Arcido Aro Review
I haven't been in the bag reviewing game terribly long, but when I first saw Arcido's lineup, I knew I needed to reach out to them. Not only does Arcido make attractive looking packs, with clean lines and a distinct look, but their founders are some of the most amiable and grounded people I've encountered in the industry.
In October, I took a fifteen-day trip to Austria. Arcido provided me with their new packable daypack, the Aro. In fact, I was the first person outside of the company to take one into the wild - a huge privilege!
Admittedly, the Aro is just a daypack. It's not technical, it's not overly engineered, and yes there are more impressive daypacks out there. But that isn't the point - The Aro is lightweight, foldable, packable, and honestly, just gets out of your way so you can enjoy the things around you.
Let's look at some of the key features (in order of importance to me for a daypack):
Packs Small & Flat
Dual Mesh Waterbottle Pockets
YKK AquaGuard Zips
Minimalist Design
Clean Silhouette
16L Volume
One Main, and Two Small Compartments
Airmesh Shoulder Straps
Made of Durable Kodra Nylon
The Good
There's a lot to like about the Aro:
Out of its protective packaging, I was impressed by the look and feel of the bag. The textured Kodra looks straight-up fancy, professional, and modern. It also feels pleasant to the touch even though, really, it's a thin layer of nylon. During a fifteen-day trip to Austria, I took the Aro on hikes into the forest, up mountains, as well as walking into museums, galleries, and restaurants. I am always a proponent of bags that can quickly adapt to varying situations. This has a lot to do with the bag's style.
The Aro's design is typical Arcido - clean lines, minimalist exterior, and a pretty silhouette. Those characteristics, coupled with a toned-down gray colorway, produces a look that fits perfectly in the majority of locations you'll find yourself while traveling. I wouldn't walk into a five-star, Michelin-rated restaurant with a backpack on, but I don't think there is any backpack in the world where I'd do that. That being said, I walked into many restaurants and felt no qualms about having the Aro.
Examining the outside of the Aro further, the dual waterbottle pockets are inspired. Made of stretchy, fine mesh, I was able to fit my wife's 32oz Hydraflask just fine along with my 24oz Hydraflask. Even if you only have one bottle, being able to choose what side it's on, or having a bottle and an umbrella, is incredibly convenient. Additionally, the outside pocket is spacious and easily accessible.
The use of YKK Aquaguard zips is a nice touch on a bag like this. I was caught several times in the rains of Salzburg, and the contents of my bag never got wet. This is a testament to the zips, as well as the water-resistant Kodra.
On the inside, we find a large compartment with a smaller internal pocket. I used this pocket for items that were more sensitive or needed a bit of extra security, such as passports, wallets, cash, etc. The main compartment is deceptively big. At one point, I was able to fit two puffer jackets, a battery pack, baked goods, a 1.5L bottle of soda, glucose monitor, beef sticks, a small box of cereal, and a scarf. Really, for a daypack, this thing can be stuffed. Which is what you want out of a travel daypack.
Lastly, the Aro packs down small into that small internal pocket. Unlike other packable daypacks I've used that pack down into a little cylinder, the Aro packs into a small semi-flat square. After some use, I actually prefer this method! It fits seamlessly into almost any bag, and when coupled with the Arcido Oxna, it's virtually non-existent.
The Bad
Despite all the things I like about the Aro, there are a few things that I think could be improved on:
The biggest issue I had was the shoulder straps. Although they're made with an attractive and comfortable airmesh, the straps invariably slid down my shoulders. I primarily wore a Cotopaxi Fuego Insulated Jacket whose material is fairly slippy, though. Still, even when wearing Woolly Merino, or an Oros Explorer, the straps slipped around more than I would have liked. Your mileage will vary depending on the shape of your body.
This leads me to wonder why there is no sternum strap. In just about every daypack I've used, there's been a sternum strap. It's possible that because this daypack seems to be primarily targeted to city-exploring and not longer, more rugged wilderness-exploring, the strap was not a consideration. Yet, with a sternum strap, it would eliminate the issue I had with the shoulder straps slipping around.
Although it's not expected in this category, it's worth mentioning that the Aro doesn't have any organization for a small tablet or laptop.
Lastly, if you overpack the outside pocket, the bag contorts into a strange shape and doesn't look great. It's a small thing, but it becomes top-heavy and folds over the main body of the bag a little.
Conclusion
Priced at $79.00, the Aro fits in nicely between the likes of Matador, and Arkadia Supply Co. and is a great choice. Those other bags may be more aligned with outdoorsy activities, based on style and function - but the Arcido Aro is a stylish, functional, and high-quality packable daypack. It can seamlessly go from the hotel to the streets, the streets to the forest, the forest to the museum, and the museum to the restaurant, all in one day.
Sure, some things can be improved upon, like the shoulder straps, or the lack of a sternum strap. Despite these small complaints, the Aro is now my go-to packable daypack when I travel. I wholly recommend you give Arcido and the Aro a look, they're a company of good people and travelers, making excellent travel-centric gear.
