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Cost: $209
Capacity: 24 liters
Dimensions: 18″ x 12.5″ x 7.0″ (46 x 31.5 x 18 cm)
Style: Panel loading
Weight: 2.86 lbs (1.29 kg)
Laptop: 16” Laptop
Materials: Cordura 1680D (featured); also in X-Pac, or Ultra; YKK Zips
Origin: Made in China
AER City Pack Pro 2
In many ways, the City Pack Pro is what I wish the Travel Pack could be. It’s a sleeker, more slimmed-down, lighter, and less expensive option compared to AER’s popular travel backpack.
It’s marketed as a daypack, but it has a fully opening lay-flat main compartment that makes it a perfect personal item travel pack, as long as you can pack down to 24 liters.
Dimensions
The dimensions of the City Pack Pro 2 are almost perfect for an under-the-seat personal item travel bag. 18” x 12.5” x 7” is a standard size that works as a personal item on many airlines.
When you compare that to the slightly larger 19 x 13” Travel Pack small, you’ll find that the Travel Pack, which is 4 liters larger, is slightly too big to fit as a personal item.
When testing these fully packed in my 18 x 14 x 8 sizer box, a common size for many US-based budget airlines, the City Pack Pro 2 will easily fit if not over-packed, while the Travel Pack is going to be a little tall, and will probably not fit in most of these sizer boxes.
Capacity of the AER City Pack Pro 2
In terms of capacity, the City Pack Pro 2 is listed at 24 liters. It’s slightly smaller than the Travel Pack 3 small, which is 30 liters, but the City Pack has fewer pockets and compartments to take up space.
It’s close to the listed capacity, but when I double-checked by filling the bag with packing peanuts and transferring it into a marked container, it came in at slightly lower at 23 liters.
Materials
When it comes to materials, AER has branched out recently, now offering several fabric choices for most of their travel packs.
For example, the City Pack Pro 2 comes in 1680 Cordura, which is the fabric I purchased it with, specifically in the olive color. It’s the most durable, flexible, and softest fabric option, but least waterproof, and also doesn’t have waterproof zippers.
For a more water-resistant option, you can either go with X-pac or Ultra, the lightest but most expensive option. Both these options use waterproof fabric and water-resistant zippers.
AER City Pack Pro 2: External Components
Now let’s have a look at the external components on the City Pack Pro 2.
It features a minimalist design with AER’s signature middle slash pocket, two additional top pockets for smaller gear, an external laptop compartment, two water bottle pockets, and a luggage pass-through sleeve.
Front Slash Pocket
AER gives you a decent external organization, with three pockets of differing sizes. The two pockets on the front are the largest.
The front panel sticks out, so these will have their own volume, while you have a larger bottom pocket for bigger, bulkier gear.
Top Organization Pocket
Smaller but still decently sized is the top front pocket. The bottom ends where the other pocket starts, so these pockets don’t overlap, and you can fill them both full without competing for volume, which is nice.
Here you’ll find further organization, such as two stretchy sleeves and a zipper pocket. It’s perfect for quick access gear like chargers, snacks, and other small electronics.
Small Top Slash Pocket
The final, and smallest external pocket, right in the top middle, is lined with soft crinkle nylon. It’s the perfect size for sunglasses, but not much more.
Water Bottle Pockets
Each side of the City Pack Pro 2 has a decently sized water bottle pocket, designed to lay flat when not used, featuring a stretchy top band and accordion fabric expansion side.
These pockets don’t look huge, but you can fit almost any size water bottle you want in here. For example, smaller bottles fit easily and the elastic keeps them in place, but they expand out large enough to fit a fat 1L Nalgene-style bottle.
On the left side of the pack is a feature I wish I saw more often: a plastic D-ring clip.
You can attach anything to this clip, but I find these very useful for securing taller gear in the side pocket.
For example, if you have a taller water bottle, you can use this clip to keep it secure if you’re putting the bag in the overhead on a plane or bus where your bag is lying flat and moving around.
Carry System on the AER City Pack Pro 2
Now let’s have a look at the carry system on the AER City Pack Pro 2. For me, this is the perfect setup for a 24-liter backpack.
Shoulder Straps
The pack features good, thick shoulder straps with plenty of padding. These are wide and comfortable with good mesh backing, featuring an easily adjustable sternum strap.
Back Padding
The back also has great padding, good air ventilation, with a luggage pass-through sleeve to use with a roller.
Stowability
To compare it to the Travel Pack, which has slightly bulkier straps, the AER City Pack Pro 2 has added features like top load adjusters and hip belt attach loops that the City Pack Pro doesn’t have. These are nice if you carry heavy gear, but they also add extra bulk and weight to the bag.
Carry Handles
For other carry features, the side and top handles that the bag features are spectacular. They feature thick webbing, and I love the location.
These carry handles are offset so you can’t carry it like a briefcase, but they look great and add to the style and aesthetic of the pack.
Laptop Compartment
The last exterior feature is the laptop compartment. It features a dedicated, top access design with a double water-resistant zipper so it’s lockable.
It’s a simple but well-padded laptop sleeve that holds up to a 16” laptop, kept away from the sides, and a large false bottom protects from drops. An additional unpadded front fabric sleeve, with a large false bottom, can be used for a notebook or a second e-reader or tablet.
Interior Design and Organization
Next is the interior design and organization, which is what I think makes this bag work great as a personal item travel bag.
Like most AER packs, it has a top-opening panel-style design that opens into a large main compartment. It’s big and easy to pack. Simply unzip the lid partway down for EDC, or unzip it fully for more of a suitcase packing style.
Interior Pockets
The interior has good, small gear organization as well. Two small zipper pockets feature on the lid side. The bottom pocket features a thinner pocket, while the top pocket comes with the same stretchy fabric.
Packing the AER City Pack Pro 2
Next, these are some of the packing cube options that will fit in the main compartment. AER sells packing cubes, but unfortunately don’t have them, so instead we’ll use some alternatives.
Packing is simple, and after packing the main compartment, it’s easy to stuff some electronics and other daily carry gear in the front pockets, in order to get this pack up to a normal weekend size pack.
Carry Comfort
Fully packed, the AER City Pack Pro 2 looks solid. Though I haven’t had a chance to take the City Pack Pro on any long trips, I’ve carried it around fully packed on several hikes.
The carry-on this bag is very comfortable. The shoulder straps are huge and well-padded, carry weight very well, and offer good breathability and adjustability.
A bag this small certainly isn’t missing the extra features of the Travel Pack, like load adjusters or a hip belt, which I don’t think you need until you start getting closer to a 30-liter pack.
Verdict: AER City Pack Pro 2
The AER City Pack Pro 2 is another great minimalist bag by AER that’s marketed as a daily carry pack, but I think it works great as a personal item travel pack with an easy-to-pack main compartment and dimensions that will work as a personal item on many budget airlines.
It’s a solid pack, with a heavy dose of nice features to go along with the streamlined design, overall making it a solid choice if you’re going to do a light or even solid amount of travel.
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