Pack hacker made a good point of the main compartment … “think of those pockets more like options”. I personally don’t use the two smaller pockets in the main compartment in order to fit a small lunch and Nintendo switch. I love your detailed analysis, keep it up!
Hi BingBing - "think of those pockets like options" - interesting idea! I think that's a great way of putting it. They are relatively unobtrusive so they don't get in the way if people don't want to use them. Thanks for sharing and for the kind words! :)
Amazing review!! It made me rethink about buying this City Pack version because of the limited space in the main compartment. Hands down the best detailed review of this backpack 🙌🏻
Thanks mate, I like your take on bags. I love backpacks and use them daily and, one thing that became clear to me over time is that a bag that doesn't stand on its own is just a pain. I mean to always have to look for a right spot to to prop it up, to constantly having to be careful how and where you place it so it doesn't roll around on a dirty floor or drop from a chair and spill all the contents... And all these specialised bag companies that put so much thought in designing a bag and yet you can't even put it down without having constantly have one hand on the bag when opening it...I mean c'mon.. it's like the bag works against your, not with you . at the end I feel like you can go full circle and come back to and appreciate well executed basics. ;)
Thanks so much for the kind words - I totally agree, it's really frustrating when a bag doesn't stand up on its own. Like with hiking or outdoor use bags that can make sense (trading the convenience for a more streamlined carry in scenarios where you're not likely to be putting the bag down and working in/out of it a lot) but for urban/edc/commuter use (and probably in most travel bag cases too) it's just such a frustrating shortcoming for no reason other than putting form over function (a trade off I almost always dislike). Ah well... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
same!! totally annoying to have to fight the bag when it doesnt stands! its like one hand holding on to the bag, left with only one hand to grab stuff. really a dealbreaker for me too. And its not the "upwards slope" design either, like hiking packs, where it's design to get the load higher up for better ergonomics. great review as usual! I think your videos are kinda like Chase Reeves videos when he started... talking about all the pain points and observations and thoughts. I think Chase reeves videos now arent as detailed as they used to be, think he has gotten to the stage where those pain points doesnt matter to him that much anymore haha. Nice reference to business papers!
Also Mountain, not sure if you've heard about the Classic Backpack Plus Second Edition from Bellroy. I now own the Transit Workpack after seeing your review and it's been actually an awesome experience. Just wanted to see capacity wise if the Transit Workpack vs the Classic BP Plus 2nd edition is a smaller bag than they claim it to be, 20L vs 24L. I remember on your original review of the Classic BP Plus, despite the claim to be larger in capacity, it doesn't seem to fit that much stuff compared to the Transit Workpack. Curious on your thoughts on that bag. Looking forward to hearing a review from you soon. Many thanks!
Thank you. Your footage was great - that segment about bottom-half compartments having that limited shared volume was really crucial and well-explained (better than Pack Hacker & Rushfaster!) 😎
I just purchased the city pack pro for work and travel as a companion to my carry on suitcase. I’d like this one as well in the olive color for day to day local travel when I’m not working or flying. I love these bags for they are so sturdy and durable
Was going to grab the xpac version until you mentioned the bag does not stand on its own. Kind if disappointing. Ill stick with my day pack 2 xpac. Great review!!
Such a thoughtful in depth unique expert review! Would be fascinated to see your take on the Able Carry Daily that you mentioned elsewhere you had used.
there is simply no main compartment in this bag look at it this way, there are only an admin panel and a laptop sleeve. but i got this pack anyway for my uses still, it'd be a much better pack if it were at 24L, dont mind ditching some of these bottom dual pockets. and no, city pack pro isn't a pro version of this pack with that admin section and removal of the back contour.
Thanks for the comment Matthew. To be honest, I specifically choose not to adhere to a strict posting schedule even though that undoubtedly would improve my ranking in the algorithm. When I started this channel I laid out a couple of basic ground rules for myself. One of the most important ground rules was the decision that I was going to do this for myself and for fun. In other words, I wanted to make the kind of reviews and videos that I want to see, and I want to do it in a way that I found enjoyable and which motivated and stimulated me, while hopefully being useful to people looking to make a bag purchasing decision. Conversely, I specifically decided not to care if my channel blows up in popularity, if I get sponsorship, if I get a bunch of free merch or if my videos get tons of clicks, go viral etc. The last thing I want to be in my life is an "influencer." This is why I haven't monetised my channel, and it's why my videos are 34 minutes long but deeply discuss the real life usage of bags in action as opposed to stat-friendly 12 minute marketing puff pieces that regurgitate talking points from the website. This is why I don't have bizarre clickbait thumbnails with overlaid text, bug-eyed reaction faces and disingenuous titles. This is also why I specifically don't worry about a strict posting schedule designed to game the algorithm or about rushing to be the first to post reviews of the latest and greatest hottest bags. This is especially I don't spam my videos with overlays of my social media channels or beseech viewers to "like, comment, subscribe and turn on post notifications." I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'd like for social media to play a positive, motivating influence in my life (such as I get when engaging with the carry community in these comments or fellow carry enthusiasts reaching out in DMs etc.) rather than a constant source of stress (in terms of thinking about always needing to post new content or engagement to satisfy an arbitrary algorithm). Hence, infrequent posting schedule - I post when I have something to say and time to say it :)
@@6thonyGodtano just a matter of personal preference. I find the city pack has more organization features than the shadow. Also the shoulder pads have some kinda of a weird design on the shadow.
