Customer Reviews The North Face Recon Backpack

At first I was disappointed to see that the side straps of my gray/plum backpack was not black as seen in the picture, but a bright purple/pink (plum color). I had intentions to replace the zipper straps with black to make this backpack very neutral and was sad to see that the attached side straps were pink and could not be removed. I even called Northface and had a return shipping label sent. However, customer service was so nice and I needed something to transport my laptop that I tried it for one day. At the end of the day I decided that Northface wasn't getting their bookpack back. It was so comfortable compared with my older LLBean! I loved the numerous compartments and the fleece protected laptop section. I finally felt like my laptop was safe (my prior Ogio laptop backpack was flimsy and the laptop section's zipper broke). Ultimately I decided to keep this backpack for functionality during school and will be looking for a secondary neutral colored laptop backpack or messanger for conferences. Laptop protection and no back pain with this backpack is worth every penny!

Great pack, perfect for college students

Great travel bag and day pack. Semi-rigid panel in the back helps carrying heavier loads. Shoulder straps much improved over previous versions. Very well constructed.

I have owned my Recon since I was a sophomore in high school and I am now a sophomore in college- it's still going strong! And let me tell, I've put it through a lot. Overloading heavy textbooks, bouncing off rocks while hiking, smushing my entire bed/bathroom into it for sleep-overs, tossing it into the backseat of my car for road trips- we're practically inseparable! This backpack is comfortable, spacious, and, most importantly, durable. You will definitely get your moneys worth from it!

i have bought a few thenorthface products from mens shoes, women snow boots, sweaters, coats ect. so when it came time for a new backpack i naturally started researching for a northface pack. i was considering 4 different models Big Shot, Jester, Borealis, and Recon. i thought Big Shot was slightly to big. Jester i didnt like the design as much. and Borealis i thought seemed more of a female model even though it might be uinsex i see a lot of females with that bag at school and even in the comments for borealis it seemed more for girls. so i decided on Recon. i like the style and while all the bags have pretty much the same inner pocket design especially with the smaller zipp section, which i think is good and very efficient. i mainly use this bag for transporting my Magic the Gathering cards to events. so i have a binder deck boxes. these cards are worth about $2800. the bag keeps them nice and safe in terms of padding and protects my cards from falls or being smashed by a hard object and protecting the cards from damage. another thing is that the bag stands upright when i put it on the ground which is very nice. its comfortable on my back i usually have to wear it for 8-10 hours while at a tournament. it also keeps my things tucked nicely away too like my wallet and cell phone and sizable vaping mod, with each item having its own pocket. i also sometimes bring my laptop to and from a friends house and it fits nicely and also seems very protected. overall i really like the pack its cool and in-style yet not a lot of people have this model which still makes you feel exclusive. i could be at a 3000+ person tournament and not see this pack on anybody else back. anyone considering this pack should get it i could see this bag working for school books and form camping or hiking. great product great company and i cant wait till i get another the north face product maybe snow pants next winter.....

Use it for school and hiking! Its wonderful

Purchased this back pack for my daughter who is in college and carries a lot of books. She loves it! Very comfortable and durable!

I use this backpack for university. LOVE the style and amount it can carry.

As a student in multiple classes, a busy schedule, and someone always having something to carry, I went through backpacks sometimes every 6 months. Everyone at school had a North Face backpack, and though somewhat pricey, it was absolutely worth it. I've had this backpack for a couple weeks, and I wish I had gotten it as my first and only backpack in high school! It's lightweight and has plenty of pockets for my stuff! The laptop pocket fits my 15'' MacBook perfectly, and it does not weigh down the backpack a bit! The cute purple color only adds to the backpacks perfectness! I definitely recommend this backpack to anyone and everyone!!

Gave this to my daughter for college and she loves it! Best backpack shes had so far!

This pack is ideal for anyone looking for an extremely high quality backpack. I do a lot of traveling around with two laptops and a tablet for work. Everything has its own place and I'm confident that it's all well protected. This is the best backpack I have owned. Get it and you will NOT be disappointed. The color is exactly as displayed on the website.

