In fact, AER packs are a real hit among the team.īeing the location independent people that we are, we can work from anywhere so for me personally I spend a lot of time moving around the city (in normal years) in search of my next favorite cafe. Simpsons references aside, let’s now take a closer look at what makes this Aer backpack badass and get on with this AER Travel Pack 2 review…Ī few members of The Broke Backpacker staff including myself have been using the AER Travel Pack 2 as our everyday bag over the last year. Ready to know more? Excellent (in sinister Mr. I’ll be honest with you from the get-go as I know your time is as valuable as mine: the Travel Pack 2 is one of the most impressive carry-on travel backpacks I have tested this is one Aer bag that needs to be on your radar friends.īelow, I breakdown every inch of the Aer Travel Pack 2, covering important details like unique organizational features, weight, packability, toughness, best uses, fit/sizing, and everything else under the sun.

Many companies are also failing and few are doing it right. The whole one-bag travel movement is a full-swing at the moment and plenty of companies are trying to pump-out sexy carry-on travel bags to entice travelers and digital nomads to jump on board. I actually had never heard of the San Fransisco based Aer company until quite recently, so when the opportunity arose to give the Travel Pack 2 a test run, of course, I jumped on it. What gets my gear wheels turning is innovation, creativity, and backpacker practicality- which is exactly what I found when I started looking deeper at Aer backpacks. When you review dozens of pieces of gear a year, it is easy to get bored with uninspiring product. This is not a paid advertisement, I swear, but I am just so in love with this bag.I’ve tested quite a few backpacks, and out of all the travel backpacks I have tested this year (and there have been many), few packs have got me as stoked as the new Aer Travel Pack 2. I use this for extra face masks and Kleenex.Ĭard slot pockets on the straps! I live in the suburbs and drive everywhere but I mostly stick to public transit when I travel, so this will be awesome for subway cards. Why is this important? It makes it so much easier to find what you're looking for in there instead of digging into a deep dark stiff pocket. The inside front pocket is a tight mesh and sticks outward from the main lining of the bag. I haven't tried putting my 13' Macbook Pro in it yet, but I use it all the time for my iPad Pro (sometimes caseless, sometimes with the Magic Keyboard) and it feels safe from both drops and scratches. The padded area for laptops is also lined with a super soft fabric. Zippers were easy to use from day 1, no break-in period. I haven't used it yet, but could see it being useful for my Passport while traveling. There's a zipped pocket on the back that's great for items that you want to keep super close to you and protected. I have sunglasses in a case, hand sanitizer, a metal straw, a sunscreen stick, and Wet Wipes in mine, and again, no distension on the front of the bag. The sideways front zip pocket is super nice because it's the full height of the bag, so you can fit a ton in there for easy access but it's still a big space, unlike most bags that just have a small pocket at the top on the outside of the bag. I always carry a Takeya 24oz water bottle, which is not a very wide bottle, but I always have to push to get it into most bags. The water bottle pocket on the outside is deep and wide. Here's what it looks like with my regular EDC, which is quite light, but I stuffed a denim jacket into it a few days ago and it looked exactly like this. It never gets distended or looks overstuffed. I am not easy on my bags it's already been through some rain, a visit to the dog park, and being thrown on the (admittedly dirty) passenger seat well of my car, and it looks perfect. There are even little rubber bits on the adjustable parts of the straps to help keep them from hanging in the way – thoughtful stuff. This pack is super light and the curved straps are well-padded. I'm a 5'3' nonbinary person with a large chest, so between my height and my chest, straps often hit in the wrong place and aren't a great option. It's easily the most comfortable pack I've ever worn.

There's a lot of things I love about it, but here are the highlights: I've been using the backpack for a week and a half or so now, and I have to say it's easily my new favorite, and a perfect option for folks looking for a small pack (13L) that still has structure and plenty of storage. I recently posted looking for a small backpack and got several recommendations for the Able Carry Thirteen, which I ended up buying in X-PAC Olive Green along with the Daily Stash Pouch in the same color/fabric.

Aer go daypack