Arc'teryx  Aerios 35 Pack

If I were in-store shopping for a light weight overnight pack and I picked this one up I would not purchase the pack due to the frustrating over-engineered clasp at the top. When I'm cold & tired I don't want to fight with a strap to access my gear. That being said once I got the strap open and tried the pack on I did find several very cool features and would simply eliminate the strap as it serves no true purpose. The padding on the back is an amazing feature that us unlike anything I've ever seen. Its a stiff, formed mesh that is very breathable and no less comfortable than any typical foam padding. The overall construction is solid and the materials are top quality. Color is black so not much to say about that. The shoulder straps are wide and approaching a wearable vest type carry. The adjustments are a bit finicky and sparse with adjustments lacking an intuitive nature required to use on the fly. I found myself looking down at my chest and unable to quickly locate where to hook the adjustable clasps. I did like the very large stretchable shoulder strap pockets, but again accessing them was difficult on the fly. Each pocket is a pouch that doubles as a sleeve as well, which is very cool and a great way to expand capacity without adding weight. The waist belt is not padded and the clasp is very basic medium sized pinch clasp found on most belts. The lack of padding is not an issue comfort wise but the belt lacks a typical form factor and thus the straps and belt hang down when carrying the pack by hand which leads to stepping on them and making clean drop to the ground for unpacking impossible. I actually had the buckle come off the strap by itself, as there is nothing to prevent it. Losing a buckle is a real risk and would not be happy dealing with this at camp. I carry a bladder and drink from it on trail. While the pack can accommodate a bladder, "installing" it is a pain and the openings are just too small to allow easy in and out when filling or sharing water. I have slowly transitioned to a "light weight" camper and have been using a 44 liter pack for 3 day 2 night trips. I was curious if 35 liters would be enough to fit my typical gear in and I was surprised how well it did fit and more so how well it carried what amounts to about 25 pounds total (gear, food, water). I am tall at 6' 2" and the pack fit me well right away with only typical adjustments needed to feel snug and wearable. I think with a few tweeks this could be a really great pack. Some basic color coding would help at the straps and zippers and a little more form to the belt with a secure buckle system would go a long way in my book.

This pack combines the snug comfort of a running vest AND the ideal volume for a day pack. It has all the features to allow me to carry my hiking gear for a day hike up to a summer week-end backpacking trip in "ultralight" mode. So light and simple... I've been testing it in the rain for a full day and my stuff stayed dry inside. Front mesh pockets are ideal to carry all my snacks or 500ml soft water bottles. Roomy side pockets with an elastic that can be sinched to secure water bottles. I wish the upper zipped back pocket was bigger and as deep at the back pannel of the pack. The roll-top is great but the clip of the top strap is a little difficult to unclip.

There are better quality backpacks out there for the price. It includes a single main compartment, very difficult to organize, with a small zip pouch inside that holds very little. When you pack the outer zip pouch, it protrudes from the pack. This pack is not ideal for a hydration reservoir . . . when you place a full reservoir inside, it causes the back of the pack to protrude making it difficult to dig for your gear in the main compartment. It was also very difficult to thread the mouthpiece and hose through the hole. I couldn't use the waist belt because one of the attachments or hooks was missing when it was delivered. There are better options out there for this price point!

Absolutely love this pack, have taken it on multiple trips including summit camps and regular hiking trips. The pack also did me great while island hopping in SEA. Only complaint I’d have is the fact that it’s not easily compatible with a water bladder, that the quality is great too. I much rather take this pack on backpacking trip over my bora. Helps me only bring what I need while I can still stuff some extras/snacks in the top of the roll up. Have been caught out in snow,hail and rain all morning and with in a hour of finding shelter pack was completely dry and kept most of my gear dry expect for the stuff in the bottom when I had to set the pack down. (All important items were in dry bags) :)

I have now used this pack for over 500km of fastpacking. While it's not the lightest pack in the game, the features have me reaching for it consistently. The chest harness is super comfortable and the storage up front make it easy to reach for snacks, navigation and hydration without stopping. I have been able to use the cinches and cordage on the pack to shrink it down to approx 25L which has been great for fast one nighters and make it even more comfortable to run with on. Fully loaded the pack feels great as I have had it fully loaded for some week long missions. The back panel breathes well but be careful if resting it on moss and/or pine needles as they have a tendency to get caught in the back panel and don't come out... at least not easily. All in all a great pack.

The Aerios 35 Backpack has quickly become one of my favorite packs in my gear library. For being a 35L pack it is very spacious and love the roll top closure for extra space. Wether I am heading to the crag, or on a quick over night push in the alpine it has become one of the go-to packs for adventuring.

Very comfortable, genius compression system. I like that its so adjustable and that you can remove the hip belt. Used on Icelandic day trips, even with allot of rain mostly stayed dry on the inside.

Used it all summer for daily hikes, loved it. Loved the fact that in front it’s like an hydratation vest. Plus the pocket is large enough for the largest iPhone.

I want to like this bag, I love the look of it but its function doesn’t quite work the way you would want it to. It can fit a lot inside but I definitely recommend using packing bags inside the pack or you will have to empty the whole pack to find what you are looking for each time. There is only one very small zip pocket inside which does not fit much. Another thing is that the material is so slippery that no matter how you set it down on hard surfaces it will slide and fall over. Wish I could trade it in for something different to be honest.

Received this pack (in black) about a month ago. Have used day hike and 2 night backpacking treks. Overall good aesthetics of the packed well built. The chest harness really stands out on carries (20 lbs) offering comfort and really good balance and load management. Chest harness and hip belt pocket really convenient for carry quick access items. Found water bottle management a bit tricky. Need to be careful of water bottles falling out if lean of bender too far. Overall a nice blend between traditional Fram pack and UL style packs.