Aer Travel Pack 3 Review

As 2022 wound down, for many of us, opportunities to travel arose with much greater frequency than they had over the past couple of years. For a great many of us that meant we needed new travel bags to schlep our stuff in style as we resumed our domestic and international wanderlust. Looking for something new to try this past year, Aer had notified us about their upcoming updates to the Travel Collection and it was the perfect opportunity to both resume travel and try out a new bag. As a softgoods company, Aer takes an iterative approach to their designs. Rooted typically in real-world user feedback, they strive to refine their silhouettes with each generation, without throwing out what’s worked in the past. That’s an aspect of Aer that I have always appreciated because it means they listen to their customers and are always striving to evolve their products in collaboration with their users.

The Aer Travel Pack 3 (TP3 from here on) is the latest revision in this line and has seen a number of updates over the previous generation which we will get into later in this review, but the gist of it comes down to a more adjustable harness, a more flexible main compartment and of course, magnets. I’ve had the opportunity now to travel multiple times in the past year (primarily in road trip format) and over the past several months I’ve been utilizing the TP3 as my clothing and tech carry on these trips. Professionally speaking, I’m a designer; personally speaking, I’m a new dad, so my experience with the TP3 is informed by these realities. So without further delay, let’s dig in and take a look at what it’s been like to live with.

Design

Looks

Aer’s design language is decidedly in the tech space, which is an aspect they’ve never really wavered from. Their typically clean lines and choice of materials lean heavily into that aesthetic, which is going to be a very personal decision as to whether or not that works for you and your tastes. For me, I tend to lean towards bags that follow more of a “heritage” look and feel so this isn’t my immediate cup of tea. Despite that, I can appreciate the look for what it is and I don’t find it garish or overly complicated. Exterior branding is fairly minimal which always gets bonus points in my book but gosh Aer bags just have an abundance of zippers and very jangly pulls on them, which I find to be a significantly distracting aspect. Fortunately, if it bothers you as it does me, this is super easy to remedy by either removing the tabs and pulls altogether and installing something custom or just making simpler paracord pulls in place of the Aer branded ones. 

The TP3 is positively loaded with pockets throughout every compartment, some of which are very discreet and almost hidden which affords you tons of opportunity to stash items throughout the entire bag. In fact, when I first received the bag I swear I found a new hidden pocket every time I opened it! Fortunately, though, this multitude of pockets doesn’t wind up looking like a jumbled, confusing mess as they’re all pretty cleverly layered throughout the interior.

Aesthetically you have three different material choices to work with. One is a robust 1680D Ballistic Nylon available in three distinct-yet-neutral colors which feature a neutral grey interior, the second is a 700D Cordura and the third is a much more tech-forward VX42 X-Pac which features a bright orange liner. Each look is distinct without changing the lines or design of the pack in any significant manner. 

Construction

Aer designs their bags from their studio in San Francisco but has them manufactured in China, and though people are quick to criticize products made outside of the United States, I’ve experienced several bags from Aer over the past few years and they’ve all been very well finished. The TP3 has not been an exception to the rule. As I mentioned I’ve been using this bag for several months now for travel applications, usually being tossed in and dragged out of the various compartments of my truck on road trips with no sign of real material degradation. The extent of “wear” that I’ve observed thus far has been in the manner of a loose thread here and there. 

This is a great opportunity to bring up the fact that Aer feels very confident in their products and offers you a lifetime warranty at no extra cost. If your bag were to develop a fault, simply reach out to them and they will repair or replace the bag. While I haven’t had to utilize their warranty service myself, I appreciate knowing that it’s available to me. 

Materials & Hardware

My sample is finished in black VX42 from Dimension Polyant with a vibrant orange ripstop nylon liner and YKK AquaGuard zippers throughout. The VX material saves a small amount of weight over the Ballistic Nylon variant at 3.9 lbs over 4.12 lbs and is only slightly heavier than the 700D Cordura option (3.89 lbs). All of the touchpoints feel like they’re of a high quality, for example, all plastic hardware is from Duraflex which is a reliable manufacturer that can be depended upon. I’m also particularly fond of the top and side handles which feel so plush and easy to grab onto (a must on a travel bag). 

If you choose the Ballistic Nylon or 700D Cordura version you’re still getting all the same hardware and quality, just with a different material finish. 

