r/AerSF

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.

28l TP4 Ultra + RF cargo pouch for EDC and travel - will this setup become an endgame dream? It's early days but feels like a great match.

Clearly, I have a problem.

I'm using the DS4 exclusively, and its time to clean out my closet.

This is (I believe)

Day sling 2 max

CS2. DS2

CS2 ultra. DS2

CS3. DS3 Ultra

Please correct me if you see a mistake.

All are in excellent condition. Close up photos are available on request.

I would prefer to sell these as one transaction, but if I dont get any takers, I'll break it up and sell individually

Lets say $360 shipped in the US for the lot. Paypal, venmo, zelle are all ok, but you cover fees, if any. I'm near Chicago if you want to do a face to face.

CPP2 24L in Ultra. Like new - excellent condition.
$220 shipped or $200 if you’re in Boston area and willing to pick up. Also have an extra sternum strap if you are interested.

Here's my take on the City Pack Pro 2 20L: this is an incredible backpack, first and foremost. I have an Aer carry-on suitcase in orange, Travel Pack 3 in X-Pac, City Pack 2 in Cordura, and the Cable Kit 3 in Cordura - so yes, I am an Aer hoor. I picked up the City Pack Pro 2 20L because I am going to be flying Frontier and I wanted a safe personal item that could be my one bag for 3-5 day trips. I debated for a while whether I wanted the 24L or the 20L, and I ended up going with the 20L just to be safer within the 18x14x8 limits. I also like the new side zipper pocket, it's more useful to me than an additional water bottle pocket. And I prefer the new handle. This is a divisive feature, some people really prefer the handle on the 24L but personally I think this new one is nicer. I'll go in order of the photos displayed so I can correlate my review with the pictures in order.

Self-standing: this is the best bag I've ever had for self standing. If it's fully packed out and kind of bursting at the seams, it starts to tip. But if it's comfortably packed with a little breathing room, you can see how it self stands perfectly 90 degrees on my couch.

The new pen pocket: on this bag, it's not the greatest pen pocket for standard size pens. The one in the photo is a Muji which is 5.5 inches long, and as you can see with the pen fully inserted it blocks the zipper behind it. I imagine this is probably a non-issue for the larger Travel Pack 4's, but on this bag it seemed stupid and it was the first thing I noticed. It will get out of the way if you tilt the pen to the side, but at that point I would probably just put the pen somewhere else. Maybe I can find a smaller pen that's compatible. Very minor gripe honestly. But that brings me to the main thing I'd like to see in the next iteration: I think they should implement the full-size front admin panel like the City Pack 2 has. This isn't just about organization, it's big enough to put a thin/light jacket and use it as a stuff pocket.

Side zipper pocket: it is a great spot for keys, wallet, and passport. Not much else to say about it, but I think it's really useful and I love the detachable key leash. I didn't think I'd like that particular spot for my keys, but after using it - that's where they should go.

Packing: along with the bag, I bought a large Aer packing cube in grey and a small one in orange. I chose these over the Peak Design cubes because I like that they have some structure to make it easier to put clothes into it. So here I packed the bag out with the large cube, small cube, and a Minimul Dopp kit. I packed more into the cubes than I need for small trips, but just as a demo to show how much that can fit - and I used the compression. But having some breathing room is optimal and far more comfortable. Photo 1 is the bag optimally packed, photo 6 is with it packed to the brim (but I measured and it's still within personal item limits).

Here's what I was able to fit with it fully packed out:

Large cube: 1 pair of jeans, 2 pairs of workout pants, 2 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of pajama pants.

Small cube: 3 tshirts, 2 tank tops, 5 pairs of socks.

With my MacBook pro 16" in the laptop sleeve and charging accessories, the total bag weight was about 16lbs.

Yes I could have packed more. This packout was a little beyond my comfort preference; however, I could always swap the MacBook for my iPad and save myself a few lbs.

Weather resistance: absolutely excellent. This Cordura nylon is underrated when it comes to this because of the X-Pac and Ultra options. The day the bag arrived it rained, and I took it out for a walk in a moderately heavy rainstorm for about 20 minutes. Everything inside was completely dry, including the top quick access pocket which has a regular zipper (not P.U. coated). Don't be worried about weather resistance with this one. If you think you'll be walking through torrential rainstorms and getting absolutely soaked, have an umbrella or a rain cover (Davek makes cool mini umbrellas that will fit in the bag easily).

Water bottle holder: it holds my Yeti Rambler 26 oz fairly comfortably, and as you can see it will actually hold my Owalla 40 oz with the bag fully packed out. It's not optimal, but it does work.

Comfort: stellar. What else can I say, Aer is top tier and everything I've tried from them feels so nice. Even with the bag fully packed out, it feels great to carry. I'm just shy of 6ft and 210 lbs, so I'm not a small guy. I thought maybe I'd regret not getting the 24L because of my size, but it feels perfect.

I won't actually be traveling for a while, but I'll try to report back once I put some legitimate miles on this thing. So far I've just been going on long walks with it. Pretending like I need it. Not really rucking, not really carrying with a purpose. Just being cool, with my Aer bag. I did a ton of research and went down an endless rabbit hole before finally settling on this backpack, and I feel I made the right choice. So if you were able to make it through this long winded review, bless your kind soul. I hope you were able to get something out of this, and best of luck on your journey of finding the perfect bag for you.

35L - selling as it's too big for me

$389

happy to meet in CBD or northside