As a small frame female I am really interested in this slightly smaller bag, I am watching your review and thinking, tissues in that pocket, lip gloss in that one etc, but why oh why do they only make these bags in black? Purple, pink, teal, please. X
Hi Ez H! I understand your pain - many of my female friends often comment on this same thing. I guess manufacturers maybe think of backpacks as the male equivalent of purses and tend to design primarily for guys? (a black colourway is not only a pretty safe bet but also probably just table stakes when it comes to products aimed at guys) It would be interesting to see the demographic breakdown of their target consumers. My guess is - most of their purchasers are guys. And unfortunately, regrettably, whilst it is socially acceptable for women to wear any colour in the spectrum (including black/grey) for guys there are a whole host of societally unacceptable colours for them to wear/carry, so colours like pink/teak/purple would likely only sell to a very very small number of people (i.e. the subsection of the (presumably) already small group of their female consumers who would opt for that colour and possibly a few daring men), possibly not enough to justify the cost of producing the colourway. FWIW, one modern carry company that does a bunch of different interesting colours for their pretty awesome bags is Bellroy - they don't always have straight up purple/pink but they do have a far wider colour pallet than many other large producers and have a few bags suited for people with smaller frames such as yourself (the Melbourne pack for example, which I have previously reviewed on this channel). Additionally the Able Carry Thirteen daypack is well suited for people with smaller frames and comes in a few interesting colours including (currently) a pinkish-magenta-ish red. Anyway, I hope this helps!
Another fantastic review per usual. I’m currently trying to decide between the Aer City Pack, Day Pack 2, and Evergoods CPL24, so this was great timing. I have all three of them right now but none of them is quite right! If the main compartment on the City Pack was just a bit larger and it were able to stand on its own, that would settle it for me. But alas…
Oooh! Great question. Between those two, for me, personally, and how I carry - the City Pack would be my choice. It fits my typical loadouts better, I like that it's a bit smaller/svelte and carries tighter to the body, I like the surprisingly high degree of internal organisation (like the extra full length flat pocket area inside of the front pocket - totally wasn't expecting that) and just the overall aesthetic being trimmer and more refined. However, the daypack 2 is a solid choice too (as is the CPL24) so I don't think you'd go wrong with any of them! (p.s. if I had to choose between all three of them instead of just the daypack 2 or City Pack, however, I likely would go for the CPL24 v2, but I just really like Evergoods.)
I think it's important to keep in mind the purpose and intention of this bag to get the most out of it an enjoy it to the fullest. It's NOT designed for bulky carry (big DSLR cameras, heavy jackets, large water bottles, big books, ect). It's also not the bag for you if you're a big modular pouch nut. If you can accept that, this bag is a DREAM for EDC and even travel as a personal day bag. And no it doesn't stand up but true bag nerds keep our bags hero clipped anyway. 😜
Hi Greg! There aren't too many bags in this same general rated literage size (14L) in Aer's lineup. There is the Flight Pack which is ≈20L and has an interesting layout - depending on your use case you may or may not find it useful. There's also the slim pack which around 8L I believe - it's significantly smaller than the City Pack but still holds devices and most urban commuter-use type things, but can't hold bulkier things like jackets etc. If you are willing to go one-strap, the Travel Sling 2 is close in size at 12L and also has a pretty interesting combination of device carry + can handle some slightly bulkier items. Another one strap option that is close in size is the Sling Bag 3 which is 13.4L - I personally had a hard time making this bag work for my needs and the form factor is a bit unusual but maybe it might work for you? If you're willing to look away from Aer there are some other options (Bellroy Melbourne Pack, the Moment Day Pack, etc.) that are also close in overall size - I think I introduce a few at the end of this video. But in general, I really like the City Pack for its combination of features, design and overall svelte size - there aren't too many other packs with this combination in the Aer lineup. I hope this helps!
Thank you for the kind words Edmond! I agree, most bags will stand up if you pack them a certain way (generally with heavier things in the bottom) but in my experience, while not impossible to make this bag stand up I found it a little more unlikely under general "commuter style" packing load outs than some other bags with slightly flatter bottoms. (but again, totally possible to do in certain cases)
Yes! It's the next video up - landing soon! In my opinion, they are both great bags but are very different approaches ostensibly for the same general problem space. I think the biggest three things you need to decide are: * Do you prefer full Clamshell or Top Loading style? * Do you prefer lots of organization or "just enough"? * Do you prefer the Aer 1680D Ballistic Nylon or the EG's 840D high tenacity Nylon 6? Depending on how you answer to these questions (and which of these, if any, are "critical" attributes) you can decide between these bags. Regardless of which you go with, they are both great bags!
