Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

I use this backpack for school, I have over 7 classes and it can hold all my schools binders, books, and materials. Also when I go on trips it is very helpful to hold all my clothes, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrush, ext.

I loveeeee this backpack I have gone through so much with it!Ive spilled ketchup,wet sandwich's,mayo and not to mention tons of rainstorms and this backpack always holds up.I love it so much and it's definitely worth the price and the hype!

I have been using this backpack for years. It is durable and stylish. Don't see myself using another brand for school or travel!

I've had this bag for 6 years and still love it. Very room, comfortable, durable and stylish. Wish it was waterproof, but from another bike bag I use the rain cover for both. Just wish it had a lid lock for my helmet. The from meth isn't big enough.

Great backpack.. But the women's TNF BLACK HEATHER/ETHEREAL is shown as the color of the men's back pack.. The women's recon is a baby blue (periwinkle) color. The pic on line is wrong.

Hoped to replace a Recon that I've had forever, but this version was extremely heavy, and had half as much functional space. May just keep my worn out bag.

I ordered this for my daughters 7th grade backpack, she used it three days and swapped out to her old v.b. one. This backpack has the looks but lacks on space she could not fit her supplies and books into it and the largest pocket has waisted space in the bottom and is not easy to get books/binders in and out. Not sure how this was tested but it was not tested with middle and high school students or their sized books!

I bought this backpack for school, and used it 5 days/week for 7 months. It is comfortable to carry and I like the space and looks; but both mesh water bottle pockets were torn, and unusable, after 5 months of use. The bottom of the pack is also wearing through. For the price, I expected it to be much more durable.

I loved this product and recommend it to everyone

terrible for school couldn't even fit 4 one inch binders in it without the bag looking weird. only recommend for hiking or something.

Bought this for my daughter last year for school and the side pockets didn't even last 4months ! North face says it's not covered .

I got this bag last year for my freshman year of high school. The bag was good but it doesn't hold as much as I needed. For younger kids it would be good for school but when you need 2" binders it can barley fit two. I also have had some problems with the water bottle sleeve ripping within 2 months. I would recommend paying the $30 to go up to the surge. The North Face customer service isn't helpful so don't try to size up after a while. Just buy a bigger bag!

I had one of these backpacks for years, and I recently purchased a replacement because I spilled juice in my old one that I was never able to really get out. The new version SUCKS. The top front pocket is so large that it prevents anything from being stored in the main pouch underneath it. So much wasted space!!! Why can't they just go back to the previous version; it worked so well I loved it! Now I can barely fit two binders inside and it tips over every time. So annoying and frustrating I get angry every time I look at it. PLEASE FIX THIS, NORTH FACE!!!

I have had my Recon for 10 years. I bought it in 2010 when I was a sophomore in high school. Just this year the zipper pulls on one pocket came off. I'm fixing it because I love it! The design looks different in this picture, obviously they have retooled the construction. I think it worked great in high school, and after that I used it as a day hiking pack, when I upgraded for college. This thing has been all over the country with me! It has it has a compartment for a hydration bladder, and the front mesh pocket is awesome to stuff hoodies, jackets or packable sneakers in. It's a great bag, and I am so happy with how long it's lasted as well as the style. I think if you live a versatile life, this backpack is a great option.

In the past, I had bought a North Face Borealis backpack to use in high school, but thought I would get a slightly larger Recon style for college. The Recon is the perfect size, and fits everything I could possibly need for school. While the description says it fits up to a 15" computer, I have no trouble fitting my 16" MacBook inside, and could probably fit a larger laptop or even a computer sleeve inside the technology pocket as well. I would definitely recommend this backpack!

I just bought my second Recon after my first sadly lost a fight with a power-saw (long story, obvious the power saw won). I was devastated when my back pack had a hole spanning the entire bottom side, through the water bottle holder mesh, into both pouches, and through the padded laptop sleeve. (thankfully no laptops were harmed in this outrageous scenario) Took me a while to find this backpack again, as my mom bought it from a sporting good store, and they no longer make it in the color I have, so I didn't recognize it at first. But SO HAPPY I found it again. Was worried it was gonna be discontinued or something. My mom bought the first backpack as a gift for me, going off to veterinary school. I've had it two years, and it was absolutely perfect with plenty of pouches for exactly what I needed. On days I had to travel heavy I simply had to unbuckle the extra support straps to allow the book bag to expand its fullest potential But on lighter days I could clip those straps back in in the book bag felt light and small again. At my worst I have loaded this bookbag with 40-45lb of books/notebooks & laptop/tablet. Never had any issues with support or straining my back or shoulders. The ONLY downside I ever had was the liner started pealing within the first year (that is what my "con" refers to). BUT I I think this book bag was never intended to be waterproof, and I definitely got caught in many downpours walking from my school to my car. I probably just didn't dry it out quickly enough to prevent water damage. Had to write a review, especially when I realized I was so in love with my old backpack that I couldn't stand the thought of getting a different one. (I would have had the first one mended had the damage not been so extensive!)

