@camcheline:disqus @TeamCarryology:disqus I ended up gett the Aer Duffel Pack 2 and @camcheline is right, you can’t fit that much in it once you put in some some sneakers but I was able to fit my workout clothes, workout gloves, a small toiletry bag and a shaker cup. I was even able to fit a 25 oz stainless steel water bottle and an umbrella in the water bottle compartment when I fully expanded it.
The bag works for me and I really like all the compartments but I wish the laptop compartment had some pen holders. The size of the bag fits easily inside standard gym lockers. If the bag was slightly wider and rectangular instead of tapered at the bottom then it would hold more stuff and it would still fit in a gym locker.

@TeamCarryology:disqus @camcheline:disqus Another inexpensive backpack that has a separate shoe compartment and laptop compartment is the Under Armour Hustle 3.0 backpack.
It supposedly has 30L of volume. The biggest downside is that it’s made of polyester so it probably won’t last long.

@camcheline Did you get the Aer Fit Pack or the Aer Duffel Pack? I’m assuming that you got the Duffel Pack. If it’s the Duffel Pack, then I’m surprised that you couldn’t fit much in it.

I saw the DSPTCH gym/work pack at their NYC store but I wasn’t impressed with the compartments. The black one is made of nylon and appeared to be pretty strong. The ones made of twill didn’t appear as strong.

I don’t believe any of the Ryu models have a separate shoe compartment. They have short videos on their website showing how each bag is packed so you can see for yourself.

Thanks @TeamCarryology:disqus! The Lululemon Assert backpack claims 30L of storage space which I questioned based on the pictures and is much larger than the DSPTCH Gym/Work Pack (25L) and the Aer Duffel Pack 2 (24L). I work in NYC so I will check out the DSPTCH at their store and the Lululemon at any of their stores.

Bummer. Yeh, it sounds like inception packing’s the way to go: https://www.carryology.com/luggage/check-in/inception-packing/

Ha. Well the aer is great if you’re packing shoes and like one item. But that shoe hole fills the bag up pretty good. I’d usually have my laptop and a change of clothes, but was tricky to get it in right. Doable. But tricky. Had to put my water bottle in there too cause the sides pockets were useless and would slip out or be impossible to add to once the bag was full.

The @camcheline:disqus, the hunt continues, haha. Surprised the Aer wasn’t big enough, their Aer Gym Duffel would most certainly fit anything you’d need, but it’s all black and not as much fun as a Topo. The RYU is much the same as the Aer Duffel Pack as far as usable space. Have you thought about ‘inception packing’? A dry bag and a packing cube or two in your duffel should solve your problems.

Hey @Sam_K:disqus , the the DSPTCH Gym/Work Pack and Aer Duffel Pack 2 are awesome. We’ve played and tested both. Fine choices. The Lululemon Assert backpack looks a little light on ‘usable space’ (lots of compartments / pockets layered over each other), but we haven’t tested that. That said, on a quick look, the Assert duffel looks better for a space and access, and can be carried as a backpack (the question is how comfortably?), that could be an option too. But it’s the Aer and DSPTCH for us.

I ended up getting the Aer. I just couldn’t fit that much in it. So ended up buying Topo’s new duffel bag. Which is too big and not compartmentalized. But oh so pretty. Not sure what’s different about the Duffel 2, but that DSPTCH is looking interesting. I just wonder how strong the material is. Also still got my eye on the RYU. So hard to find that perfect fit of big enough, not too big, some style and compartments so you’re computer or clean clothes don’t smell like feet.

I have the same criteria as @camcheline:disqus and a few others. I want a backpack with a separate shoe compartment, a good padded section for my laptop, prefer a backpack (not a duffel), space for toiletries and space for a water bottle and a shaker cup. I’ve narrowed it down to the DSPTCH Gym/Work Pack, Aer Duffel Pack 2 (which is an updated version) and the Lululemon Assert Backpack. The Lululemon Para Backpack doesn’t seem to be available in the US anymore but the Assert Backpack looks like a nice alternative. Features are more important than aesthetics for me. Any comments @TeamCarryology:disqus?