Good point (though I suppose it depends on if you live in a left hand drive or right hand drive country) - have you tried it with the bag flipped around the other way so the handle is on the "correct" side for whichever side your passenger seat is on?
@@TheMountainbornyeah, but the front of the backpack would be facing the passenger seat ( and not forward). Worried about quick accessibility at a red light, and ability to not stand on its own facing backwards with front of the backpack facing the seat
I think a key reason why the backpack doesn't stand up on it's own by the tokai one does is because the tokai is in the stiffer x-pac material. I suspect the aer city pack x-pac version would stand up on it's own
Would you say in this form factor Aer maybe could or should have reconsidered their 'standard' outside panel format ( admin pouch + rear slash pouch)? I'm thinking if they had reduced the admin pouch to just that space above the slash pouch and deleted the two side by side elastic pouches in the main compartment, enough internal room could be salvaged to make the main compartment both more spacious and more usable. It feels like a lot of space is sacrificed to keep that standardized admin pouch the same as it is on bigger Aer bags.
Great review! One of my gripes with Aer and Bellroy packs is that the shoulder strap tend to slowly loosen up throughout the day because of the slick seat belt like straps. Does Aer still use the same type of straps? Thanks :)
Thanks Tom - and great question! Aer has periodically updated their materials over time and over generations of bags, so it may partially depend on which straps/bags in the Aer line up you are referencing when asking about the type of strap. But maybe getting more to the point you're asking - I personally did not find much slippage in the straps (I understand exactly the issue you are speaking about - Bellroy straps in certain material ways and bags in particular are really notorious for this in my experience) for the City pack, partially due to: 1. The carry style encouraged by the design of the bag (high and tight meaning relatively less sway in the weight age meaning less chances of straps working loose 2. The relatively smaller capacity that wears tighter to the bag (again, less weight and force pulling down on the straps throughout the day) 3. Built in simple but useful strap keepers - these keep the plane of the excess strap dangle parallel and tight to the main strap which essentially keeps the cams locked and prevents most extraneous slippage. At least in my usage for the last couple of months at this point, I haven't had any unwanted slippage issues in this particular pack. But again, I think the size of the bag also encourages reasonable loads - it's entirely possibly if you load the bag with sacks of sand and go for a 5km run you may get some slippage :)
Great review. But all of your "also considers" are 50-100% larger. So maybe the theme of the review should not have been about what the AER can't carry? Would love to see a comparison to other 14L bags that chose the "no organization/black hole" design approach. I could probably carry like 3 soccer balls if there was nothing to the bag but a single compartment!
Hi Rockfish - oh for sure. My approach to the "also consider" section is generally to take one or two parameters of the bag reviewed and play with it a bit (explore loosening or tightening that parameter). In this case I was trying to explore other commuter-oriented high-and-tight style bags with decent or high organisation - but yeah, definitely ended up with some much larger bags. That having been said, I don't think that the theme of my review was what the Aer City Pack can't carry - conversely I feel like I was quite complimentary with regard to what the City Pack *can* carry because I think it's quite amazing for the size and slimness of the profile. If you rewatch I hope you'll see that come through as well. I do think it's fair to point out that a pack this slim - oriented towards urban edc/students/commuters - does have some definite limitations in terms of common things people living their best urban life ;) might want to carry (i.e. large headphones are not a rare thing in 2021, neither are things like cameras etc.). But I don't think I blasted this bag for this limitation - again I really actually quite like this bag. Definitely one of Aer's best in my opinion. Regarding similar 14L bags, I don't have too many in this size but off the top of my head ones that I have and like in a similar size: * Bellroy Melbourne Bag - I did a full review of this on my channel * Able Carry 13 Daypack - I like it although it's too small for my frame. * Aer Slimpack - Slightly smaller than 14L than I recall but perfect for a tightly dialed urban/commuter carry. I used to use this a lot more when I was commuting regularly to the office. Hope this helps!
Hi Mountain! I'm back again. How do you feel about making a purchase decision vs the Aer City Pack and the Aer Day Pack 2 X-Pac? I wanna buy either or the other for work. In terms of tech I carry a 14" MBP, 12.9" iPad Pro and a 11" iPad Pro. I do carry a slightly filled out tech pouch and maybe a 20oz water bottle.
Nice review. Would you consider taking a look at Wexley bags? They've picked up some steam in the japanese market recently. 2 of their bags appear to copy designs from Able Carry and Aer, but I'd be interested to see what you think on their other bags
Hi Hassan! I actually have had the Lunar pack hanging out in my bag closet for a while - I've only used it a few times but thanks for reminding me. I'll try to get a review of that up sometime in the next couple of months.