I just bought my second Recon after my first sadly lost a fight with a power-saw (long story, obvious the power saw won). I was devastated when my back pack had a hole spanning the entire bottom side, through the water bottle holder mesh, into both pouches, and through the padded laptop sleeve. (thankfully no laptops were harmed in this outrageous scenario) Took me a while to find this backpack again, as my mom bought it from a sporting good store, and they no longer make it in the color I have, so I didn't recognize it at first. But SO HAPPY I found it again. Was worried it was gonna be discontinued or something. My mom bought the first backpack as a gift for me, going off to veterinary school. I've had it two years, and it was absolutely perfect with plenty of pouches for exactly what I needed. On days I had to travel heavy I simply had to unbuckle the extra support straps to allow the book bag to expand its fullest potential... But on lighter days I could clip those straps back in in the book bag felt light and small again. At my worst I have loaded this bookbag with 40-45lb of books/notebooks & laptop/tablet. Never had any issues with support or straining my back or shoulders. The ONLY downside I ever had was the liner started pealing within the first year (that is what my "con" refers to). BUT I I think this book bag was never intended to be waterproof, and I definitely got caught in many downpours walking from my school to my car. I probably just didn't dry it out quickly enough to prevent water damage. Had to write a review, especially when I realized I was so in love with my old backpack that I couldn't stand the thought of getting a different one. (I would have had the first one mended had the damage not been so extensive!)

I've had this back pack for 2 years now and whenever the school semester starts I wish that I would have bought a different back pack. Although this back pack is aesthetically pleasing, and protects the laptop effectively, it doesn't hold nearly enough books or folders. I can only squeeze one folder, one book and a thin note book. The most frustrating part is it Never stays prop up by itself because it's to tall and not wide enough.

I was expecting much and unfortunately it didn't deliver it's best. The bag has just one big and deep compartment which makes uncomfortable to put everything in one big compartment, other compartments are too small to fit stuff in. I would now try Borealis as one of my friend has it and I used it for reference and it performed better. Borealis is for me and not Recon.

I bought this backpack to use for college, and I really wanted to like it but it's so frustrating to use! No matter what I do, it's impossible to get things out of the center compartment easily - the organization pocket in front of it takes up much of the space there and makes it so there is a large empty space at the bottom of the pack but no space at the top. It makes it really hard to get items into the bottom or get items out. As others mentioned, the pack also never stands up on its own and always slides down to the ground even when it is propped against a chair or desk which makes definitely makes it hard to get things out during class. The pack was also too heavy for me; my shoulders were in pain with barely anything in it and the curve of the pack didn't fit my back properly (I'm on the short side though at 5'1") For pros: love how deep the water bottle pockets are, the compression straps, the outside stretchy pocket which is nice to shove a jacket into, the durability, and the quality double-pull zippers. Unfortunately though, the cons way outway the pros and I am on the lookout for a new backpack because this one is frustrating me too much.

The design is flawed.. the front compartment extends to the main compartment which makes it such a pain when taking out stuff from the main compartment. Making the main compartment very cramped

This pack features a lot of compartments and easy access storage, which I like a lot. The ability to stow items away knowing they are protected is great. But, then having pockets/pouches that are easy to get to are great for when I need my keys quickly, or sunglasses, or a hat. Super comfortable, and durable. I don't see myself purchasing a backpack for a very long time.

Perfect for pretty much anything

I remeber when it first came out i was starting high school till this day i still have it and use it on my daily commute to work great sack!

I'm an archaeologist working long haul in remote parts of Africa so durability and good layout are key; TNF Women's Recon is the best pack I've ever had. First, I had a TNF Borealis for years and it was INDESTRUCTIBLE but the layout of the pockets wasn't ideal and its capacity was a little small. I switched over to a larger pack by another brand. Big mistake. 1. Competitor's Pack was built for a big-shouldered guy and fully loaded it gave me back and neck strain. 2. after 3 field seasons (1.5 years), Competitor's Pack split seams and chest strap link broke. I returned to TNF looking for a bigger capacity than the Borealis. I was glad to see the Recon had a better pocket configuration and larger size, and a female version. Usually I'm not a fan of "gendered" outdoor gear (the "Ladies" version is usually higher price, less rugged, and in pink colors - no thanks) but for backpacks this really is useful, because my shoulders are narrow and packs built for men don't fit me right. The TNF Recon is a great fit, and it carries the same heavy loads that Competitor's Pack used to, without breaking down or throwing my back out. A few small suggestions for improvement: 1) It does not stand up on its own; why not design the bottom to stand up? 2) The outer pocket doesn't open that far so it can be difficult to get to stuff in its basal area. If you want to "bury" a wallet against thieves this is a good place to do so. Still, I would recommend extending the zipper on that pocket a bit farther down, perhaps with gussets so stuff doesn't fall out but you can accordion it open. 3) I would suggest a hidden zip somewhere for valuables. 4) Wouldn't hurt to have a rain fly option (maybe with dedicated pocket). 5) The current lineup of colors is not great for people who work in sunny, dusty areas: dark/vibrant colors fade or show dust, and white is terrible. Try for some tans and medium greys. 6) Thank you for high quality zipper pulls & hardware. Thanks!