Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

Great product, lots on zippers and compartments to organized everything that I need to travel with. However the black camo was a little too glittery/sparkly for my liking so I returned the black camo and purchased the all black version.

I ride the Boston subways and buses in my daily commute during rush-hours. It's a crowded and harsh environment, especially now, in the winter, and my trip takes over an hour each way. I tote two laptops, a folder with papers, a paper notebook and pen, a mouse, a cellphone charger, a paperback and miscellaneous supplies. Just this past week I picked up a Recon backpack, my first from The North Face, at the store on Newbury Street. What lured me to this pack was the zipperless pocket on the front. It's an upward facing pocket of good size. On a train packed with people, when standing or sitting with the pack upright and between my legs, this pocket gives me fast access to my notebook and pen or a paperback. This may sound like a small thing, but when a train is very crowded and it's hard to move my arms and legs, this pocket is right where I want it. Other solid features of this pack are the thickly-padded straps, the curvature of the surface that rests on my back, and the lightweight feel. When the pack is full the feel is lighter compared to my previous pack. This pack also has a quality feel in the materials and the zippers and it seems it will be strong enough to withstand my environment for the long term. Another plus is the padded handle. The handle on my last pack had no padding and would cut into my hand. Lastly, the chest and waist straps have slack to work with my bulky winter overcoat. Over all, the Recon so far has been just right for me.

Bought it for my son for Christmas.

My son needed a new back pack for college and he specifically wanted North Face and one that had a lot of pockets. I ordered the Recon from online, it was delivered in two days however, mom (me!) didn't order the right one lol So I re-ordered another one - the Surge - which he went online and picked out, and it too was promptly delivered in two days... Return of the first one was easy and simple by him and a refund promptly gvien. My son's previous backpack was also North Face which lasted all through high school and into college for him so we already know the durability with these and they are well worth the price.

This is a Christmas gift for my boyfriend. He carries lots of things so I was looking for big backpack with lots of pockets. I like the design and touch of blue color.

I use the backback for travel and work! It's great!!

The bag is ok very comfortable the biggest issue I found is there is no pocket for the bottom straps that go around your waist so there left dangling behind you. My other backpack from NorthFace had them did not realize how valuable they are.

Bought this backpack for my granddaughter. She loves it.

This is my daughters school bag. She loves it!She had one prior to this one for at least five years and it was still in pretty good shape. Definitely recommend!!

This is a great backpack! It looks classy but it is very practical and has lots of room for everything you need, with a variety of pockets and two places for water bottles/thermos. The back pocket fits my laptop in it well, and also is a great place to put papers or other documents/books that you don't want to get bent or damaged.

My daughter loves this backpack...soft pocket lining in areas, comfortable fit, and very unique color!

I use the bag for work to carry my lap top and paper work. I am not a brief case person and this bag is perfect for my style anf taste while protecting my important stuff.

Bag is used for school to carry computer, papers, etc to and from classes. Very roomy, lots of space to fit everything I need.

It is a really nice quality backpack. It is durable and will last many years I hope. I have had other backpacks from the North face and they tend to last at least three years. Attractive design.

This book bag is so nice and stylish! My boyfriend loved it

As a college student, this is the perfect backpack for carrying and organizing all the items I may need throughout the day ~ I chose this backpack 3 years ago when I started college and it is still meeting my needs ~ I like it so much I wanted to get another one as I prepare to study abroad ~ Absolutely the only backpack I would want for design, durability and price point ~

This product can fit every single book that I need for school and it does not weigh a lot and it does not feel heavy on my back.

I love this backpack my boyfriend and I got each other one for Christmas

This incredibly durable bag is designed well for hiking and for going to classes. I'm a college student and it has for my MacBook air safe and dry while going from class to class. I also love hiking and it has done a great job as a daypack. Comfortable pack that you can wear all day long on whatever adventure you take it on!

Perfect backpack for high school student.

I bought the backpack for school because the one I had was wearing out from behind from all the walking I do, but every single zipper and pocket was still working, note that it was also a The North Face backpack I purchased 4 years ago. This new backpack claimed to help my back but it is less spacious, has a longer frame on the back which is really uncomfortable, if it wasn't for that I would've rated it 5 starts. I walk a lot, carry all my books and school stuff in it but holding it on my lap is the most uncomfortable thing.

I use this bag everyday for school and it fits everything I need: laptop, folders and notebooks, and the front compartment is perfect for holding pencils, calculators, snacks, and my wallet. Would definitely recommend for anyone who needs to carry a lot of stuff and don't want a strain on their back!

I use this bag bag for my campus. It is light, comfortable and spacious. I can carry my books, laptop and notes as well. The size is appropriate for me.

I use this bag mostly for school. It fits everything I need. Plus the color looks awesome!

I am a grad student and used my old TNF "ILLINOIS" bag - 32 Liters - to go to the university: I usually put in there 2/3 notebooks, textbooks, a 13" Thinkpad laptop with sleeves + charger, and when I go play soccer twice a week I add my shoes and short/t-shirt as well. I also use it to go on weekends and take it as carry-on on long flights. So I wanted a more modern looking bag and be able to do the same. I can...but it is incredibly uneasy. On the bright side, in addition of previous comments, the front outside pocket is very convenient, I put my gloves in there and this is much better than trying to shove them in my jacket pockets. Also I just walked 15 minutes under a snow shower and everything inside the bag was completely dry. Water drops slide or stay on the cover, you can just shake your bag a little and they fall off. The problem of the Recon (I am talking as of Nov. 2018) is packing and accessing things. Once I put my laptop (without sleeve of course) in the back pocket, and very few things like pens/small painkiller/ID in the front, the main pocket seems very small. Basically the front pocket is half the height of bag and goes inside the main pocket. The laptop pocket does the same on the whole length from the back. There is room, I was able to fit all my stuff in this reduced main pocket, but how painful that was! I needed to squeeze my shoes and sports clothes past this bottleneck (zipper only goes half way which doesn't help), then put my notebooks on top. Once in the gym, I had to empty all my school stuff to reach the sport clothes in the bottom, then repeat the process when I left the gym. Bottom line is : there is enough room...but it is hard to make use of it, the bag is too stiff which is very frustrating. Not sure if it's a problem specific to the 2018 new design but I'd love to be able to pack/unpack in less than 2 minutes and not play Tetris everytime I have to.