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Aer Travel Pack 2 vs Minaal Carry On 2.0

When shopping for one-bags, these two packs come up over and over again. They look about the same, hold the same amount of gear, and are close in price. So what is the difference in these two bags, which one is better and why? It turns out they are both great bags, but each has some quirks that we will dive into below.

For the complete list of Max size one-bags and comparisons click here.

Introduction

Even after packing both of these bags and testing them out, it’s hard to see the difference. They have identical dimensions, a similar capacity, and unzip into a large clamshell opening. They don’t look identical, but their external aesthetic is pretty similar. With only some minor differences in shape and material. It’s only when you start looking at the details that these two bags really begin to show how different they actually are.

We are going to going to compare each feature of these two bags separately. Looking at the material, backpack straps, water bottle pocket, external organization, and laptop compartments. Then I will pack each of them up with the same items to show you how they pack, and what they look like fully packed with the same gear.

Materials, size, and aesthetic

Aesthetic and Size

Both the Aer Travel Pack 2 and the Minaal 2.0 Carry-on bag are really nice, minimalist looking packs. They both do a great job to keep external features, which usually make bags look busy, to a minimum. While the external dimensions on these bags are both roughly 21.5” x 13.5” x 8”, the Minaal 2.0 manages to hold several liters more.

If you break out a volume calculator (which I did), you can gain an understanding of how the organization of the bag effects the capacity. With the current dimensions, the Minaal 2.0 bag should hold about 37.8 liters, and the Aer Travel Pack 2 about 40.2 liters. This is considerably less than the listed size of the bag. The Minaal manages to lose only 2.7 liters in capacity, while the Aer loses 7.2 liters. So where does all the capacity go?

Generally, capacity is lost to material thickness, padding, and inefficiencies in internal organization (lots of pockets). The Minaal 2.0 does a much, much better job in maximizing capacity for the given size of the bag. The pack has smaller dimensions, weighs considerably less, yet it manages to hold more gear. The Aer Travel Pack 2 loses interior capacity due to thicker fabric, more padding, and more internal compartments and pockets. It’s a trade-off. You get better organization, but at a cost.

Material

Both the Aer Travel Pack 2 and the Minaal 2.0 have have high quality, durable nylon shells. The Minaal 2.0 uses a thinner, custom-made nylon fabric that tends to gather lint. The Aer Travel Pack however, takes the cake with their bomp-proof 1680 denier Cordura ballistic nylon fabric.

Ballistic nylon is basically the heaviest, most durable material available for making backpacks. It is soft to the touch, with a basket weave pattern that is tight enough to ensure a water-resistant surface. Because this material is so thick, it tends to keep its shape better. The Aer Travel Pack 2 will stand up on its own, even when unpacked.

Minaal uses a mystery nylon fabric for its main shell. The fabric is not listed on their website, and is described as a “custom-made” material. The first version of the Minaal bag uses a 600D nylon from Cordura, and this bag seems to be pretty much the same thickness. It is considerably thinner than the Aer Travel Pack 2, but still sturdy and durable.

The exterior of the fabric is however, much rougher to the touch than the Aer Travel Pack 2. It has a slightly abrasive feel with a rough texture that tends to collect lint and dust. And because the fabric is thinner, it doesn’t keep its shape. The bag does not stand up on its own, and will flop down on itself when not fully packed. 

Zippers

YKK is a conglomerate of many of the world’s zipper companies. They set the standard for high quality zippers and fasteners. If a bag isn’t using YKK zippers, chances are they are trying to save money. Since these are both high quality packs, they both use metal YKK zippers. They also both have locking zippers in the main compartment, and laptop pocket.

The zippers on the Aer Travel Pack 2 are generally larger than the Minaal. They keep the metal zipper pull, and add a nylon cord with a large plastic zipper pull. This makes it easy to open the pockets, even while wearing gloves. Minaal saves weight by using much smaller zippers, and ditching the heavy metal zipper pulls. They instead rely on a cord and plastic end as their zipper pull.

One nice feature of both these bags is the locking zippers are located near each other. This allows you to lock both of them at the same time, using only one padlock. This is a great feature, as you can get away with only one padlock for security. It will help you cut weight, and save time opening the pack.

Water proofness

Your interest in the ability of a one-bag to repel water will depend largely on several factors. Where you are, how often you carry the bag, the contents, and your other waterproof gear, aka an umbrella or poncho. Both of these bags are good at repelling water, but each with a different strategy.

