Customer Reviews Arc'teryx Aerios 30 Backpack

This is my go to bag for most adventures. I had considered buying a smaller trail running vest + a ~30L bag, but the elastic cord design allows me to cinch down the main compartment when I'm packing light. I might still pickup a tiny vest for around the city, but this hits the spot for all my trail running and hiking needs. The vest inspired straps are great, I rock bear spray and and a softflask with filter which are both held securely. The Zippered pockets on the straps also fit a phone, even an Iphone Max, but not at the same time as a softflask. The chest straps do loosen over time, but this isnt really an issue to me. You could easily replace the cord with a non-elastic cord if this bugged you. This is what has been done on the newer norvan vests. The side pockets are great. I can easily store my Nalgene, Z poles, Puffy, etc, without having to take my bag off to access them. They arent the most secure pockets, especially for running, but the elastic cord here cinches them down just enough in my opinion. My partner bought one after playing with mine for a day, and we both agree this is one of our favorite pieces of outdoor gear.

On first use, I was amazed by this pack. Bear spray, phone/tracker, snacks, poles, water, and crampons/spikes are all rapidly deployable with this pack. The two chest pockets (each with two compartments for a total of 4) plus the two side pouches on the pack are accessible without taking the pack off. I summited a few 3000m mountains without taking off this pack. It eventually comes off at the summit, but this has never happened before. The pack is light and holds its form very well. I've never struggled with the zippers. There are only three distinct compartments, which might make organizing things a bit difficult. The main compartment tapers down so that messes up my packing strategy, but I've learned to work around it. The most amazing, annoying, and possibly dangerous thing about this pack is the cords tightening system. Across the sternum, the springy cord allows you to move without restriction, but it keeps coming loose, especially if you're running downhill. If the pack is bouncing, you'll adjust the sternum strap every minute, otherwise, you'll still have to tighten it every 5-10 minutes. The cinch cord on the side pocket can also loosen, sometimes expected. If the cord is properly tightened, everything might be okay, but on several occasions, I've had a water bottle fall out of my pack when I bend over or while taking the pack off. I've learned to live with it and am now really careful when I take the pack off and make sure the cinch cord is properly tightened frequently. I even double-back the sternum cord, but these are something the designer should have noticed during testing.

I really like the running vest-inspired features - it allows to place a wide array of items in an easy to access location. The overall weight of the bag is extremely low compared to other 30L bags intended for day hiking, and when combined with the ability to synch the bag allows this bag to be used for run-commuting without any problems. I've experienced a mild annoyance with the material that back-plate is made of rubbing against the shoulder strap fabric, this creates a constant squeaking sound unless the back is on the "more weighted" side of things. The bag also tapers down quite significantly in the main pocket in order to have larger side pockets - I can see the value in this design however I would prefer to have a more rectangular main pocket for ease of packing bulkier items.

Light, snug, comfortable, well thought out. Love it a lot.

I am about 28" waist, and when I tighten the waistband all the way it's still bit loose to let the weight sit on my waist probably.

I bought the phenom pack around a month ago. I have taken it out day hiking many times, it a very light pack. I like the large opening at the top. The straps are great , but they leave a lot of loose ends dangling to be caught by branches. The waist straps don't have retainers for the loose return ends also. I have also used the pack for bike commuting. Very stable, doesn't move around a lot while biking, that is a plus. It contacts the back of me helmet though, which is distracting. It could also use a side pocket or two.

I love the idea of a 30L framed backpack with running vest style straps. I wanted so badly for it to be everything I'm looking for but there are a few quirks that led to me returning it. The following comments are about the fall 2022 version of this backpack. The good first. Straps are super comfy. The side pockets are awesome; adjustable and can fit a ton. Actually, great pockets in general. Decent amount of storage. Concept is exactly what I am looking for. The missed opportunities. The chest straps did not hold; they came loose about every 30 minutes. Outside pocket would be great. The frame didn't distribute the weight as good as I hoped it would. It felt better than an unframed backpack, but it wasn't a huge difference. The storage for the inside felt a bit asymmetric on the top-heavy side. I hope to see some slight changes made to the pack because I definitely need a pack like this.

First the positives. The pack design was well thought out - good size, easy access, durable lightweight materials and comfortable on your back once you got it on. In short, the design and construction were high end and typical of Arcteryx. The shortcomings are in the straps, buckles and adjustments, They were not intuitive, difficult to connect and difficult to adjust.. Unfortunately, I returned the pack for these reasons. I remain an Arcteryx devotee. .

I recently purchased this backpack with high hopes of finding a versatile and reliable companion for my outdoor adventures. Unfortunately, my experience with this backpack has been far from satisfactory. The main issue lies in its lack of waterproofing capabilities, resulting in all my belongings getting soaked when exposed to even the slightest drizzle. Its inability to keep water out, the backpack also lacks any built-in rain cover or an alternative solution to address this critical flaw. Considering that waterproofing is a primary concern for anyone investing in a backpack for outdoor activities, this omission is both surprising and disappointing. I cannot recommend this backpack for anyone who requires even a minimum level of water resistance. It is essential to prioritize finding a backpack that will keep your belongings dry, especially when venturing into unpredictable weather conditions. I regret my purchase and will now be searching for a more reliable and waterproof alternative to meet my needs.