u/tatlpax

Almost every review compares the Toshi Rework V2 25L to the Aer City Pack Pro 2 24L, but size-wise, they aren't even in the same class. The CPP2 24L is realistically closer to a true 21L, while reviewers say the Toshi 25L packs more like 25–27L.

To me, the much more direct comparison is the Aer Travel Pack 4 28L (which sits closer to a true ~25L usable capacity). Has anyone had hands-on time with both? It seems like the Rework V2 25L might offer slightly more raw volume, but the TP4 looks like a massive upgrade for heavier loads with its chunkier straps, load lifters, and much better water bottle pockets.

I'm eyeing this comparison to build out a two-bag endgame setup:

• ~20L Small EDC / Personal Item: Toshi Rework V2 20L in X-Pac as a city/hike daypack for lighter loadouts. Hard to beat in the ~20L class.
• ~26L Large EDC / Large Personal Item: Aer Travel Pack 4 28L in Cordura or Rework V2 25L in nylon (favoring Cordura/nylon over X-Pac/Ultra for extra stretch and effective volume) to handle heavier loadouts and serve as an oversized US domestic personal item.

In theory, there's a lot more competition in the ~26L class. But if you're looking for something that handles heavy loadouts, many of the strongest contenders get disqualified—whether it's a weaker harness setup (CTB26, Traverse 30L), a lack of flexibility (EDC Max 26L with no water bottle pockets), or looking too out of place in urban environments (ULA Dragonfly 30L).

Would love to hear from anyone who has compared the Rework V2 25L against the TP4 28L, or who has thoughts on how these two-bag combos stack up.

Fair warning, I'm particular about bags, and this one has been a genuinely hard replacement. I've run the Patagonia Black Hole 25L (PBH25) as my daily for years and nothing I've tried quite beats it, so I'm hoping the hive mind can point me at something I've missed.

Why it's been so hard to replace: it's only 650g, packs flat inside a bigger pack or duffel, takes a 16" laptop, and has genuinely useful organization (front slash pocket, top quick-access, one zippered pocket in the main body). It's a slim 6" deep for the volume, especially half-packed, the harness is well padded, and it somehow threads urban-crossover looks, real EDC function, airplane personal-item legality, and day-hike capability all at once. That combo is what I keep failing to find anywhere else. Aesthetically my ideal is a crossover bag in a low-key blackout colorway in X-Pac or EPX400 with no AquaGuard zips (they make a bag look more technical than I want), but I'm flexible on looks as long as they stay somewhat subdued, technical, and premium.

Honestly the unicorn would just be a PBH25 in X-Pac with a slightly nicer harness and premium internal materials and a dedicated laptop slot, or a (non-existent) CTB24 with 1" shallower depth and a competitive harness. Since neither exists, I see two directions, and one requirement spans both: I'm in heat and humidity a lot, so anything that actually rides on my back, the single bag in route 1 or the small bag in route 2, has to carry cool. A back panel that turns into a swamp is a dealbreaker, so airflow and a harness that breathes matter to me as much as padding does. The bigger travel bag in route 2 gets a pass, since it's not the one on me all day.

Route 1: one bag that pushes further toward a great ~25L personal item and tech carrier without losing the hiking chops or the low-key look.

What I've already ruled out, and why (probably the clearest way to show what I'm after):

• Aer City Pack Pro 2 24L (~21L real) and Travel Pack 4 28L (~25L real): too busy, the zipper-farm tech look isn't me, and the Cordura versions mix AquaGuard and non-AquaGuard zips (pick a lane, mixing bugs me).
• Black Ember: same over-styled tech vibe.
• EVERGOODS CTB20/26: too heavy and the harness doesn't sit right on me. I'll take heavy or a mediocre harness, not both.
• Able Carry Max EDC: no external bottle pockets, and the rounded profile eats more volume than the spec suggests.
• GORUCK GR1: love the build, but it's heavy, has zero bottle pockets, and reads tactical.
• Peak Design Everyday: too heavy, too recognizable, and not really a hiker.
• Cotopaxi Allpa: travel cube, not a day-hike bag, and louder than I want.
• Bellroy, Alpaka, Matador, Thule: not into the designs generally, often cheaper materials and fewer dual-bottle-pocket options.
• Brown Buffalo Rolltop 28L: looks great, but I don't love rolltops and the comfort reviews scare me off.

