avoid them dangling or sweeping floor when hand carry. Though it seems stow-able strap ~= uncomfortable harness according reviews;
7. [Optional] Window-like side opening to the main compartment. I really like this design especially if the pack is fully packed when travelling, this feature avoids dredging and provide easy access to things in the bottom (Typically camera, I believe that's why camera bag like shimoda, peak design everyday have it, I would love to see those implementation in travel/daily pack)

After a while for reading lots of review blogs & youtube videos, and try some at local stores, here's my short list (and why I didn't get that):

1. Osprey Transporter Travel Pack 26L (& other series, Nebula, Daylite..). Always being heard Osprey has good harness, but it seems too outdoor-vibe to me, while the transporter series' designs are less designed for daily use;
2. Wandrd Transit 35L. This was THE bag I am looking for: lots of handles, side access to main compartment, and natural water resistance using tarpaulin. I went to the local store just to try it thrice and it almost got me, but some little things pushed me off: the asymmetrical back panel due to the velcro shoulder stowing system (mostly the look, didn't really feel it when putting on), and weight of the bag;
3. Able Carry Max EDC. Very comfortable with meshed backpanel and thick cushioning. Really love the look and the organisation the side handle is centred (which really matters for hand carry). Yet both water pockets are effectively inside the bag (one zippered outside main comp't, one in the inside left), and i cant figure a way to stow the shoulder straps when carrying by hand;
4. Evergoods Civic Travel Bag 26L. The best organization design among packs I've tried and has very sleek look. Two water bottle pockets with small drainage holes. However, it get same shoulder strap stowing issue with Able Carry one, and the back panel lacks a ventilation tunnel and the material gives me a weird feel that it won't handle my sweat well.

So I got the Aer TP4 28L eventually (X-Pac version), in terms of pros and cons, most of them should be covered by most reviews but here's my takeaway:

1. Pro: Two water pockets design similar to the Evergoods CTB one. I understand the community complains about sacrificing quick access for an extra pocket, but the TP3's water pocket is useless to me. Overall, The TP4's exterior match my needs more to TP3. (TP3 is on sale at the moment, I think it's a good choice);
2. Pro: The harness system and the back panel. Thick, meshed back panel and a vertical ventilation valley. Not sure if it's intended or not, the horizontal luggage passthrough strap make shoulder straps stow-able by using them. I learnt the trick from PackHacker's TP3 vs TP4 comparison video (Thank you PackHacker), and theoretically all packs with a horizontal strap should be able to apply this same trick;
3. Mixed: The X-pac and PU coated zipper. I do need the water resistance capability from these materials but the lamination of X-pac and peeling risk of PU coat are still a concerning point, I guess only time will tell how my bag last. If there is a version that looks "less ballistic nylon", I would definitely choose that;
4. Con: The side handles are not centered. Could be another sacrifice for the water pockets, but I think there should be a better design. Uncentered handle makes it hard to distribute weight when hand carry;
5. Con: Material of zipper puller and zipper assist loops around the pack. It provide a good grip for pulling but the sticky feel is not my favorite, also it picks up dirt easily and the texture makes me think of something being melted after exposure of hot sun. I think this part is a bit over engineered.