Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

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!

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!

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.

Great backpack. Holds a lot of stuff, still sits comfortably. Nice smooth zippers, firm back and cushioned laptop sleeve feels safe and secure. I wish is had a cell phone pocket on the strap though, that is a great feature and it's annoying to not have one. This bag was my carry on across the country and day to day it lugs a bunch of ridiculously heavy books and is none the worse for wear yet!

This is a fantastic, multipurpose backpack. I mainly use it for hauling my giant heavy college text books to class, and it's often hard to believe I am carrying as much as I am. But I also wanted a bag I could travel with and bring all my essentials. It fits a 15 inch laptop, a decent sized notebook, a DSLR camera (which was in it's own padded case) with all it's accessories, a pouch with toiletries, a big clutch style wallet, sunglasses case, a paperback book, light sweater, cell phone, water bottle, pens and pencils. It's only in one size but the sternum strap makes it easy to keep the shoulder straps from digging into your armpits. My only complaint is that it does not have the cell phone pocket on the strap that's shown in the video. Fortunately it will be easy enough to clip one on.

This is a great bag. I got it because I liked the multi color black with the green. I also needed a new bag because my Big Shot broke. I wish this one had two full compartments like that one, but I guess that is why it was not as expensive. First I got the North Face Borealis in the same color, but man that was way too small. It may be good for an elementary school kid, but then again why buy a kid that young such an expensive backpack. North Face should seriously market it as a kid or ladies' bag since it is way too small. With the Recon, the chest strap that goes over your sternum was a little stiff. That is, other bags had it so it slides easily. Mine came way too high and I thought it was going to choke me and I could not slide it. I thought it was permanent. But I guess it is fully removable, if you wish. I like it but I wish it was sewn in with another strap that slides instead of the hard hook like pieces on these. I do like the mesh pocket in the front. It is great for throwing a towel or grooming kit in for a weekend trip and it even discretely holds my iPad when I am on my way to school. The bag itself fits a good amount of gear. Another minor complaint I do have, though, is that after watching the video on the Zappos website demonstrating this bags features I was kind of disappointed. The video says the bag has compression straps on the bottom of the bag. The pictures of the bag however make it seem like they are not there. They are not there. My old bag had them and they do come in handy compressing your bag even more or I used to sometimes put a yoga mat or camping mat down there when I needed to. But other than that, I would say it is a good bag.

This is not bad at all, I wish the shape was more square and less round, yet there is still enough space for all your books or clothes for a weekend getaway. The stowaway hip belt is a great bonus, much better than these convertible carry on backpacks sold by other retailers. The laptop compartment does not reach all the way to the bottom, probably for protection, but be warned that it only fits 15" laptops max.

Great backpack for everyday use. I wish it was a little bit larger but it works well for a grad student. Very comfortable and the pouches help with organization.

This is the most comfortable day-type backpack I have ever worn. It is also very attractive. I use it for shopping and every day stuff, but not for hiking as of yet. The only thing missing for me is a zippered compartment in the inside area closest to my back. I want that because I am concerned about the possibility of pick-pockets, especially when my belongings are on my back and therefore not in my sight. I would feel more secure if I could put my cellphone/wallet/keys in a zippered compartment at the bottom of the bag in the compartment nearest my back. If you are only using this for hiking it does not matter. I love the way the backpack looks and feels, so I will have to come up with something creative to make it work, so that I do not have to wear it on one shoulder to protect my belongings.

Excellent, well-built backpack with all of the features most people need. It always takes a while to get used to any new backpack, but with the Recon that time went by very fast. The only dislikes I have are the inability to completely conceal the waist and chest straps. Earlier models had a pouch to conceal these. Otherwise, big, durable zippers, well-sewn seams, and great aesthetics.

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.

While typical of tnf in terms of attractive appearance, looks can be deceiving. The pack is poorly designed and not ergonomic in function. The side straps at the midpoint of the pack creates a choke point not allowing larger items, such as lunch bag, to be placed into the lower, and roomier portion of the pack. In addition, the concentration of pockets above this choke point causes it to be top heavy so that it is constantly flopping backwards. The design seems to come from a novice at tnf and is truly one of the more disappointing purchases from tnf. Especially in view of the cost which I surmise was just paying for the name brand rather than a quality product.

