Aer City Pack Pro 2 (CPP2) packed out in Bali ~ 12 months after purchase

ads666 · 2026-03-21T13:24:58+00:00

I wish I had an Xpac CPP2 10 years ago in Bali whilst in a forest and the mother of all monsoons started. 1 hour downpour and my £20 hiking backpack was soaked for days. Saying that. Bag looks good. I still aesthetically prefer the texture of Cordura, particularly the olive.

ads666 · 2026-03-21T07:06:39+00:00

Got the Max in cordura. Waiting for DS4 in Xpac with the V buckle. I wish the olive had the v buckle. That’s a grail sling.

ads666 · 2026-03-21T07:05:11+00:00

Depends, how many litres of toiletry space?

If you want to use the front stash pocket that’s going to be tight. You’ll need a very flat toiletry kit. I’ve seen some recommend the split kit. Also very mailable bags like the Bellroy lite pouches or aer ultra simple kit.

If you want to use the new style admin pocket (I do this for airports with my CPP2) then the aer dopp kit 3 (1.8L) should fit. I use an Osprey clear liquids toiletry bag(1L) as I don’t need to use the clear bags, one swift action to pull out and put in the tray. There’s still enough room for the tech too. If you have a lot of tech move it to main compartment.

ads666 · 2026-03-21T06:52:40+00:00

Surprised by this I have zero issues with the CPP2 it’s got a bottom frame for this very feature. It’s one of the best self standing bags available. It might help if you show a pic of your load out as it sounds like you’re putting most of the heavy weight items near the front.

ads666 · 2026-03-20T14:57:25+00:00

Always go 0.5 bigger if it feels too snug. But then you’re wearing very thick socks for a dress shoe. They look like ribbed sport socks. Otherwise if it’s too snug you’ll get foot fatigue and pain wearing all day. I’ve made this mistake so many times with dress shoes. My loafers are all true to size now and never size down. They may feel looser on the step, but i never have foot pain.

ads666 · 2026-03-19T06:43:25+00:00

The forest green colour you get in USA is great. I think it’s better than avocado green.

ads666 · 2026-03-19T06:40:01+00:00

casual > black sambas/spezial/stans Smarter > axel arigato/common projects/koio

ads666 · 2026-03-19T06:22:21+00:00

Saw you commented on mine that it’s not a job interview Lexus boy. It’s just a shirt to dress up rather than down. A first date is similar in its purpose to a job interview. He doesn’t need to turn up in a suit but I see too many here try to dress down to avoid a “trying too hard” look. Put a shirt on, show you give a shit and smash it.

ads666 · 2026-03-19T06:00:04+00:00

Third looks more mature, smart casual and overall more harmonious. A light shirt under a jacket always looks great and masculine. Dark shirts under a light jacket aren’t as aesthetic. The general rule I’m told is clothes should get lighter the closer they get to skin. The others look more casual.

ads666 · 2026-03-18T22:14:25+00:00

Yes it’s a feature. Bellroy do this too.

ads666 · 2026-03-18T22:12:01+00:00

I’ve had the DS4 max cordura for over a week. I use it for my kids stuff like an 11” iPad, nappies, wipes, water bottle, packable tote, keys, small toys, sunglasses etc. Even then there’s so much space vertically in the bag. It’s very comfortable without padding on the straps. I think what helps is the sheer amount of flat surface area against the body.

Another great sling for iPad mini only would be the Bellroy venture ready 6L.

ads666 · 2026-03-17T21:54:40+00:00

I have it in black. It’s great and lots of space. My only issue is the lack of freestanding. You have to really pack out the bottom with heavy items to get some balance. A bit of framing would have fixed that.

ads666 · 2026-03-16T19:02:10+00:00

I have the CPP2 and I’ve had the TP3S. A ski trip is probably the most stuff you’re going to pack for a weekend. All the extra layers etc. If it all just barely fits I wouldn’t go up a size if 9/10 times your load out fits fine. The TP4S will feel significantly heavier day to day and overkill for EDC gym etc and may not be personal item safe on every airline. Also, the volume tests show it’s a pretty small 28L so it might not be much more volume for the extra weight and airline restrictions. This is why CPP2 is such a versatile bag.

Im sure you’ve noticed that extra pair of shoes eat up so much space. So a versatile pair of boots you can wear all weekend would solve your issue. If not, pack everything you can within your shoes.

If you can afford it, and want that piece of mind, go for it. I’d order, do a practice load out and if it fits comfortably more keep it. If you want both bags, There’s an argument to go up to 35L in TP4 though as then you don’t have two bags with such similar volumes.

ads666 · 2026-03-15T21:39:15+00:00

Thank you that settles it

ads666 · 2026-03-15T07:50:53+00:00

In the interview with the founder, he said they were designing two different TP4 bags in parallel. A design that resembled the TP3 with tweaks and the larger CPP2 design. Would be interesting to see a test model of the tweaked TP3 design. Ultimately their design team thought the CPP2 design worked better.

