Aer Pro Sling - a versatile 4.5l sling w/ solid organization, large main volume & small tablet carry

The Aer Pro Sling is a modestly sized 4.5L sling that features a good mix of internal organization and wide open areas matched with easy access and (small) tablet carry that works great for wide variety of use cases.
* 00:00 - Introduction
* 03:01 - Disclaimer
* 03:21 - For & Not For
* 06:51 - Exterior Design & Materials
* 10:28 - Load Carriage & Straps
* 16:39 - Exterior Pocket
* 20:37 - Main Compartment - Access
* 22:13 - Internal Sunglasses Pocket
* 24:34 - Internal Elasticated Pockets
* 25:50 - Internal Zippered Pocket + Key Leash
* 30:09 - Internal Flat Device Pocket
* 31:20 - Main Internal Volume
* 36:38 - In Conclusion
* 37:52 - Also Consider
Its main claim to fame is that it is a modestly sized 4.5L but still features a good mix of internal organization as well as wide open areas for easy access of mixed load outs. The result is an appealingly flexible small sling bag that can work well across a wide variety of use cases and can easily carry smaller tablets such as an iPad Mini + a folding bluetooth keyboard as well as whole host EDC essentials without looking too big or overstuffed. Due to the design of the bag, it can easily handle slightly bulkier items like small point and shoot cameras (like the Sony RX100), sunglasses, etc. in the main compartment area whilst maintain a high degree of usability to the internal pocketing and generally overall good access.
A couple of areas of potential improvement include the notable absence of an externally accessible front pocket and thus lack of any quick-access functionality without opening the whole bag. Additionally, the location of the key lease deep inside of an internal zippered pocket makes for a relatively frictionful interaction each time you need to lock/unlock your house door - something that usually happens twice each time you're wearing this bag. Finally, when the bag is not fully filled out it is possible for some flat smaller objects - especially a phone - placed loosely in the main internal volume to lay "horizontally" across the bottom of the pouch making them a little more frictionful to retrieve.
Aer Pro Sling
www.aersf.com/pro-sling-black
Aer Day Sling 3 Max
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Note: This product was provided by Aer for review purposes. All opinions expressed are our own and this review was not approved or shown to Aer before release. None of the links above are affiliate links.

[@D_Spaniard]

Always a pleasure to receive your videos in the feed! You are one of the only bag reviewers that get into detail and nighty gritty of what is good and bad on bag and is appreciated.

[@TheMountainborn]

Awwww, thank you so much for the kind words my friend! I wish I had time to update more regularly!!!

[@asimplefarmer]

Thanks for showing it with a camera inside. That really helped me decide if I want one or not!

[@TheMountainborn]

My pleasure! The quest for the perfect small EDC camera sling/bag never ends!! (^^)

[@thomasschlaflang]

Such a perfect review ! I’ve been hesitating and finally ordered the pro sling thanks to this video and it was the right decision, the perfect sling by far ! Thank you 🙌

[@TheMountainborn]

My pleasure!! I'm so glad you found this review useful and hope you enjoy your new bag!! (^^)

[@PalmBeachDog]

I have it in blue blue, and I love it. The best part are the detachable straps if I need to use it as a pouch.

[@MrJed_s]

One of my main complaints is that it's usually impossible to close the main zipper with one hand when worn (if opened completely). But i love the fact that it stands up so well, i use it as a sort of EDC caddy and just grab out what i need, or the whole sling depending on the day. Also you failed to mention how annoying gatekeeper buckles are ;)

[@TheMountainborn]

Most definitely agree! And yeah, I find gatekeeper buckles super annoying but I forgave them in this bag because I think most people (including myself) will never need to adjust them on this sling since there's really no other alternative carrying style. (unlike say their nearly ubiquitous use on "3-way" convertible messenger/duffle/briefcase/backpack type travel bags where you're forced to deal with these pinchy fools every time you need to attach a strap .... or even worse, their use to attach removable hip belts in certain packs. ARRGGGH)

[@lexbraxman9270]

What an incredible review. I’m prob going to lean toward that Rofmia you showed lol never knew that brand but it’s Japan

[@TheMountainborn]

Hi @lexbraxman9270 - I'm so glad I could be of help! Did you end up getting the Rofmia? How did you find it?