Been debating between this, the day pack2, slim pack, fit pack Commuter Brief and flight pack for an EDC that I can also use as a personal item bag for flying for my partner who uses a roller carry on. I just a tom bihn tri star and usually use it as a back pack so my personal item needs to be able to carried via shoulder. All their products have pros and cons and I can not decide. Its actually killing me LOL.. I think I have ruled out the slim pack as I think it might be too small for travel and even a tad too small for EDC. The others I am really struggling with. Do you have a fav?
Hello, I would like to know if this backpack could fit inside a camera insert? Or is too tight? Or do you recommend any other bag for this purpose? Thank you Sorry if my English is bad, it's not my first language.
Hi LeZootrope! I think that most likely this bag is going to be too tight for most camera inserts (maybe it will fit a very small one for like APS-C or M/43 system or something but it's still going to be tight). While a lot depends on the camera cube you're carrying, in general I find that clamshell style opening bags tend to work well with them. So that means things like the Bellroy Transit Workpack, the Evergoods CPL28, Black Ember Shadow 22 (thought that is pretty floppy) etc. Generally speaking I'd say you'd be looking at a clamshell-style opening dayback with reasonable suspension somewhere in the 22-30L range dependign on your size and how much camera gear you want to carry. If camera carry is your main concern, you can also consider dedicated combination photo + EDC bags like the Peak Design Everyday backpack 20L or 30L - those are aimed at camera carry but still have enough functionality for EDC use and don't look like a nerdy Lowepro bag etc. I hope this helps!
I just subscribed to your channel as I really like your non-bias critiques. I also like your delivery demeanor as it’s very calm and reassuring and honest. I just purchased the city pack in Xpac! Out of curiosity is your first name really Mountain or is that your handle that you use on UA-cam? Again thanks so much and appreciate how you answer everybody’s comments!
Hi Naomi! Oh great suggestion! I've never owned any Urth bags but will definitely consider picking one up. I'll follow up on this comment if I end up reviewing it!
Hi Barrie! I think it depends on the seat and if you've got the bag super overstuffed but in most cases I found this to be capable of fitting under most airline seats I have flown!
Hey there! So I have owned and used the original Apex for a while now. To be honest, I keep meaning to review it but just haven't gotten around to it yet - maybe because I just don't really like this bag as much as I thought I would (especially for the price) so it's hard to get motivated to do the review. But I know that's maybe exactly why I should review it - it's so pricy people would benefit from a solid review of the pros/cons of the bag. I will try to add it to the queue! Regarding the new black colourway, I wish they had taken the opportunity to fix some of the issues with the existing bag instead of just doing a new colour but oh well. FWIW, I do love the contrasting brown shoulder straps on the new black colourway though!
Pack hacker made a good point of the main compartment … “think of those pockets more like options”. I personally don’t use the two smaller pockets in the main compartment in order to fit a small lunch and Nintendo switch. I love your detailed analysis, keep it up!
Hi BingBing - "think of those pockets like options" - interesting idea! I think that's a great way of putting it. They are relatively unobtrusive so they don't get in the way if people don't want to use them.
Thanks for sharing and for the kind words! :)
Amazing review!! It made me rethink about buying this City Pack version because of the limited space in the main compartment. Hands down the best detailed review of this backpack 🙌🏻
Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm so glad this was useful for you!! What bag did you end up getting? :)
@@TheMountainborn still deciding between AER City Pack Pro Cordura or Xpac OR Evergoods CPL 24. Any other recommendation?
I got high Sierra on clearance at Marshall's. Does the exact same things as this one.
Thanks mate, I like your take on bags. I love backpacks and use them daily and, one thing that became clear to me over time is that a bag that doesn't stand on its own is just a pain. I mean to always have to look for a right spot to to prop it up, to constantly having to be careful how and where you place it so it doesn't roll around on a dirty floor or drop from a chair and spill all the contents... And all these specialised bag companies that put so much thought in designing a bag and yet you can't even put it down without having constantly have one hand on the bag when opening it...I mean c'mon.. it's like the bag works against your, not with you . at the end I feel like you can go full circle and come back to and appreciate well executed basics. ;)
Thanks so much for the kind words - I totally agree, it's really frustrating when a bag doesn't stand up on its own. Like with hiking or outdoor use bags that can make sense (trading the convenience for a more streamlined carry in scenarios where you're not likely to be putting the bag down and working in/out of it a lot) but for urban/edc/commuter use (and probably in most travel bag cases too) it's just such a frustrating shortcoming for no reason other than putting form over function (a trade off I almost always dislike). Ah well... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
same!! totally annoying to have to fight the bag when it doesnt stands! its like one hand holding on to the bag, left with only one hand to grab stuff. really a dealbreaker for me too. And its not the "upwards slope" design either, like hiking packs, where it's design to get the load higher up for better ergonomics.
great review as usual! I think your videos are kinda like Chase Reeves videos when he started... talking about all the pain points and observations and thoughts. I think Chase reeves videos now arent as detailed as they used to be, think he has gotten to the stage where those pain points doesnt matter to him that much anymore haha.