Aer relies mainly on the fabric and 2 zippers for much of its water proof capabilities of the Travel Pack 2. The pack has a much thicker, water resistant ballistic Cordura fabric that is pretty good at repelling water. The zippers are going to be the place most vulnerable to leaks. Aer mitigates this by using a water proof zipper on the front outside pocket, and the laptop compartment. While the pack isn’t water proof, it is pretty water resistant, and will keep your gear dry in all but the heaviest downpour.

Minaal doesn’t have thick fabric, or water proof zippers on the Carry-on 2.0. Instead they rely on a 100% water proof solution, a rain cover. They provide an ultra-light rain cover which stows in a small zipper pocket on the underside of the bag. The genius of this idea is that if you don’t want it, the cover unclips, and folds into its own pocket. Saving you space and weight on those not so soggy trips.

Compression straps

Compression straps matter. They keep your bag smaller, allowing overstuffed packs to still fit in the overhead. They also keep your stuff from moving around in the pack. The Aer bag has functional straps, with some minor problems. The Minaal bag however, wins the award in this category for their amazing compression straps.

The beauty of the Minaal 2.0 compression straps is their ability to attach to two different locations. The strap connects using a sleek aluminum hook attached to fabric loops. There are two loops, one located on each side of the zipper of the main compartment. If you want the strap out of the way, attach it to the close loop. If you want more compression, simply move the hook to the other loop and cinch the strap down. Its genius!

The compression straps on the Aer Travel Pack 2 are functional, but they are bulky and get in the way of the zippers. They use 4 straps, two on each side, with large thick plastic buckles. They definitely work, but they are probably overkill on a bag this small. They also tend to get in the way of the main compartment zipper. The zipper will catch on the buckle almost every time, requiring you to lift all 4 of them every time you want to access the clamshell. And there isn’t an option to tuck them away.

Exterior Components

Top and Side Handles

These packs both have good carry handles, allowing you to carry the bag briefcase style. They are both sturdy and well built, made out of a thick nylon seatbelt style weave. You would probably rip the fabric before you pulled these handles off the bags.

The side carry handles on the Aer Travel Pack 2 is located in a slightly strange location. It runs along the back edge of the bag. While this still works fine, it makes the bag lay at an odd angle when you carry it. And because the backpack straps don’t hide away, they will hit against the side of your leg as you walk.

Backpack straps

Backpack straps bear the brunt of the carrying capability on both these packs. This is also one place where these two bags are really quite different. The Aer travel pack has some nice, thick straps, and no shoulder strap option. And while the Minaal bag has an optional shoulder strap, it is really intended to be carried mainly with the backpack straps.

The Aer Travel Pack 2 has some of the most comfortable backpack straps I’ve seen in a one-bag. They are very thick, and constructed of a dual foam padding, with a breathable mesh cover. The back of the pack has a very soft padding, with a ventilation strip down the middle. The main drawback, is the straps don’t hide away, and there is no optional shoulder strap. The shoulder straps are really the only way to carry this bag.

The Minaal 2.0 has a fantastic backpack carry system. The straps hide away under a zippered fabric flap. This makes the bag streamlined and easy to carry with the side handles or should strap (optional). The material on the straps is made of a much denser foam than the Aer Travel Pack 2, and isn’t nearly as thick. The reduction in padding doesn’t make for a less comfortable carry though.

For added comfort, Minaal uses one of the coolest load balancing systems I’ve ever seen. This is a system to adjust the height and angle of the pack on your back. They use a magnetic clip on top of the pack, which connects to an adjustable strap on top of the backpack straps. This allows you to lift the pack and bring it closer to your back, for a much more comfortable carry.

Laptop

Some key features when looking at the laptop compartment are size, location, padding, and protection. These two bags couldn’t be more different in their solution to these issues. Both will hold about a 15.5” laptop in a zippered compartment on the back of the bag. But they utilize a completely different strategy for protecting your most valuable piece of equipment.

The Aer Travel Pack 2 has a pretty simple system used by most pack designers. They simply have a padded compartment near the back of the bag. Simple, yet effective. Your laptop is further protected with waterproof zippers, and thick bottom and back padding. They however, don’t offer a false bottom. This is a feature that allows your laptop to hover a few inches from the bottom of the pack, and protects it if dropped.