I use this product for work and for when I travel. It's holds a lot of items with different compartments for organizing. I use the larger compartment to transport 2 eleven lb. weights at time just to give an idea of the durability & capacity. I would recommend this product and would absolutely purchase it again.

I ought this bag wanting something sturdy to hold my books and it has delivered!! It fit all my book perfectly, and is in great shape I use it everyday and still looks new. The backpack has a very sturdy zipper which is hard for me two find my last few backpacks failed to keep working when their zippers broke. I feel like I can count on this bag to hold everything and not worry about it breaking!!

Great backpack I use it to carry many things . Durable stylish roomy and lightweight. Comfortable to wear on your back even when its heavy. Backpack is well structured in my opinion.

When I first found this backpack, I knew that it was the perfect fit. I have been looking for a bag that would be big enough for school and fitting all the binders on a day-to-day basis. This backpack is beyond perfect for that. It is a good material, but more importantly, it is perfectly big enough and has a million pockets. If I wanted to, I could separate all my school needs into its own pocket in this backpack. So, it is perfect for those who like organization and being able to find things with ease. Overall, I recommend and it is definitely worth it. It kinda makes me excited for the next school year....

This is the best backpack I've ever bought. I wanted something versatile because I'm constantly on the go between work and long commutes. Super comfortable, very well structured. It's also a great daypack if you aren't going home for the day. I love the pockets and the organizational features. The three mesh compartments are really handy as well!

I bought a recon pack for day hikes about 6 years ago. Quickly, I realized it would work perfectly (and look great) for work. I pack my laptop, cords, various small electronics, a clipboard, warm shirt, snacks, a water bottle, walet, keys, etc in the pack daily. I unload in my car every morning, packing it up again when I get home, unpacking in the house & packing up again the next day. I also unpack my work stuff and use it on the day hikes I originally intended it for. It's been on numerous overnight trips and has spent dozens of nights hanging from a tree branch in the wilderness. It's been abused by airport security countless times too! I'm still using it daily, 6 years later! And it works perfectly. The only reason I just bought a new one is because my pack is filthy, stained and smelly at this point. And I don't have a good way to thoroughly clean and deodorize it. I've been thinking of buying a new one for a couple of weeks and have been periodically looking at the packs on the North Face site. I just looked again and noticed that they've added new color schemes, one of which I (obviously) had to have. I'm not posting a pic of my old pack, only because it's not very flattering. And the Recom backpack does deserve some flattery. I've never had a pack last so long (and still going strong after 6+ years!) I hope they continue to make the Recon. If the pack doesn't outlive me, I'll buy another one in another 6 years or so.

I bought this backpack for college yet I seem to want to wear it everywhere... It has really good support and weight distribution. I loaded a 15-inch Dell XPS 15 laptop into it, put it on, and wearing it felt like I might have had a few small books in there, definitely not a heavy laptop! The colors (I got TNF Black/Powder Blue) look sci-fi and very polished; I really like my choice. The build quality is excellent, better than my older L.L. Bean backpack (which I had considered the best I had ever owned), and I like the thin profile when the backpack is empty. I have not fully loaded the backpack yet, however the amount of storage pockets available blew me away.

I had a Targus Laptop backpack for all of high school and college which would be used for anything from boy scout camp and traveling overseas to the classroom and when it finally started to fall apart this year, I knew looking for a replacement that would match that bag in durability would be a challenge. So far this bag has been fantastic, I carry about 5-6 textbooks and my laptop on a daily basis and this bag has really helped reduce the strain on my back. Much more so than the Targus bag. I haven't been able to test it outside of school yet but if the initial build quality has any indication of its performance outdoors, I would very surprised of any shortcomings. The bag is quite a bit roomier than first glance as it can expand outward a considerable amount. Also, the mesh pouch in the front is really handy to throw things you need at a moments notice. I'm very pleased with this bag and Zappos for their excellent customer service. I had a pricing mistake on this purchase and Zappos was quick to rectify it in a very timely and professional manner. Will definitely be doing business again with them!