Nice reference to business papers!
D ring on side could be for carabiner and water bottle with finger loop/grab handle.
Or can be something to attach phone charms to
That's true!!
Enjoyed the chase reeves shout out here. Hope he respects your work. Keep up the great reviews!
You know I've got to give a shout out to the OG of the carry review game! :)
Thanks for the review Mountain! Looks like I won't be replacing the Transit Workpack anytime soon.
Also Mountain, not sure if you've heard about the Classic Backpack Plus Second Edition from Bellroy. I now own the Transit Workpack after seeing your review and it's been actually an awesome experience. Just wanted to see capacity wise if the Transit Workpack vs the Classic BP Plus 2nd edition is a smaller bag than they claim it to be, 20L vs 24L. I remember on your original review of the Classic BP Plus, despite the claim to be larger in capacity, it doesn't seem to fit that much stuff compared to the Transit Workpack. Curious on your thoughts on that bag. Looking forward to hearing a review from you soon. Many thanks!
Thank you. Your footage was great - that segment about bottom-half compartments having that limited shared volume was really crucial and well-explained (better than Pack Hacker & Rushfaster!) 😎
Glad you found it useful Vinc!!!
I just purchased the city pack pro for work and travel as a companion to my carry on suitcase. I’d like this one as well in the olive color for day to day local travel when I’m not working or flying. I love these bags for they are so sturdy and durable
Was going to grab the xpac version until you mentioned the bag does not stand on its own. Kind if disappointing. Ill stick with my day pack 2 xpac. Great review!!
I know! It's such a frustrating oversight for a bag intended very squarely as an EDC/urban commuter bag. Ah well. Form over function I suppose.
Such a thoughtful in depth unique expert review! Would be fascinated to see your take on the Able Carry Daily that you mentioned elsewhere you had used.
there is simply no main compartment in this bag
look at it this way, there are only an admin panel and a laptop sleeve. but i got this pack anyway for my uses
still, it'd be a much better pack if it were at 24L, dont mind ditching some of these bottom dual pockets. and no, city pack pro isn't a pro version of this pack with that admin section and removal of the back contour.
Thank you for trying the Sony mirror less with lens as well as the Sony headphones 👍🏼
Thank you for the review! You deserve a lot more subscribers!
Need more consistency in posting to get recommended more
Thanks klgc!
Thanks for the comment Matthew. To be honest, I specifically choose not to adhere to a strict posting schedule even though that undoubtedly would improve my ranking in the algorithm.
When I started this channel I laid out a couple of basic ground rules for myself. One of the most important ground rules was the decision that I was going to do this for myself and for fun.
In other words, I wanted to make the kind of reviews and videos that I want to see, and I want to do it in a way that I found enjoyable and which motivated and stimulated me, while hopefully being useful to people looking to make a bag purchasing decision.
Conversely, I specifically decided not to care if my channel blows up in popularity, if I get sponsorship, if I get a bunch of free merch or if my videos get tons of clicks, go viral etc. The last thing I want to be in my life is an "influencer."
This is why I haven't monetised my channel, and it's why my videos are 34 minutes long but deeply discuss the real life usage of bags in action as opposed to stat-friendly 12 minute marketing puff pieces that regurgitate talking points from the website. This is why I don't have bizarre clickbait thumbnails with overlaid text, bug-eyed reaction faces and disingenuous titles. This is also why I specifically don't worry about a strict posting schedule designed to game the algorithm or about rushing to be the first to post reviews of the latest and greatest hottest bags. This is especially I don't spam my videos with overlays of my social media channels or beseech viewers to "like, comment, subscribe and turn on post notifications."
I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'd like for social media to play a positive, motivating influence in my life (such as I get when engaging with the carry community in these comments or fellow carry enthusiasts reaching out in DMs etc.) rather than a constant source of stress (in terms of thinking about always needing to post new content or engagement to satisfy an arbitrary algorithm).
Hence, infrequent posting schedule - I post when I have something to say and time to say it :)
@@TheMountainborn love this! Much respect
Fantastic Review! been looking for something like this, thank you!
My pleasure Jonas!! I'm glad you found it useful!
I bought this and ended up selling my Black Ember Shadow 22L. This wins hands down!
That's awesome! I'm so glad you like this bag Greentealatte! I hope it serves you well on many daily adventures :)
Sorry for the late bump here but what made you move away from the Shadow? I was considering buying the Shadow over the Day Pack
@@6thonyGodtano just a matter of personal preference. I find the city pack has more organization features than the shadow. Also the shoulder pads have some kinda of a weird design on the shadow.