The Minaal 2.0 Carry-on uses an unusual system self-described as a device nest. Your laptop is literally nested in a bungee contraption in the back pocket of the pack. This nest holds your laptop several inches away from the sides of the pack, and is very protected from drops and falls. The downside to the nest is that it is harder to access. You have to remove one or more Velcro straps before being able to access your laptop. More protected yet harder to access. Again, tradeoffs.

Water bottle pocket:

The water bottle pocket isn’t the most critical component of a one-bag style pack. Not every pack has one, and not every person needs one. But if you are going to include one on your pack, it needs to be done right. This is where Aer nails it, and Minaal bungles it up.

The Travel Pack 2 has an expandable water bottle pocket located on the side of the bag. When closed, the pocket is barely noticeable. A zipper opens to reveal an expandable mesh pocket, capable of holding an average sized water bottle. One of the compression straps is conveniently located right at the top of the opening, and is perfect to clip around the bottle to keep it in place.

For a bag that is so aesthetically beautiful in so many ways, Minaal really did a poor job on the water bottle pocket on the Carry-on 2.0. It’s just kind of meh, like it was an afterthought. The pocket is expandable, but with a fabric expansion instead of a zippered mesh. It’s almost too short to hold a water bottle, and instead relies on a flimsy bungee strap to hold your bottle in. If the bungee breaks, and it probably will, your water bottle won’t stay in this small pocket.

Exterior organization

The pockets on the outside of the pack allowing quick access to your smaller, often used items are what I refer to as exterior organization. Aer does a fantastic job here with numerous compartments, packed full with mesh pockets, sleeves and zippers. Being a much simpler bag, the Minaal relies on a few, well places pockets for the majority of their small item organization.

There are more small pockets on the Aer Travel Pack 2 than I have things to put in them. Really, I could almost put one thing in each one and still have empty pockets. The pack has 3 main exterior pockets: the medium sized front pouch, a small top pocket, and a large backpack style compartment full of pockets. The organization is so good I can put all my toiletries, small electronics, laptop charger, sunglasses, and travel documents in here.

The Minaal 2.0 is a simple bag with simple tastes. You are limited to two medium sized zippered pockets on the top of the bag. These compartments aren’t very big, and offer no further zippers or pockets inside. The bulk of the organization on this pack is inside the main clamshell. There is one smaller pocket in the rear laptop compartment, but it’s more of a sleeve for travel documents.

Interior Components and Design

Click here for a list of the gear I packed for this demo

Clamshell opening

The main zipper on both packs opens lengthwise, to a large clamshell style compartment. Neither pack uses interior compression straps, so you will probably want to use packing cubes. The biggest difference in organization between these packs is the size of the zippered compartments in the top flap of the bag.

A majority of the storage in the the Aer Travel Pack 2 relies on one large briefcase style compartment. Pretty much all of your clothes and larger items are going to fit in this side. Aer does sell some optional packing cubes that work really well in this bag, but you can easily use your own cubes. The top flap offers 2 additional zippered pockets, but they are too small for bulky items.

Aer Travel Pack 2 Shoe Compartment

The idea of a shoe compartment makes sense. Provide a location to keep your dirty shoes, or laundry, separate from your clean clothes. However, the shape and location of the shoe compartment on the Aer Travel Pack 2 isnt functional at all. When packed the compartment takes up most of the space in the main section of the bag, making it almost unusable.

Minaal Carry-on 2.0 Internal Organization

The Minaal pack opens to a large clamshell, but with equal organization on each side of the opening. Because of the thinner material, and lack of internal straps, you really do need packing cubes for the Minaal pack. At nearly $50 though, I would recommend against using the Minaal-specific cubes. They are really just too expensive for what they are, fabric cubes.

A great feature inside the clamshell is what are called 3D compartments. On the top flap of the opening are two large, expandable zippered pockets. They are like built-in packing cubes, good for smaller clothes items.

Summary

Two fantastic one-bags perfect for commuting to work, or traveling the world. Each of these bags is great in its own right, yet each of them has some odd quirks. Maybe if they joined forces we would have the perfect travel bag? Take the hide-away backpack straps and 3D pockets from the Minaal 2.0, combine them with the durable nylon fabric and external organization of the Aer Travel Pack 2. We might just be able to create the perfect one-bag.

Best features

Worst features

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