Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

I use the bag for school. doesn't have enough for all my binders

Work and travel

Absolutely love this backpack. Very lightweight and can hold a lot of stuff. I recently used it on a trip overseas and it was the only carry on I needed for 3 weeks of vacation.

Very good

I bought this backpack after going through two backpacks during my first two years of college. I wanted a backpack that would be sturdy, reliable, and could hold all of my big engineering textbooks easily. So far this backpack is everything that I wanted! It is a little more expensive than a typical school backpack, but it's definitely worth the money

I bought my first Recon backpack 10 years ago. I took it everywhere and used it for everything. After getting a lot of mileage out of it, it was time to replace it this Spring. Though I was very hesitant to let my original Recon go, the new one is just as amazing and served me very well on a glacier hike in Iceland this past week.

The Recon is replacing a North Face daypack that I've had since 1995. It's amazing how much NF day packs have advanced since then. The inner pockets are great. Shoulder straps are comfortable and are ventelated. Vent system on back is well done and sits on your back with out tired you out. Material quality is good. The only complaint I have is that the inner laptop pocket takes up too much space when there is no laptop in there. But it is that way due to the design that will do a great job of protecting your device. Overall a great backpack for commuters and students. Not so good for day hikes (in terms of capacity for me), unless you are bringing a laptop. I am happy my wife forced me to replace my 21 year old NF pack. Hopefully the Recon will last just as long.

I bought this for a trip to Namibia. Although I haven't used it yet I can see that it has absolutely everything I need to accommodate a long plane ride and days of jeep travel. Could also carry a few books and electronics. And the color was perfect.

This backpack fits so much more stuff then I thought it would! I'm amazed by how much it will carry in both the main and front pocket! The only downside I could find in this backpack is that the padding on the back is very stiff, but it's not to bad if you're wearing it for a long time. Highly recommend this backpack!

Great comfortable backpack.

Had to replace an older Nike Sb bag.Did my homework and everywhere I looked this one would always have great reviews.When I received it I was very happy and impressed with bag.I use it to carry my laptop and tablet.Also keep some clothing in it for after work.I totally recommend this backpack for office use,school and light hiking.You wont regret it.

My daughter uses this to carry many textbooks to her college classes. She also puts her laptop and iPad mini in the backpack with no issues with space or comfort.

I use this for school, it works well for what I need to carry around with me all day. It is very lightweight and not bulky.

Mostly for commuting

Wasn't sure if I wanted to spend this much for a school back pack. I'm very happy I did. I suffer from back issues and this bag is wonderful!

I bought this backpack for my 14 year old daughter's birthday. Shipping was swift and it arrived just in time to travel across the country for spring break. So... it has already been used to travel, hike and school. It is comfortable, roomy (but not so big it wouldn't fit under the airplane seat), durable and a fun pattern that is even better in person than it appears on line! Her older sister now wants one for her birthday! Will buy again (which is the best recommendation a product can have!)

I use this backpack for school and also for hikes. It has great storage. The padding is great and makes carrying stuff on your back feel very light. Very durable as well.

Bought this for school and weekend trips after the laptop sleeve on my old TNF backpack (8 years old) broke at the bottom, letting my laptop slide through. My computer feels really secure in this tight sleeve, which was crucial for me. I also needed two side bottle pockets (why are these no longer standard on backpacks?!). I debated between a lot of the TNF backpacks and chose this as a middle ground--it holds a lot (much more than jester/borealis), but doesn't have too many specialized pockets (like surge--I don't carry multiple tablets and don't think I'd have a use for that many fleece-lined spaces). The straps aren't as comfortable as I'd like. I have a separate (very differently organized) pack for hiking, and I'm not sure I'd like this one for hiking. In the grey/green color I felt professional enough at an academic conference, at least a business-casual one. Also great for the plane--fit under a seat easily.

I run a lot out with my friends and I need the back pack to say in place and the straps help a lot with that also the space is great I always carry my Keys, wallet, gum, extra pair of shoes, extra sweater, flash light, headphones, water bottle and My Chapstick. Overall great back pack

A lot of storage space

I am not really a big outdoors person. I actually bought this product to travel with and for daily use to go back and forth to work. With that said... I love the bag! It is perfect for what I bought it for. Instead of using mutliple bags I now only need one. I love all the pockets and places to keep my things organized. The bag is a great size for what I needed it for and very comfortable. I do t have anything bad to say about this bag. I would buy it again and recommend it to a friend!

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!