As a small frame female I am really interested in this slightly smaller bag, I am watching your review and thinking, tissues in that pocket, lip gloss in that one etc, but why oh why do they only make these bags in black? Purple, pink, teal, please. X
Hi Ez H! I understand your pain - many of my female friends often comment on this same thing. I guess manufacturers maybe think of backpacks as the male equivalent of purses and tend to design primarily for guys? (a black colourway is not only a pretty safe bet but also probably just table stakes when it comes to products aimed at guys)
It would be interesting to see the demographic breakdown of their target consumers. My guess is - most of their purchasers are guys. And unfortunately, regrettably, whilst it is socially acceptable for women to wear any colour in the spectrum (including black/grey) for guys there are a whole host of societally unacceptable colours for them to wear/carry, so colours like pink/teak/purple would likely only sell to a very very small number of people (i.e. the subsection of the (presumably) already small group of their female consumers who would opt for that colour and possibly a few daring men), possibly not enough to justify the cost of producing the colourway.
FWIW, one modern carry company that does a bunch of different interesting colours for their pretty awesome bags is Bellroy - they don't always have straight up purple/pink but they do have a far wider colour pallet than many other large producers and have a few bags suited for people with smaller frames such as yourself (the Melbourne pack for example, which I have previously reviewed on this channel). Additionally the Able Carry Thirteen daypack is well suited for people with smaller frames and comes in a few interesting colours including (currently) a pinkish-magenta-ish red.
Anyway, I hope this helps!
They have a Olive color
Another fantastic review per usual. I’m currently trying to decide between the Aer City Pack, Day Pack 2, and Evergoods CPL24, so this was great timing. I have all three of them right now but none of them is quite right! If the main compartment on the City Pack was just a bit larger and it were able to stand on its own, that would settle it for me. But alas…
which one do you prefer better between city pack and daypack 2?
Oooh! Great question. Between those two, for me, personally, and how I carry - the City Pack would be my choice.
It fits my typical loadouts better, I like that it's a bit smaller/svelte and carries tighter to the body, I like the surprisingly high degree of internal organisation (like the extra full length flat pocket area inside of the front pocket - totally wasn't expecting that) and just the overall aesthetic being trimmer and more refined.
However, the daypack 2 is a solid choice too (as is the CPL24) so I don't think you'd go wrong with any of them!
(p.s. if I had to choose between all three of them instead of just the daypack 2 or City Pack, however, I likely would go for the CPL24 v2, but I just really like Evergoods.)
I appreciate your videos, really helpful
Hi Sao- thank you for the kind words!! I'm so glad you find these videos useful!
Mountain incredible thorough review as always I love this bag but hate how the zippers fall in the quick access pocket also drives me crazy 😂
Very nice video! Keep up the very good work!
Thank you so much MK!
Could you please compare the this bag with the Able Carry Daily Pack? Which would you recommend? (I prioritise comfort > organisation > aesthetic)
I think it's important to keep in mind the purpose and intention of this bag to get the most out of it an enjoy it to the fullest. It's NOT designed for bulky carry (big DSLR cameras, heavy jackets, large water bottles, big books, ect). It's also not the bag for you if you're a big modular pouch nut. If you can accept that, this bag is a DREAM for EDC and even travel as a personal day bag.
And no it doesn't stand up but true bag nerds keep our bags hero clipped anyway. 😜
@@samnectar hung by a hero clip. 🙂
Thanks for the helpful video!
I really like the size of this bag. Can anyone recommend another aer bag of the same size that you think might be another good option?
Hi Greg! There aren't too many bags in this same general rated literage size (14L) in Aer's lineup. There is the Flight Pack which is ≈20L and has an interesting layout - depending on your use case you may or may not find it useful. There's also the slim pack which around 8L I believe - it's significantly smaller than the City Pack but still holds devices and most urban commuter-use type things, but can't hold bulkier things like jackets etc.
If you are willing to go one-strap, the Travel Sling 2 is close in size at 12L and also has a pretty interesting combination of device carry + can handle some slightly bulkier items. Another one strap option that is close in size is the Sling Bag 3 which is 13.4L - I personally had a hard time making this bag work for my needs and the form factor is a bit unusual but maybe it might work for you?
If you're willing to look away from Aer there are some other options (Bellroy Melbourne Pack, the Moment Day Pack, etc.) that are also close in overall size - I think I introduce a few at the end of this video.
But in general, I really like the City Pack for its combination of features, design and overall svelte size - there aren't too many other packs with this combination in the Aer lineup. I hope this helps!
@@TheMountainborn Thank you! :)
Love to see a review for the Defy Rover Duffel. Keep up the fantastic content!
Thanks Proxilon! Will add it to the (super backed up) queue!
Good review. Mine stands up, it just depends how you have it packed.
