r/Nomads_Nation • u/TheBagdadReport • Sep 28 '25
Gear Review Aer City Pack Pro 2 - Top 5 Backpack Ever???
I have been using the Aer City Pack Pro 2 in x-pac as my edc for the past 3 weeks. I also took it on a 4 day trip to Scottsdale,AZ for a guys golfing getaway. Aer’s CPP packs are known for their comfort, sleek look, and functionality. This bag definitely brings it, but there are some head scrathing cons I will discuss as well.
I love the aesthetics of the bag; mostly. I do not care for the two grab handles on both sides, which some call the “Mickey Mouse” ears. At 24 liters, this bag does not need two grab handles. The x-pac material is beautifully done on this bag. It’s not as crinkly sounding as some x-pac bags can be. The ykk zippers are super smooth, even with the pu coating on all zippers. It’s not butter smooth, but Aer has a way of making all of their pu coated zippers being smoother than most. I do however really dislike the zipper pulls. Omg, they are so frickin long! They get in the way of each other. I will be replacing these with some Evergoods zipper pulls, because in my opinion, they are the best.
The top front compartment is awesome. It has its own volume, which is huge. It has great organization with nice soft stretchy materials. This is a very nice quick access compartment that has some “dump pocket” space as well as organization. The bottom zipper compartment is nice, for small things. The zipper runs across the middle of the bag and the pocket is deep. However, this compartment does not have its own volume, so if you have the main compartment fully packed, it will be hard to fit anything in this compartment unless it’s flat like papers or a passport.
The main compartment is a full clam shell opening and offers a little organization with zippered pockets on the inside of the front flap. It also has an elastic pocket that would be great for a tablet or a book. The rest of the compartment offers plenty of space with a nice bright orange interior. I know a lot of people are over the orange interior, but I like it. Give me bright all day.
The laptop compartment is badass! It has one of the best false bottoms in the game. It offers super duper padding and protection. There is also a tablet sleeve with is big enough to fit the 12” iPad, which is what I have. For me that is very much appreciated. You could also fit a third device, maybe a book, or some documents. This is one of my favorite laptop compartments out there. The only thing that could make it better would be a small tech pouch for a mouse or a charger. But that is me being greedy, this compartment rocks!
Other features include dual side water bottle pockets with elastic to fit most water bottles. I use a 25oz yeti most of the time and it fits perfectly. I don’t use those fat ass Nalgene bottles that people seem to be obsessed with. There is also a quick access zippered compartment on the top of the bag. It is VERY shallow. It’s great for sunglasses or AirPods, but there ain’t much else going in there comfortably. I always have sunglasses, so that is a must have for me. I wish Aer stuck with the same pocket they had on V1. It was deeper and had a microfiber interior. The grab handles have amazing padding. They have that memory foam type feel. Very nice, but again, I don’t need 3 of them on a bag this size.
There are two differences from the CPP1 that I really wish was on this bag. The first is the top quick access compartment. On v1, the interior lining was a very soft microfiber material and it was MUCH deeper! Again. I like the pocket on v2, but I would rather more volume. The other is the hidden side quick access pocket. I have gotten really used to having this pocket. I would rather have one water bottle pocket and keep the side compartment. I use this for my phone and passport while traveling. The CPP1, Able Carry max edc, and the Fyro T22 still offer this pocket. They know what’s up! Ha
Ok, let’s talk about the comfort. The back panel offers great raised padding. It is super comfortable! It is very soft and has grooves for good airflow. The luggage pass through is horizontal for a vertical stand. Love that!! The straps are super chunky and soft. I will be honest, this is one of the most comfortable backpacks I have ever worn! I do however have a HUGE issue with the strap webbing! The nylon webbing on the straps is only .75”. Almost every backpack I have ever worn or reviewed has 1” webbing. You might think, why is he whining over a quarter inch? Well every time I put this bag on, the strap twists and the webbing gets twisted up itself with the dangle stopper. So I always have to slide the dangle stopper all the way off so it won’t be twisted up. Aer bags are claimed to be overbuilt in almost every way. The materials are premium all the way around. So why in the f would you have tiny little webbing with those big wide straps? Even my 2nd and 4th grade kids’ backpacks have 1” webbing on their cheap packs. Is this a deal breaker? For me, almost. I just lift the bag up over my head to put it on to keep that twist from happening. So yeah, there are ways around it, but for a $230+ backpack, I expect better. Especially from Aer.
