Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

This is a great backpack for college or high school. My daughter took a Recon North Face back pack purchased 5 years ago through high school now in third year of college. Her brother had gone through numerous backpacks and all had to be replaced. This is large enough for books, 3" binders and miscellaneous materials for high school. It also has a padded pocket for my daughters Mac 15" lap top. It is worth the additional money. The quality seems the same from the 2004 model and current one.

The very best backpack I have ever owned. Light weight, sturdy and I can pack my laptop securely in it. I love it! I also liked Zappos\' price and fast delivery!

This is a spacious backpack with great support/padding for the back and shoulders. It has all the right compartments you'd think you would need/want in a daily carrier. My typical use is daily and I'm carrying some notebooks, clipboard, a book or two, cell, pens, zip drive, calculator, and other minor accessories. I also keep a water bottle in one of the side pockets. I haven't yet made use of the laptop pouch. I like what I have experienced so far and I would definitely make this purchase all over again.

I love this back pack! It's sturdy, lots of pockets to store stuff in. It's lightweight and durable and I love the reflectors.

This was a last minute purchase for a trip. I needed a backpack that could just be a backpack but I also needed one to handle a laptop. This is far and away better than the laptop bag my company provided for me for one simple reason: It holds more and is much lighter. It doesn't have as padded of a laptop area, but I don't feel I need a lot of padding. So far, excellent!

Overall, the design is great for a school/commuter bag, but the flimsy nylon material would call for a price drop in my experienced opinion. I wouldn't recommend this for the trail. I have an old NF book pack from '95...it was a good bag, I carried it everywhere in high school and part of college and I bought the new Recon based off of my old bag. I'm disappointed in the nylon materials used for the body of the pack, especially for the price. The materials feel cheap, thin and flimsy...I can only hope it stands up to abuse better than I suspect it will. On the positive notes, the Recon is designed well for a good school/commuter bag, I wouldn't wear this on the trail...I have more technical packs for serious adventures. The organizer panel is nice...lots of slots, even a few padded squarish ones for your electronics. The organizer in my bag is a medium gray with red accents...the lighter color helps make items more viable. (I bought the "bittersweet brown" color). The outside pocket on the front is a great stash pocket...they say it will fit a bike helmet...I don't bike but will stash my stethoscope and a light jacket in there. "The North Face" logo is embroidered at the bottom, while the pack's name is screen printed off to the side. There are two loops directly below the logo...which I find pretty much useless on a school pack (but love them on technical packs). There's also an additional zippered pocket just above the large mesh one on the front...its medium size is good for snacks or a headlamp and other small tools. The inside is roomy enough. Forget it if you're trying to bring your laptop AND 2 inch binder along with a couple text books...the pack isn't deep enough. Although my 2 inch binder and medium sized texts seem to fit fine. There's an internal sleeve/pocket for a water bladder or laptop...my 17 inch can fit ok. The zippers are quality. Easy to open and close although the protective zipper flaps get in the way often. 2 mesh side pockets fit a regular nalgene bottle easily. Shoulder straps are ergonomic and made with a thin but dense foam. I was wearing a strapless top my first day with the pack and the straps chaffed my skin. The sternum strap IS adjustable. There is a stretchy pocket on your left shoulder which is too small for my sun glasses but would fit an ipod or cell phone nicely. Two elastic bands cross the shoulder straps as well...I guess you could clip your keys here or loop sunglasses under them. Back panel feels nice with its contoured mesh fabric. The hip belt is basically worthless, it's thin and cheap and would offer no support for the pack at all...I removed them completely. Compression straps at the sides and bottom, which I find extremely useful. The side straps are attached to some funky rubberized material, I wonder when/if it will rip.

Bought this bag mainly for use on vacation and it has been worth every penny! Plenty of interior room in the multiple storage areas plus slots/pouches for pens, etc. The large outer mesh pocket is great for a towel or books and the side mesh pockets are great for water bottles. I have it in the green color and I absolutely love it! Highly recommend!

I like this backpack a lot and I find it very useful. I work full time and am a full time student so I wanted something that I could haul around all day and have my laptop and other items both secure and very accessible. Only thing to keep in mind is that this backpack is a bit heavy, and then when you fill it up, it’s even heavier. Still worth it and shows the material quality. My boyfriend has one now too!

Not for heavy duty book/laptop carrying - Laptop compartment didn't provide full protection, parts of laptops with high gloss finish could still be exposed. The layer that divides the laptop is also flimsy. The backpack was not wide enough to house my 2 inch binder. I am going to return it. The style is awesome, however, it wasn't suitable for my use.

This has got to be the best backpack I have ever purchased! Not only does it look good, it also has all the pockets you could possibly want. Also straps that make sure everything stays put, so the pocket for your laptop is secure, so no worries! Definitely a good buy!

Nice backpack - I use mine instead of a briefcase while going to/from work. I put my lunch and any other odds and ends I need in it. Works great for that. I plan to take it on some air travel soon but have not so far. No plans to actually take it hiking.

Exactly what I was looking for - I bought this bag because it has space for my laptop and will hold my nalgene water bottle. I haven't used it much yet, but it holds quite a bit of stuff and seems pretty comfortable. I am in college and plan to use it for a school backpack. Also, I am studying abroad next semester and it makes the perfect carry-on. Plenty of space for my laptop, cd player, a change of clothes, etc. It would also work when traveling light on weekend trips. I would definitely recommend this bag. Also, the shipping was very fast even during the holidays. I would buy from this site again.

Recon II Review - I love my backpack. It has a laptop cushion thing in the back. Although I don't have a laptop right now, I love that thing because when I don't carry something that's hard like a binder or a book, my backback doesn't bend. I hate when backpacks do that. The side water bottle holders and nice because they have adjustable things that make sure your watter bottle stays and doesn't fall out. Overall, this is just a nice backpack.