Still on my list, and each one basically looks like a fixed version of a bag I just wrote off:

• CT15 Lite (22L): basically a better Aer City Pack Pro 2, the ~21L tech-carry footprint I wanted from the CPP2 but without the zipper-farm look and with a better harness and organization.
• CT15 Plus (28L): reads like a better CTB26, similar capacity and travel and tech chops but with a harness with better reviews and superior organization.
• Fyro Citta 25L: looks like a better Travel Pack 4 28L, the do-it-all personal-item carrier without the TP4's busyness and with more of the subdued, premium crossover vibe I'm after, though maybe leaning a touch more urban-first than ideal. If I can ever catch a restock.

Route 2: a two-bag system. A light EDC/hiking bag paired with a bigger personal item. The small one would be PBH25-ish in weight, carry cool in heat, have at least a basic laptop sleeve and dual bottle pockets, and pack flat into a larger air-travel bag (PBH MLC 30, CT21+, Fyro 30L, that sort of thing) that handles the tech protection in transit and personal-item duty, so the small bag wouldn't have to.

For the EDC/hiking half I'm not after framed backpacking packs, just simple, light, packable ones with premium materials. Standouts so far:

• Rennen Pack MK II X-Pac: light and clean in blackout X-Pac, hits the material and look I want while packing flat.
• Atom Packs Nano X25 (especially black X-Pac): lightweight and simple and right size for a day hike. Long ship times and black X-Pac versions rare / likely custom only.
• Hyperlite Daybreak 22: ultralight and packable with a real laptop sleeve, rare for this category. Ultrastretch mesh is great. Don't love the aquaguard zip or contrast zipper pulls or loud branding, but lots of other pros with this bag.
• ULA Cicada: about as light and stripped-down as it gets, ultra might be a bit too structured to stuff flat into the bigger bag though.

A few things I'd genuinely love input on: has anyone carried the CT15 Lite next to a PBH25 and can speak to how the harness and organization stack up? Is the Fyro Citta worth holding out for a restock, or is it overhyped? And am I missing something obvious, especially anything that actually breathes in the heat? Happy to be told I'm wrong about any of the ones I wrote off too.

Thanks in advance, I'll take any and all opinions.

Spent some time tweaking EQ settings for the AirPods Pro 3 to dial down the V-shape a bit and cut the fatiguing treble sibilance, and settled on the profile below.

Any individual frequency or gain tweaks you'd recommend to fully optimize the sound?

Preamp: 0.0 dB
Filter 1:  ON LSC Fc 60 Hz    Gain -1.5 dB Q 0.70
Filter 2:  ON PK  Fc 160 Hz   Gain -2.0 dB Q 0.90
Filter 3:  ON PK  Fc 600 Hz   Gain +0.5 dB Q 1.00
Filter 4:  ON PK  Fc 2100 Hz  Gain -1.5 dB Q 1.40
Filter 5:  ON PK  Fc 3800 Hz  Gain -2.0 dB Q 1.20
Filter 6:  ON PK  Fc 5200 Hz  Gain -3.0 dB Q 1.60
Filter 7:  ON PK  Fc 7500 Hz  Gain -2.5 dB Q 3.50
Filter 8:  ON PK  Fc 8000 Hz  Gain -4.0 dB Q 4.00
Filter 9:  ON HSC Fc 11000 Hz Gain +1.5 dB Q 0.70
Filter 10: ON HSC Fc 14000 Hz Gain +1.5 dB Q 0.70

These three compete pretty directly as dual-use travel/EDC bags, so I’m surprised the TP4 28 doesn’t get compared to the other two more often. From what I’ve read, the CTB26 has the most usable volume (~28L with the water bottle pockets), while the TP4 28 and Able Carry Max EDC both land around 26L. The CTB26 also has the best quick access: two top pockets and a side-swing pocket with internal organization. On harness, the order flips: the TP4 28 is best, the Max EDC second, and the CTB26 a distant third. Dimensions are close across all three, with the main difference being that the TP4 28 is over an inch wider, so it looks the largest on the back.

For pure EDC use, my guess is the TP4 28 edges the CTB26. The TP4 28 is essentially a slightly scaled-up take on an excellent ~22L EDC bag (the City Pack Pro 2), with real upgrades like better water bottle pockets & wider shoulder straps, whereas the CTB26 is more of a scaled-down version of a solid bug black travel bag (the CTB35). The lack of side swing quick access on Aer bags is a bit puzzling though.

Thoughts? Shopping for a “large personal item” for US plane travel.