Honestly I absolutely love my backpack. It has already been on two hikes, a road trip and a few weeks of college classes. It is extremely sturdy and comfortable. It also holds so much and I absolutely love the colors and how light it feels despite having a bunch of stuff inside. Definitely worth it. Trust me.

I've been using this backpack every day since I received it, and it is such a step up from the last backpack I owned. I'm a sophomore in college, and my classes are bulked together so I am always carrying multiple notebooks, textbooks, and my laptop which can get very heavy, but I don't notice the weight with this backpack at all! Not to mention how much it holds without looking bulky or awkward. I am so happy with this gift.

I'm really happy with my purchase. I like the fact that is suitable for the average woman and I'm a student who has to carry a lot of things including my laptop and it is so comfortable due to the padding. I also love the mesh pouch because it gives me the ability to set my car keys and phone in a reachable and easy access area. Overall the backpack has the capacity to sustain all your school materials and some.

I needed a new commuter bag, but was looking for something that could also be comfortably used as a day pack or as a travel bag (think carry-on). There are not a lot of options out there that cater to both needs, but low and behold I found the North Face Recon pack at an REI store late one night. The pack features a padded laptop sleeve/compartment for a typical 15" laptop, a dedicated tablet (iPad) sleeve, and a number of smaller organization pockets for various other gadgets/items (pens, phone, spare batteries, chargers, whatever), and even has a few stretch loops for keeping charging cables. On the outside are two mesh water bottle pockets (I keep a travel umbrella in one of mine) and a 3rd mesh pocket on the back. Two adjustable stabilizer straps allow you to snug down the load and keep the weight from moving around, and the adjustable belt strap can be completely removed if you don't want to use it. There's plenty of internal room for whatever you might need to haul to the office or classroom besides the computer (books, notebooks, paperwork, etc). But when the work week is over, dump all your office gear and load up with a hydration bladder!! Yup, this pack has a reservoir loop built-in above the laptop compartment. Just slides you reservoir into the laptop compartment and hook it on the loop, then route your drinking tube out the port (top of bag, between the shoulder straps) just like any other hydration pack. Then load the bag with whatever you need for your day hike, and reattach the waist strap if you want it. The Flex-Vent backing/padding works really well. Only one small complaint...the interior organizer pockets could be a bit "looser". When you start to fill the pockets with various items, the fit gets a bit tight. Not a deal breaker, but it would have been better to leave some slack in the pockets. I also wish the bag came with a rain cover, but you can purchase a generic North Face rain cover. Couldn't be happier with this purchase!

I have a bigger build for a woman and I was worried about the straps on this being too narrow for the woman's bag. Turns out getting the men's bag was the the best choice for me.

My daughter chose this backpack. She carefully considered all of her options and found this one to meet her projected college bound needs. Then when her twin brother starting looking for backpacks she shared her find. My son liked what his sister found and since there was a guy version that was attractive to hiim, we decided to order it.

Fully loaded the pack for 1.5 day trip and walked with it for hours. Quick to find a comfort level for the weight

Hiking and travel

excelent backpack

Backpack is perfect for school and safely holds laptop.

Purchased for my son. He has it loaded with books, computer and gaming devices. It handles it all! Quality construction, from the material used, extra stitching in the seams, to the high quality zippers. Well worth your money!

I use this everyday for school. It has the same book weight that I used with my old backpack but it feels less because of the padding and the way it lays.

I have never used north face backpacks before but decided to purchase one this year because I heard that it's really comfortable if I have to carry many items. The previous backpacks I hurt my back a lot as I have to carry a lot of notebooks and electronics for school. After purchasing this backpack, I was able to fit the same amount of the items as the previous but it contributed no pain to my back. My back in return was supported with the materials embedded in this backpack. As a college student who has to walk a lot with materials all day long, I would say this is one of the best school investments I've made. The material and design is also very well implemented.

I bought this backpack for a Caribbean cruise vacation. It held everything I needed for traveling. It holds all the essentials. It's just the right size, not too big or too small.