Aer Slim Pack 2 Review

The Aer Slim Pack 2 is a petite travel adventure buddy made with the staple, durable materials we’ve come to know and love from Aer. However, we’re curious if the tiny capacity will be enough to use it as a personal item on our next flight. Let’s dive in and find out!

External Components

At the time of writing, there are two models of this bag. They’re practically the same, other than the exterior materials. The one we have on hand is crafted from VX-42 X-Pac sailcloth. The other option is 1680D CORDURA® ballistic nylon with an 840D nylon face. The CORDURA® pack is heavier, and the X-Pac variant is more water resistant, though we wish it were significantly more lightweight than the CORDURA® model. We expected lighter, but both these packs are beefy. Still, the durability, water resistance, and comfort should be commended.

The zippers are from YKK, which you’ll know is our favorite zipper brand if you follow Pack Hacker. They’re durable, easy to use, and highly water-resistant. We’ve had very few issues with YKK zippers over the years, so seeing this pack utilize them is a positive.

The hardware is from Duraflex, another solid brand. The adjusters are easy to manipulate, the sternum strap buckle is secure, and we’ve had no issues with durability.

The pack has handles on the top, left, and right sides. The handles are well-padded but lack aeration, though the comfort is top-tier. This makes loading or unloading the backpack from the trunk, overhead compartment, or rolling luggage easier.

The backside of the pack has a luggage pass-through with a hook-and-loop fastener in the middle to keep it secure when not in use and to hold the bag closer to the telescoping handle. This feature won’t bother you when you’re not using it, so we dig it. Plus, you can play with the hook-and-loop fastener if you get bored.

Fit Notes

The shoulder straps are well-padded, rigid, and have ample mesh for breathability. They’re S-shaped, which we’ve found is more tailored to a masculine physique, but all shapes and sizes have found it comfortable in testing at Pack Hacker HQ in Detroit. The bottom has strap keepers, which keep everything looking proper.

The sternum strap has elastic, which adds to the comfort of the overall harness experience, as there’s some flex, even when tightened. The buckle is magnetic, which is handy, but takes some getting used to.

The back panel is well-padded with mesh and a channel for airflow down the middle, which keeps your back relatively cool, though it’ll still get sweaty when the temperature rises.

The harness system is very rigid for such a small daypack, which adds to the pack’s structure. This is helpful for the X-Pac model, which doesn’t get as much strength from its materials. That said, some users may find the harness more like a travel backpack and a little overkill for the size of the bag.

Inside The Pack

The pack has a vibrant orange interior liner, which has become the norm for many minimalist-centered brands, including Aer. This is helpful for finding dark gear, though it won’t be every traveler’s cup of tea. If you own a lot of highlighter orange gear, you may struggle to find it inside this pack!

The pack’s top pocket lacks organization but is a stellar place to lock down your phone, wallet, and sunglasses. It’s the only secondary compartment, so this is the only place to stow quick-use items unless you’re wearing a sling.

The main compartment doesn’t have as much organization as some Aer bags, but there’s enough to keep things organized, and we dig that. It is just enough to keep you afloat, if that makes sense.

The lid has a large liner pocket, a medium-sized zippered pocket, two smaller mesh pockets, and a slider for your pen, pencil, or stylus. It can replace your tech pouch in a pinch, but some users may still need to bring one to hold larger items.

The back wall has a laptop compartment, which is well-padded and soft to keep your computer safe. There’s a stretchy mesh pocket here, too, for a smaller computer, tablet, book, or other flat item.

If you fully utilize the organization on the front and back sides, there isn’t much room for extra gear in the main compartment. At most, you can fit a few larger items here. The pack can feel tight, even when you don’t think you’ve loaded much inside. This certainly isn’t a pack you can overload, especially given how rigid the materials are.

We enjoyed using this pack, but it isn’t a do-it-all bag. It works well as a small and lightweight (by Aer’s standards) commuter or a personal-item-sized bag, but it isn’t versatile enough to handle larger items. At 12 liters, we shouldn’t expect it to!