[@twistedxvengeance]

Mini critique? Can you use some bright lighting directly on the bag, with black bags it makes ithard to see the finer details, even with your screen brightness at Max.

[@TheMountainborn]

Great feedback - yes, I'm in a temporary space right now so don't have all my lights but I'll use a flashlight or something in the future when showing the interior of black bags.... totally agree. Thank you!

[@Ali4451_]

Any idea when aer will release a v2 of the pro sling? Debating whether to buy now or wait. Thanks and great review!

[@TheMountainborn]

Hi @Ali4451_ ! I don’t know when they will release a v2 but since the pro sling v1 was just released earlier this year (2023) I don’t think it will be for a while. But that is just my best guess - previous v2/v3 iterations of other items in their lineup have been separated by at least a year and often more than that.

[@mageroman1]

Thanks for such a great in depth review! May I ask if you tested it in the rain to see if its water resistant?

[@TheMountainborn]

Hi @mageroman - great question! Unfortunately I did not test this particular sling for water resistance as it's not one of its advertised features. That said, I would feel relatively confident in saying that this sling won't have particularly high water resistance. I base that both on the materials (which is not waterproof, will absorb water and quickly wet through), lack of taped seams or zipper flaps, and the reversed non-water resistant zippers (the reversed construction means they'll soak through even more quickly). Now of course, that doesn't mean it'll immediately get soaked - if you're just dashing from a car to your front door during a rainstorm or just outside for a few minutes in a light sprinkling you should be fine - but if you're planning to be routinely walking around in heavy storms or deluges etc. you'll want to consider a more water-resistant option. I hope this helps!

[@valiantzest]

Would you recommend this for a travel/street camera sling? My main carry would be a Fuji XS10 (126 x 85 x 65 mm) and a sigma 18-50mm (76mm long), and perhaps a small prime sometimes. Some other options I have looked at are the: 1) Bellroy 9L venture sling: maybe too large for my needs 2) Bellroy 10L camera sling: heard that the buckle quality is very bad, breaks often 3) Wotancraft 3.5L: great size, would get it if it didn't have Molle I was wondering what other slings have you tried (that are not reviewed on your channel yet) that you would have me consider? A major dealbreaker is if the sling looks like a camera bag (rigid, boxy, i.e. peak design slings) Thanks!

[@TheMountainborn]