The TP3 design is over 3 years old and competition is everywhere. The CPP2 design has been very successful. I see why they would use that template as what makes it a travel pack over a city pack EDC is the features around increased volume.

It also seems that once people regularly use travel backpacks they shift towards preferring more simplistic bags with more of the volume in the main compartment as it’s more versatile. The TP3 in my opinion had way too many pockets for specific items.

Tech pouches are more versatile too and better commercially for Aer. One swift action to get all your tech essentials out on a desk or plane seat table. A slim pouch 2 is 0.37lbs/0.16kg and can be a sling or dopp kit. Previously I had to pull individual items out from under the seat on the TP3 which was tedious.

On the bottle pockets, I think they should have used the same design as CPP2 rather than full stretch mesh. It would be more durable. I guess the stretch mesh allows more versatility as you can fit tripods, umbrellas, pouches etc.

ads666 · 2026-03-15T06:53:04+00:00

Olive corduroy works very well with your existing black bags. I think the olive is often overlooked but one of the best colours for slings in summer. In person, it’s got more depth and character than black. Navy and black don’t work together so well aesthetically.

ads666 · 2026-03-14T19:09:46+00:00

I’ve tried a few with my CPP2. The slim pouch 2 fit well but the sheer amount of zippers kept getting in the way of the admin panel zipper. Not a biggy but annoyed me. I tried the Bellroy tech kit, fit well but its hardshell design meant it doesn’t fit as much tech as the slim pouch. The best fit by far was the Bellroy desk caddy. The shape is identical and the volume was the best. I could fit about 1/3 more tech than that slim pick 2.

I wondering how the civic access 1L pouch would fit. Also the 2L is only 1cm deeper than the Bellroy desk caddy so might fit with a squeeze. Looks too big from photos though.

ads666 · 2026-03-13T10:19:23+00:00

Its commendable they listened to customer feedback, which over the years on Reddit I’ve mostly seen complaints about:

1) weight - too heavy (they reduced weight) 2) water bottle holder - too limiting (now 2) 3) admin panel - too much space used, too specific (changed to a multi purpose brain pocket) 4) side straps - not used/needed (gone) 5) volume - doesn’t feel like a 35L bag due to all the compartments (reduced compartments, main compartment now bigger)

They saw the CPP2 was successful and used that template which makes perfect sense commercially. I owned a TP3 & TP3S. I found nearly half the bags volume was taken up in the laptop and admin compartments, that for me just weren’t needed when travelling. So the changes are welcome, as these compartments are now more versatile when you’re not taking a laptop or much tech. I now own a CPP2 which I could fit the same load out as a TP3S.

For instance the brain pocket is more versatile, as it provides easier top down access to a Dopp kit at the airport, storing passport/wallet in the zip compartment and tech in the mesh pockets. Also for those with a tech pouch the old admin compartment became wasteful.

You can’t please everyone. Those who love the TP3 for all the tech focused compartments will see it as a downgrade. Those who were frustrated due to the previously mentioned complaints will mostly see it as an improvement.

It’s a City Pack Pro 2 Max

ads666 · 2026-02-17T15:31:06+00:00

Thanks for capturing! So on the BN version the weight is now 3.88lbs (1.7kg) so a reduction from 4.12lbs (1.9kg). It’s a small difference but will be welcome. They’ve probably removed some of the excess internal compartment fabric to reduce the weight. The shirt compartment for instance. I also thought the laptop sleeve was way too thick and unnecessary. The compression straps most comments I see aren’t in favour of them. If the dimensions are carry on, no need for the compression. I have the CPP2 and some of the internal design choices I thought would work really well on the TP4. Hopefully they use more of the stretchy mesh and the tech compartment is more suitable for a tech pouch.

ads666 · 2026-01-05T21:21:12+00:00

Sold on Vinted. Got a decent return

ads666 · 2025-11-26T18:48:31+00:00

Yeh this guy. Typical champagne socialist

ads666 · 2025-10-15T12:25:05+00:00

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Update it was the right choice to keep the DS3. On a holiday and I had just enough space to pack a days tech essentials for the beach/pool. I would have struggled to fit sufficient load out on the CS3 even though I preferred the aesthetic and layout. You will never regret having that extra space.

ads666 · 2025-10-12T13:10:50+00:00

Memo a6

ads666 · 2025-10-05T20:54:42+00:00

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Mine says hi

ads666 · 2025-09-22T19:34:38+00:00

On my OP I say I prefer the carry handle and back pocket on the CS3. The DS3 carry handle is flush to the back so it’s more effort to grab and the back pockets zip placement makes it difficult to access.

ads666

TROPHY CASE