Features

The first time you take the TP3 out of its packaging you’ll quickly come to realize that it is stacked with features for streamlined travel. For instance, I love that it lays flat and zips all the way open with its clamshell design to make packing the bag very comfortable and easy. The updated harness allows for better adjustability on a greater range of body types thanks to the reintroduction of the load lifters. I appreciate all of the options for carrying my essentials securely along with my clothing. The suspended laptop sleeve is very accessible and there’s still a lot of extra space for other items in that area of the bag should you need to carry a second laptop or other similarly sized items. 

The external compression straps have been reconfigured over the previous generation to now not inhibit access to the main compartment at all, and they’ve shifted to magnetic buckles for these straps. This was a huge quality-of-life update which I am certain was based on customer feedback. I love that there is a semi-secret space to stash a small sling or day bag in the main interior so you can lighten up once you get to your destination. I often would toss the Day Sling 3 into this space when packing and it was really handy to have available once arriving at my destination when I most certainly didn’t still need a 35L pack. Speaking of hidden spaces, you’ll also find buried within a stash spot for an Apple AirTag (or similar tracking device) which is a welcome addition for peace of mind when you’re away from your bag. 

Performance

Space & Access

The redesigned main compartment of the TP3 sees the removal of the previous shoe compartment of the last generation but this omission really optimizes carry capacity and access for packing. Now for context, I’m 6’2″ and broad-shouldered, so you can imagine my clothing is not at all small, yet despite this I was able to pack very comfortably into the space provided. Generally speaking, 35L packs can be a bit tight (for me) but my go-to Peak Design packing cubes fit easily in the main cavity while still leaving me full access to the rear laptop compartment and the front tech panel for things like my laptop, chargers, a plethora of cables and perhaps a book or two. 

I do have to comment on the zippers once again though as there is an issue related to access due to them. The front and main compartment zipper paths are very close together and since each one has dual zippers (YKK #10 on the main compartment and #8 on the front), if they happen to be zipped closed on the same side, it becomes a jumbled nest of zipper pulls and I found myself frequently opening the wrong compartment when I wasn’t looking closely. This can be mitigated by intentionally making sure you close each compartment on opposing sides, but I found this small bit of extra cognitive load to use a bag to be slightly frustrating.   

Comfort

Anyone who knows me knows how relentlessly picky I am about bag fit and comfort, which stems from harnesses and back panels that often don’t work well for my tall and broad frame. I am completely pleased to report that the TP3 harness is perfectly comfortable even when fully loaded. The straps are wide enough and have sufficient padding to help distribute the load evenly on your shoulders. The inclusion of the load lifters also is a very welcome feature for me as it lets me dial in the fit of the bag exactly where I want it (I prefer the top of the pack to not pull away from my back). The back panel is comfortably padded, and though I don’t typically love mesh-style panels, this one is just fine. 

A small but welcome comfort feature I’d also like to mention is the top and side grab handles. I found them to be pleasantly padded and perfectly placed on either side so that when I swing the bag off my shoulder, the side handle is exactly where my hand naturally would be in that motion and removing the pack becomes a very smooth and seamless motion. Lastly, and while I don’t have it with my pack, Aer does offer an optional padded hip belt that will attach to the bag if you want some additional weight-bearing support.

Weatherability

Now considering I spend the majority of my time in the state of California, it’s a known fact that I am unlikely to experience weather any more adverse than oppressive sunshine or persistent wildfires, so I sadly did not have any rainy days during my months of testing. However, we can extrapolate what we know about these materials and paint a very realistic expectation of how this bag will behave in wet conditions. VX42 is a highly weather-resistant material and based on my experience with it in other packs it will hold up remarkably well in the rain. To top it off, we have some very stout YKK AquaGuard zippers to seal off any openings so I feel very confident in saying that your contents are going to be just fine within the TP3 in most environments. However, if you need a bit more, Aer does offer an optional rainfly which can be deployed to fully cover the pack from the elements. 

Verdict

Aer is a brand I associate with slick designs and killer value and the Travel Pack 3 does not deviate from this formula. It is heavily feature-laden yet still sleek in its exterior appearance, available in three distinct material choices, comfortable, spacious, with a lifetime warranty, and all for under $300. We are in an era of carry where bags frequently break past that $300 barrier (in some cases, well past) so I find it refreshing that Aer is able to provide so much functionality in their bags and yet keep them at attainable price points. I really enjoyed my time with the Aer Travel Pack 3 and found it to be a worthwhile companion on the road despite some small complaints (no bag is perfect, after all). I think if the aesthetic suits your tastes, this is a great option in the 30L+ travel bag space.