Hi @valiantzest - great question and one that strikes at the intersection of several of my hobbies - sling bags and cameras :) So in order: 1. I would not really recommend the Aer Pro Sling for camera carry. You might be able to get a fairly small camera in there but the carry would be awkward due to the shaping of the main compartment and make the rest of the pockets hard to use and I don't think you'd be able to get a spare lens in there. Also, the strap really isn't substantial enough for that kind of loadout in my experience. Other options you mentioned 1. Venture 9L - will definitely work, might be too large for your needs. I did a review of the Venture 9L on my channel where I show it with a FF Leica SL2 and a spare lens - a much, much larger setup than what you mentioned, but it works well for that. I think this is a great sling that can cover many cases but as you said, might be larger than you need, If you think the Venture 9L is too large, they also make a 6L which might be able to fit your needs. It retains all of the organizational and structural advantages of its bigger cousin but in a smaller package. I prefer the 6L to the 9L to be honest. 2. Venture 10L - so its interesting you mention the buckle quality / breakage as the *only* buckle breakage I've ever experienced was in a 9L Venture sling (not the 10L) - one of the thin plastic strap attachment buckles broke and it's a very unusual part so I was not able to easily repair it. I considered it a freak occurrence (and hasn't happened in any of the other Venture slings or Bellroy bags I own and I continue to use them almost daily and still recommend them) so it was interesting to hear you say others have mentioned this on the 10L That said, I'm not a huge fan of the 10L sling for a variety of reasons - I find it loses a lot of the usability due to the much-reduced organization (there's no convenient place to put your wallet for example, so everything gets jammed in the front external front zip pocket - wallet, phone, keys, earbuds - it fills up fast and also presents a scratch concern) and the fixed-in-place non-removable (albeit semi-adjustable) dividers which really limit your setup options. Overall I think that if you're looking at this, you should strongly consider if the 9L might work even better (you just need some solution for an extra lens but I just use a form-fitting neoprene case etc). 3. Wotancraft 3.5L - I hear you on the molle. A couple of thoughts might be - can you find a way to live with the Molle? There's no perfect bags in life (alas) so sometimes I find I can live with one questionable thing in order to access the other 95% of a bag that I like. Or maybe you can email them and ask them if they might be able to make you a version without molle (they're a fairly small company so I find that sometimes smaller companies have that kind of flexibility). Other options to consider (not boxy, not rigid - I totally feel you on the peak design bags) So here is where I have to share the bad news that much like you, I dislike super rigid camera sling bags but am always surprised at how few options there are out there other than the ones you mentioned. So sometimes when I'm going out on dedicated photography excursions I bite my tongue and use the Peak Design slings even though they have so many shortcomings because they do manage a competent job of carrying cameras (at the expense of just about everything else). Another choice I often use is the Venture 9L. Some other options * Yoshida Porter Tanker Camera bag (it is a bit box but is not rigid, so it may or may not meet your criteria) - it's boxier than I prefer but it does do a pretty good job of carrying smaller setups like the one you mentioned and I find it still has enough usable pocketing for other etc necessities * Black Ember Grip Sling - not the greatest choice in the world TBH but if you skip the the available optional camera organizer (which is both annoyingly rigid/thick/overly padded and incredibly and bizarrely narrow) it can serve as a non-rigid alternative to the Peak Design camera slings (though note it has no built in padding so you'll need some way to protect your camera - I usually use form fitting neoprene sleeves * Greenroom 136 Metromonger - I really like this sling and have done a full review on my channel - it might be overkill for your purposes but perhaps worth taking a look. The available DSLR insert is a bit boxy / rigid but you can skip it and just cushion your camera a different way. * Rofmia Shift Shoulder Bag M v3 - expensive and not too much padding but it is impeccably made by a craftsman in Gifu Japan and works really well for a small setup such as the one you described. Relatively minimalist. Anyway, not sure if any of that is helpful but I hope so! Please let me know if you have any other questions and good luck!!

[@robwhite698]

Thanks for the vid. Well done, as always. Quick questions: 1) I like to wear a sling diagonally (front or back) rather than on my hip, but I've heard the Are Pro Sling tends to slide down to the hip as you walk. Have you found that to be the case? 2) Do you think you could fit a Nintendo Switch into the main dump area when your iPad Mini is in the tablet area? Thanks, Rob :)

[@iAmEFFeX]

I wore mine for a week vacation with tons of walking recently and it started to slide throughout the day. I had to adjust a couple times.

[@robwhite698]

@@iAmEFFeX Too bad. Seems like that's a problem with lots of slings.

[@iAmEFFeX]

@@robwhite698 Dont get me wrong, it's a great bag. I have very little complaints if any, but that may bother you if you wear your slings high up.

[@epretto]

❤❤

[@nivektek2681]

IPad Air 9.7 & Any Bose or Sony Overear bluetooth headphones with case please?Where Can I Buy Online or Actual Stores please?

[@TheMountainborn]

Hi Nivetek2681! While technically the dimensions indicate it should be able to fit in my experience a 9.7" iPad Air isn't going to work well in this bag due to the structure - even if you can get it in you'll likely be limited in what else you can pack into the bag. I think you'll be much better served with an iPad mini when it comes to this bag. However since I don't have a 9.7" iPad Air on hand I wasn't actually able to test it directly so that's just my guess. Smaller folding over ear headphones such as the Bose QC 35 should be able to fit depending on what else you have packed in the sling - personally I wouldn't use the case with it though because the case is super bulky. As far as buying this sling, you can find it online at aersf.com

[@nivektek2681]

@@TheMountainborn ok thank you

[@justin-zx3ji]

Dude, if you would have used a black table and turned the lights off... That would have been CRAZY! Oh and put your black cat on the table beside the sling for comparison... Oh snap, put the camera inside your bibs... 🔥

[@TheMountainborn]

😂 LOL. Fair enough!! (Maybe I could pretend I was was trying to make a meta-point about the importance of contrast interior lining?)

[@user-ix9ll5km7j]

No good bro you are reviewing black bag with your shirt black also in the background looked bad