Thank you for the kind words Edmond! I agree, most bags will stand up if you pack them a certain way (generally with heavier things in the bottom) but in my experience, while not impossible to make this bag stand up I found it a little more unlikely under general "commuter style" packing load outs than some other bags with slightly flatter bottoms. (but again, totally possible to do in certain cases)
Great review! Do you plan to do one for the new city pack pro? I can't decide between this one and the CHZ26!
Yes! It's the next video up - landing soon!
In my opinion, they are both great bags but are very different approaches ostensibly for the same general problem space. I think the biggest three things you need to decide are:
* Do you prefer full Clamshell or Top Loading style?
* Do you prefer lots of organization or "just enough"?
* Do you prefer the Aer 1680D Ballistic Nylon or the EG's 840D high tenacity Nylon 6?
Depending on how you answer to these questions (and which of these, if any, are "critical" attributes) you can decide between these bags.
Regardless of which you go with, they are both great bags!
Wish the grab handle was flipped. Seeing i tend to put my backpack on passenger seat going to work. Would be great if handle is more accessible
Good point (though I suppose it depends on if you live in a left hand drive or right hand drive country) - have you tried it with the bag flipped around the other way so the handle is on the "correct" side for whichever side your passenger seat is on?
@@TheMountainbornyeah, but the front of the backpack would be facing the passenger seat ( and not forward). Worried about quick accessibility at a red light, and ability to not stand on its own facing backwards with front of the backpack facing the seat
I think a key reason why the backpack doesn't stand up on it's own by the tokai one does is because the tokai is in the stiffer x-pac material. I suspect the aer city pack x-pac version would stand up on it's own
That's definitely a possibility - the stiffness of the material in the Tokai for sure played a part in the standing-up-ness of that variant!
Would you say in this form factor Aer maybe could or should have reconsidered their 'standard' outside panel format ( admin pouch + rear slash pouch)? I'm thinking if they had reduced the admin pouch to just that space above the slash pouch and deleted the two side by side elastic pouches in the main compartment, enough internal room could be salvaged to make the main compartment both more spacious and more usable. It feels like a lot of space is sacrificed to keep that standardized admin pouch the same as it is on bigger Aer bags.
Great review!
One of my gripes with Aer and Bellroy packs is that the shoulder strap tend to slowly loosen up throughout the day because of the slick seat belt like straps. Does Aer still use the same type of straps?
Thanks :)
Thanks Tom - and great question! Aer has periodically updated their materials over time and over generations of bags, so it may partially depend on which straps/bags in the Aer line up you are referencing when asking about the type of strap. But maybe getting more to the point you're asking - I personally did not find much slippage in the straps (I understand exactly the issue you are speaking about - Bellroy straps in certain material ways and bags in particular are really notorious for this in my experience) for the City pack, partially due to:
1. The carry style encouraged by the design of the bag (high and tight meaning relatively less sway in the weight age meaning less chances of straps working loose
2. The relatively smaller capacity that wears tighter to the bag (again, less weight and force pulling down on the straps throughout the day)
3. Built in simple but useful strap keepers - these keep the plane of the excess strap dangle parallel and tight to the main strap which essentially keeps the cams locked and prevents most extraneous slippage.
At least in my usage for the last couple of months at this point, I haven't had any unwanted slippage issues in this particular pack. But again, I think the size of the bag also encourages reasonable loads - it's entirely possibly if you load the bag with sacks of sand and go for a 5km run you may get some slippage :)
@@TheMountainborn thanks for the extremely detailed response! The only logical course of action is to purchase the bag 😅
Great review. But all of your "also considers" are 50-100% larger. So maybe the theme of the review should not have been about what the AER can't carry? Would love to see a comparison to other 14L bags that chose the "no organization/black hole" design approach. I could probably carry like 3 soccer balls if there was nothing to the bag but a single compartment!
Hi Rockfish - oh for sure. My approach to the "also consider" section is generally to take one or two parameters of the bag reviewed and play with it a bit (explore loosening or tightening that parameter). In this case I was trying to explore other commuter-oriented high-and-tight style bags with decent or high organisation - but yeah, definitely ended up with some much larger bags.
That having been said, I don't think that the theme of my review was what the Aer City Pack can't carry - conversely I feel like I was quite complimentary with regard to what the City Pack *can* carry because I think it's quite amazing for the size and slimness of the profile. If you rewatch I hope you'll see that come through as well. I do think it's fair to point out that a pack this slim - oriented towards urban edc/students/commuters - does have some definite limitations in terms of common things people living their best urban life ;) might want to carry (i.e. large headphones are not a rare thing in 2021, neither are things like cameras etc.). But I don't think I blasted this bag for this limitation - again I really actually quite like this bag. Definitely one of Aer's best in my opinion.
Regarding similar 14L bags, I don't have too many in this size but off the top of my head ones that I have and like in a similar size:
* Bellroy Melbourne Bag - I did a full review of this on my channel
* Able Carry 13 Daypack - I like it although it's too small for my frame.
