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Details
- Price $189 for the X-Pac at aersf.com
- Material VX-42 X-Pac™ sailcloth exterior by Dimension-Polyant®
- Capacity 14 L / 854 cubic inches
- Weight 2.8 lbs / 1.27 kg
Overview
Aer is known for its dedication to quality and innovation. They've garnered a solid reputation in the world of functional gear, which adds a layer of trust to their products. The Aer Day Pack 3 is the latest rendition of this compact carry from this power brand.
While I am mostly working from home, I do make occasional visits to the library and a co-working space. These days, I've become less meticulous about my setup and just dump my laptop and charger into my Outlier WILLIENORRIS Hempmarine Newsbag and head out.
Aer's Day Pack has been known to be a just-sized pack that will accommodate your essentials—nothing more, nothing less. At the same time, this could be a limiting factor for many well-prepared digital nomads. I've got the X-Pac version for this review and will find out if it will work for me.
Style
It's not hard to spot another Aer bag when you are familiar with the sleek aesthetics. Like many successful brands, they've kept consistent with the design style that has brought them so far.
The bag comes in two materials. One is the 840D nylon face that has a shimmery surface. The other is the X-Pac. I never liked the look of the 840D nylon, which weather coating makes the bag look cheap. The X-Pac has a more premium look to it but costs $30 more. I think it is worth it.
Since the pack was designed for essentials, it is relatively small, especially for my bulky 6-foot frame. I would almost say it is too small that it looks a little dorky. I think this would go well for someone up to 5 ft 8 in in height with a slimmer frame.
Size aside, the pack has a minimalistic look that blesses all Aer bags. The front face is empty with just two cinches at the upper corners to form the shape. A set of zippers goes around the sides. The weatherproof zippers are seamless when zipped, adding to the sleekness.
As always, the branding is subtle; a single Aer logo on a Hypalon tag on the wearer's right. I am not one for advertising a product's brand after I've paid money for it, but Aer's Bauhaus-style logo adds to the look rather than takes away from it.
All of Aer's bags have a very standard technical backpack look. While I think the style matches most's tastes easily, the bags do look quite masculine which can be a minus for the ladies.
Material
The VX-42 X-Pac fabric is known for its exceptional durability and weather resistance. It's constructed from multiple layers, including a tough polyester X-Ply layer sandwiched between layers of waterproof film and woven nylon, resulting in a fabric that's both lightweight and incredibly robust.
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Let's compare it to the other option, the 1680D Cordura® ballistic nylon. The VX-42 X-Pac, with its laminated construction, offers superior water resistance. This is why there is a weather-coated 840D nylon face. However, if it rains, the water is likely to come from the top and might land on the uncoated 1680D Cordura first. While the 1680D Cordura has some water resistance, it doesn't compare to the X-Pac.
The 1680D Cordura® ballistic nylon, with its densely woven fibers, provides excellent abrasion resistance, making it a popular choice for heavy-duty applications. While it may not be as waterproof as the VX-42 X-Pac, it still offers decent protection against the elements and is more resistant to tears and punctures.
In terms of weight, the VX-42 X-Pac tends to be lighter than the 1680D Cordura® ballistic nylon, making it a preferred choice for those looking to minimize bulk without sacrificing durability.
If you prioritize water resistance and a sleek aesthetic, the VX-42 X-Pac is the way to go. However, if you need maximum durability and abrasion resistance, the 1680D Cordura® ballistic nylon is a solid choice.
These will rarely matter to the average person. Ultimately, both will offer more than enough weather resistance and durability. I always choose based on the looks and the X-Pac's sleek appearance and matte finish is my choice.
Usage
The organization is designed for the essentials. As a many-bagger, I have a packing cube with all the essentials that I transfer to each bag. The slimness of the bag doesn't allow me to have the packing cube and my devices. It just won't fit. This is a deal breaker for me.
I decided to give it a chance and took the stuff out from my packing cube and put it into the meticulous organization. Open the face and you'll see three rows of organization.
The top is a full-width slot. This is a convenient pocket and the one you can access the quickest. I often end up dumping my stuff in here simply because it is easiest to do. Right in front is a zippered pocket, perfect for something flatter like your passport.
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The second row consists of three slots, with the middle one less than half the width of the other two. What goes here can be versatile but I have my charger in here.
The last row has two equal-sized slots that I use to put things that I need less often like my sunglass case and my portable fan.
Of course, the entire compartment is one big pocket and I put larger items that I don't want in the top pocket, such as wet tissues.
Between the zippers of the front pocket and the main/laptop compartment, there is a quick-access pocket on the top perfect for my earphones Sony WF-1000XM4.
The main compartment is also the laptop compartment. The laptop slot is padded while there is a tablet slot in front of it. The slots are suspended not only at the bottom but at the sides so you'll have some buffer on any impact.
I was able to fit a 16-inch MacBook Pro in the laptop slot easily. My 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a magic keyboard and a MOFT cover that holds an Apple Pencil fits the device slot, but just barely. You need to aim well to get it in, but I don't blame Aer and am, in fact, kinda impressed that this setup can fit.
Even if it doesn't, it is not a deal breaker as the compartment itself is slim enough that I think your devices won't be moving around much.
The compartment itself is relatively slim. With the front pocket filled and devices in, there is barely any space left. You need to pack thin to be able to fit stuff in here. As such, I didn't think this bag was versatile enough for one bagger. It seems very purpose-driven, perhaps perfect for an office worker who heads home straight after work.
The zipper of the main compartment opens all around the bag except where the water bottle compartment is. Thus, it is not completely clamshell. The water bottle slot is helpful and can fit my Stanley Travel Mug well. However, it doesn't look like it can fit anything larger like a Nalgene water bottle.
Last but not least, the bag comes with a sternum strap. However, it's latched onto a rail along the shoulder strap. These do come off at times like when you have it too tight and can be a pain to put back on.
Conclusion
The Day Pack 3 isn't designed to be the one bag that you can use for a multitude of needs. It's designed for tech essentials which means the size can be limiting to some.
But if you will use one bag and need it solely for tech essentials, such as commuting between home and the office or co-working space, then there isn't anything to complain about.
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Have you used the Tech Pack 3 too? I can’t decide if I need the Tech Pack’s extra size if I wanted to take it on an overnight trip.
Haven’t used the 3, just the 2. But the Day Pack is very limiting on size, even if you don’t take it on an overnight trip. I would suggest the Tech Pack if you are on the fence.