Aerios 18 Backpack

Great backpack but the only downfall is the material on the back will cause your clothes to pile. Used my Aerios 18 along with my Cormac tee (first time using it as well!) for a quick hike and it immediately caused piling. Really disappointing. A 70 USD backpack and a 180 USD backpack should have better quality and durability than this. Hope Arcteryx helps me out!

LOVE using for school! I use the Aerios 18 for my school backpack. It perfectly fits my computer (macbook air 13) , ipad air, notebook, a book, my 18oz hydroflask, and keys. I like the strap mesh pockets, perfect for straggler hairties, keys, or chapstick. One small thing, if the pack gets too bottom heavy (ipad, heavy calculator), the frame of the back will curve a bit. I usually have no problem because I have my laptop to even out the weight but on those days I don't it looks a bit wonky!

If I know I’m going after a straightforward hike/ summit/ scramble objective (no glacier traverse) and I know I’ll have water sources along the way, this is the pack I reach the most. It’s super light. The vest fits incredibly comfortably. The position of the two front water bottles makes it possible to sip from them without taking them out. And the compartment of the bag is spacious while being relatively water resistant. Because this pack is so super light, I’ll even pack it in my heavy overnighter bag when I know we’ll be leaving all our overnight gear behind for us to push up to a summit. I currently have no cons for this pack. It’s perfect for my needs. Highly recommend having this pack as part of your go to kit for day hikes and easy scramble objectives.

I bought this pack for day hikes, alpine scrambles and longer multi pitch routes, and it has exceeded my expectations. My favourite features are the integrated (stretchy) chest pockets on the shoulder straps (great for phone, radio or snacks) and the double chest/sternum straps that keep the pack from shifting while climbing or scrambling. The side pockets on the pack are actually deep enough to be useful for a waterbottle, or poles or other items. This pack fabric barely absorbs water, and has been surprisingly durable despite its light weight. I also really love how breathable the back panel design is. I love this pack!

I use it mostly for hiking/trekking. What I like about it is that even when it is fully packed, you do not feel the additional weight on your back. However there is still room for improvement - there should be goretex layer or at lease additional piece of layer that could cover the backpack during rainy weather - otherwise everything inside can get wet...

Bought this pack as a day pack/summit pack to be used on single day and overnight alpine scrambles. On overnight trips, I would take out the pack's removable foam frame - which has a big velcro pad on it for the shoulder straps to attach to on the inside of the pack - and roll the bag up to be stuffed into my overnight pack. I thought that the pack would still be usable without the frame but in reality it was not optimal and frankly quite annoying. Without the foam frame, the shoulder straps had nothing to really attach to inside the pack, except for a thin strip of velcro which is meant to hold a small pocket in place. When the shoulder straps are being attached to this thin strip, the usability of the bag takes a big hit. I found that the shoulder straps kept falling off, even when the pack weight was not very heavy, and this was while the velcro was brand new and barely used. On top of this shoulder strap issue, I found the water bottle sleeves to be poorly designed - for larger water bottles at least. On numerous trips now, my water bottles have fallen out of these sleeves because they are cut just way too shallow. Even with the strap tightened all the way, the sleeves struggled to hold even a 1L Nalgene, which for an outdoor pack is kind of ridiculous. On an exposed ridge or just a steep face, if you lean forward too much you can say goodbye to your bottles. In summary, there needs to be some way to attach the shoulder straps securely to the pack even when the frame is out and the water bottle pouches should be deeper and more secure. Otherwise a nice lightweight daypack.

I use this for my light daily commute together with the index organiser for a change of clothes as I would cycle or run to my work locations. The straps wraps around the shoulder girdle really well and the chest straps hold them in place. with the bungee-feel of the straps, even if the pack was heavier, you don’t feel much on the shoulders. The back panel can get a bit warm after more than 1 hour of high output activity, but allows quick moisture wicking compared to other run commute packs. The strap compartment can be versatile to not just fit bottles, but was my quick phone pouch for navigation, and trail gels and rations.