* Aer Slimpack - Slightly smaller than 14L than I recall but perfect for a tightly dialed urban/commuter carry. I used to use this a lot more when I was commuting regularly to the office.
Hope this helps!
@@TheMountainborn Fair enough! Thanks for the reply!
Would love your review of the pro version they just released!
That's the next video coming up! Stay tuned!
Between this and the Shadow, which one would you prefer?
Hi Mountain! I'm back again. How do you feel about making a purchase decision vs the Aer City Pack and the Aer Day Pack 2 X-Pac? I wanna buy either or the other for work. In terms of tech I carry a 14" MBP, 12.9" iPad Pro and a 11" iPad Pro. I do carry a slightly filled out tech pouch and maybe a 20oz water bottle.
Which one you end up getting
Nice review. Would you consider taking a look at Wexley bags? They've picked up some steam in the japanese market recently. 2 of their bags appear to copy designs from Able Carry and Aer, but I'd be interested to see what you think on their other bags
Really good review! Could you review the Aer x Ministry of Supply Lunar pack? Would be much appreciated
Hi Hassan! I actually have had the Lunar pack hanging out in my bag closet for a while - I've only used it a few times but thanks for reminding me. I'll try to get a review of that up sometime in the next couple of months.
did it just stand by itself after you stick the headphone in?
Been debating between this, the day pack2, slim pack, fit pack Commuter Brief and flight pack for an EDC that I can also use as a personal item bag for flying for my partner who uses a roller carry on. I just a tom bihn tri star and usually use it as a back pack so my personal item needs to be able to carried via shoulder. All their products have pros and cons and I can not decide. Its actually killing me LOL.. I think I have ruled out the slim pack as I think it might be too small for travel and even a tad too small for EDC. The others I am really struggling with. Do you have a fav?
Hello,
I would like to know if this backpack could fit inside a camera insert? Or is too tight? Or do you recommend any other bag for this purpose?
Thank you
Sorry if my English is bad, it's not my first language.
Hi LeZootrope!
I think that most likely this bag is going to be too tight for most camera inserts (maybe it will fit a very small one for like APS-C or M/43 system or something but it's still going to be tight).
While a lot depends on the camera cube you're carrying, in general I find that clamshell style opening bags tend to work well with them. So that means things like the Bellroy Transit Workpack, the Evergoods CPL28, Black Ember Shadow 22 (thought that is pretty floppy) etc.
Generally speaking I'd say you'd be looking at a clamshell-style opening dayback with reasonable suspension somewhere in the 22-30L range dependign on your size and how much camera gear you want to carry.
If camera carry is your main concern, you can also consider dedicated combination photo + EDC bags like the Peak Design Everyday backpack 20L or 30L - those are aimed at camera carry but still have enough functionality for EDC use and don't look like a nerdy Lowepro bag etc.
I hope this helps!
@@TheMountainborn thank you very much, it has been helpful.
I just subscribed to your channel as I really like your non-bias critiques. I also like your delivery demeanor as it’s very calm and reassuring and honest. I just purchased the city pack in Xpac! Out of curiosity is your first name really Mountain or is that your handle that you use on UA-cam?
Again thanks so much and appreciate how you answer everybody’s comments!
Can you review the Urth Arkose 20l?
Hi Naomi! Oh great suggestion! I've never owned any Urth bags but will definitely consider picking one up. I'll follow up on this comment if I end up reviewing it!
Would the aer city pack 14 l fit under the seat on a air plane. Thanks
Hi Barrie! I think it depends on the seat and if you've got the bag super overstuffed but in most cases I found this to be capable of fitting under most airline seats I have flown!
a very interesting bag that has many compact compartments , i want one of these #team alboy dayaan
Definitely! Hope you can get your hands on one soon!
Would the laptop compartment fit lunch and a big notebook too? I am a college student but I dont really carry textbooks.
Any chance you'll review the Bellroy Apex now that it comes in black?
Hey there! So I have owned and used the original Apex for a while now. To be honest, I keep meaning to review it but just haven't gotten around to it yet - maybe because I just don't really like this bag as much as I thought I would (especially for the price) so it's hard to get motivated to do the review. But I know that's maybe exactly why I should review it - it's so pricy people would benefit from a solid review of the pros/cons of the bag. I will try to add it to the queue!
Regarding the new black colourway, I wish they had taken the opportunity to fix some of the issues with the existing bag instead of just doing a new colour but oh well. FWIW, I do love the contrasting brown shoulder straps on the new black colourway though!
@@TheMountainborn thanks for the info! I’ve been on the fence about it but might hold out for the Alpha 31 V2.
Please review Timbuk2 Q 2.0 laptop
top !
Cpl24
A review is coming one day, I swear! :)
Can’t decide on this bag in Xpax version vs Black ember shadow 22l or 26l 🥲😭