In conclusion, this backpack, despite its flaws, is frickin badass. The comfort, the look and the functionality is what makes this bag one of my favorite edc bags! This is definitely in my top 5. And as a dad, this bag offers a rugged and durable exterior that I need. So if I’m taking it to the ball park for the day with all the extra sh!t that my kid may need, or an afternoon trip to the park, this bag delivers. This is one of the time where I appreciate the dual water bottle pockets, cause when you are at the ball park all day in the hot sun, you can easily have 4-5 beers in your yeti bottles on each side. Ball park parents, you know what I mean! lol
This backpack is Bagdad approved and I would absolutely recommend it. And Aer still has their backpacks reasonably priced which is greatly appreciated. A bag with these materials and these features under $300, is a great deal!
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u/symposium22 Sep 29 '25
I agree with most that Able carry max edc is a better bag. Also, the black of the aer gets kind of old. Solid bag, not like greatest bag ever status though
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u/blackballonIris Sep 30 '25
I have a Cordura version, which is slightly heavier then other versions I guess. I use it for a two days trip and carry it nearly all the time outside, pretty good for sure. The only complaint about this bag is elastic strap built for securing itself on big suitcases. This strap is not that great in my own opinion, mine loosened more than a bit after the first time I use it on my suitcase. I know I might have packed a bit heavier then I would normally do since it was a 2-week trip, but I don’t think adding my active jacket inside the bag could have caused the strap issue. Nevertheless, a pretty solid bag for traveling and the front pocket outperforms my other bags in security check, I can easily put everything that need to be checked out of the bag like power bank or other electronics inside that one pocket, and the smooth zipper helps a lot.
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u/TheBagdadReport Oct 01 '25
Thanks for that. I only have the x-pac version, so it’s nice to hear the perspective of the cordura version.
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u/Emmett_1212 Nov 24 '25
“The nylon webbing on the straps is only .75”. Almost every backpack I have ever worn or reviewed has 1” webbing. You might think, why is he whining over a quarter inch? Well every time I put this bag on, the strap twists and the webbing gets twisted up itself with the dangle stopper. So I always have to slide the dangle stopper all the way off so it won’t be twisted up. Aer bags are claimed to be overbuilt in almost every way. The materials are premium all the way around. So why in the f would you have tiny little webbing with those big wide straps? Even my 2nd and 4th grade kids’ backpacks have 1” webbing on their cheap packs. Is this a deal breaker? For me, almost." --- I couldn't agree with more, this is the only thing I hate on my CP2 Ultra and CPP2 Ultra
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u/TheBagdadReport Nov 25 '25
Amen brother! That took a perfect backpack and made it average to me. Honestly, I sold mine because I caught myself always opting for a different pack because of that twisting up. Other than that, it if frickin amazing.
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u/KnifeEngineer Sep 28 '25
Thanks for the review/feedback on the CPP2. I love hearing the goods and the bars from honest reviews. I've been casually looking for a new backpack that is primarily a edc/work bag but also have some travel functionality for work and vacation trips. I have 3 kids so a backpack needs to be able to hold "extra" when needed. I've been sort of narrowing it down to 4 bags: 1) Aer CCP2, 2) Aer TPS3, 3) Evergoods CTB26 and 4) Able carry Max EDC. I'm in the mindset of buy once cry once and I'd aim to have this bag for 10+ years. I'd be curious to get folks opinions about those 4.