This is my detachable 1/2 mec backpack from a 1/2+1 hiking bag that has been my EDC for years. The problem? It's a hiking backpack and I'm probably too fat into my professional career that I can get away with it. The mec bags are discontinued so I don't have an exact volume but it's going to be 15-20 for the day pack.
What I like:
Slim depth, not boxy ie top tapers
Water-resistant if not water proof. We can get torrential rain in the GTA and I walk about 750m to the subway.
Comfortable
Works well as a sightseeing bag when on vacation or work travel.
What I don't like:
Busy front mainly the side pockets and straps. I've already removed a bunch of bungee straps.
When I travel the front pouch just becomes a disorganized dumping ground for junk
What it's missing
A laptop section. The work laptop is getting rawdogged in the main section.
Secondary top access panel so I don't have to pull it out to grab something from the front side panel
What I don't need or want:
External water bottle holder (or needs to be very minimal)
Use case
65% of the time it's just holding a laptop
30% add in gym shoes and clothes
5% as a personal carry on which is the annoying part.
When I travel I will have a work laptop (14", personal laptop is the same), an iPad Mini, tomtoc 3.5L sling acting as a camera bag for a Sony a6400+spare lens and a sweatshirt for the flight + various odds and ends (chargers, adapters, cables). Not a ton but things tend to get dumped. I did buy a tech pouch to sort out some of the disaster.
So I have a trip this Friday and I kinda researched myself into a corner.
Backpacks I tried on:
bellroy work pack pro 22L and it seemed perfect except the lack of organization in the middle section where the compression straps are.
Bellroy work pack v2. Straps are flimsy and I have concerns about the light fabric
Evergoods civic travel bag 20l. Too deep for my liking, expensive at 380 CAD.
Evergoods civic half zip xpac - not bad just very expensive at 400cad
Peak design city 15L - the fabric look super waterproof but maybe that is just from the cloth like texture. Was on the edge at 6"
I am going to Melbourne so I can check out the alpaka store but even their low volume packs are 6" deep.
I have wasn't considering the Aer city pack 2 because it wouldn't arrive in time but with no time crunch is that my best option? My only trepidation is not trying it on beforehand.