Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

best backpack ive ever owned! so much better than the LLBean bookbags, but may be a downgrade in size. very sturdy and reliable. waterproof. lots of nooks and crannies. LOVE IT! I bough it for my freshman and she is in love with this bag! perfect for hs students or college. fits everything she needs

I've had this backpack since 2008. Its my Go To. Take it with me to school every day and now I bring it to work with me. I bring it hiking and have even skied with it a few times. Its built real well. TNF doesn't mess around. I'm not sure if its water-proof but I've never had a problem with things getting wet. only 2 things have broken over the life of the pack. The zipper on the small pocket on the front and one of the plastic tightening things for the shoulder straps (nothing a zip tie couldn't fix). Overall extremely happy with the quality of this pack.

I've had this same pack for awhile now. And let me just tell you, I commute everywhere with it, even packed full it's comfortable, I mountain bike pretty hardcore, SO PERFECT In the Laptop compartment it has a clip perfect for a camel H2O pack. It's like it's meant to be, never punctured or anything for me. And I allso have a 17inch laptop, first bag I've ever owned that works with it comfortable. It has so many bells and whistles it's unbelievable. All of the clips and zippers are really high quality and don't seem to be breaking or wearing hard anytime soon. None of the miscellaneous strings and anything ever get caught up and In anywhere, I just wish they had a restraint for the waist strap. Because sometimes that gets annoying I resorted to zip ties. And it's as waterproof as a tortoise shell, I mean like NO water could ever penetrate this thing from the front of it at least. And it's really breathable, also. It's a really non-fatiguing pack, too! If you ever want a pack that'll live throughout you're long life. And still have some life in it. This is tho one. Good day to you all.

This backpack is everything I was looking for. It holds my 32oz water bottle securely, my 17" laptop (a little snug, but it works!), an extra pair of shoes, and all my other stuff that I find myself needing on a daily basis. I use it mostly for commuting/school, but have also taken it on day hikes and it's so comfortable, even when I have it filled to the brim. I also use this backpack while a passenger on my partner's motorcycle, and I like to think the bright yellow color draws more attention to us so that other drivers take more notice. And I know it doesn't say that it's waterproof, but I got caught i n a huge Texas summer storm recently while waiting for the bus, and everything inside was dry, dry, dry. That was a wonderful surprise.

Got this in Smokey Br after looking at many brands. Love the volume, pockets and hiking in an earth tone pack. Hate hiking in neon. Plz fix the next gen to carry hiking poles securely!

This is a great update to a classic pack with one major flaw. I like the new materials and the layout works well enough. I am really unhappy it doesn't have at least one strap with a buckle so I can easily attach bulky items like jackets/sweatshirts. I coach soccer and like to be able to clip dirty shoes to the outside of the pack with a strap. Other than that I am very happy.

Nice backpack - too tall for me

I use this back for travel, its a great backpack don't get me wrong. I love the mesh front (you can throw a hoodie or light packable jacket in there), laptop goes in the main area, the front I can stash passports and stuff but the one major flaw is that while it holds a lot along with a carry on bag, it already weights 2pounds top that with a macbook air, hoodie, some cords, a book, and its so heavy! I wish TNF could make this pack overall lighter in weight it would help a lot with packing it to its capacity, who wants to lug around 5 pounds+ with hardly any items in it.

Used everyday for school. Fits all the items needed for a full day of classes

It is awesome

This backpack looks great and has very useful compartments and pockets. It is just not quite big enough for our high school student. The measurements are included and we thought it would be deep enough but it's just a bit too snug.

Good quality pricey

It's good we thought it would a little bit more space but it's good. We still like it

It's very spacious lengthwise, but it is a squeeze getting binders in there. It is not super wide, but that allows it to have a smaller platform and not feel so heavy on your back when weighed down. As a school bag it is fine, but I can image if I used it for it's intended purpose of hiking or camping, it would be perfect.

I have been using this backpack for a couple of months for high-school. It is pretty good and I like the backpack appearance and how it distributes the weight of many binders, notebooks, and textbooks. The front mesh is so useful for quick-access items like a hat, keys, brochures, etc.. I haven't utilized the daisy chain system yet, but I heard that you could attach bungees to behave similarly to the Borealis backpack, where you can stuff extra clothes or other items. However, you do have to pack smart (and less) due to the backpack's slim profile. When you have lots of books/notebooks/folders/binders, everything is stressed and gets squished pretty easily (which increases the difficulty in taking in or out school items). This backpack would be perfect for students attending schools that have lockers, or if you just pack less in general. Additionally, you have to keep in mind that the backpack is very prone to fall over when you set it to stand vertically (unless there is a lot of space taken up) due to the slim profile. There are some things I wish the backpack could be improved on: PLEASE ADD strap loops on all of the straps (it gets messy and confusing), improve zipper quality (the zippers are decent, but compared to other bags in this price range, it feels cheap), ADD A FALSE BOTTOM for the laptop compartment,

Backpack needs chest support straps.

This bag is awesome. My only complaint is that my aluminum water bottle on several occasions has slipped out of the side pocket even though I have tightened the strap, its an average 24oz bottle, so in that regard it is not safe compartment unless you're okay with dents. I have no issues with the bottle holder with my Jester or Borealis both bags I have owned in the past.

I use it as a business backpack. Laptop sleeve is nice, well padded. Like the large water bottle holders on each side. Wish there was another sleeve in the large compartment to keep folders and paper organized.

Great for traveling

The compartments dig into each other a bit and the waist straps are extremely hard to remove. Overall though, the rest of the features are good.

The North Face Recon Backpack is a versatile and almost the best designed choice for anyone in need of a reliable and functional backpack. With its sleek design and robust features, this backpack caters to both casual users and outdoor enthusiasts. the one thing the would make this backpack perfect would be if the shell could open completely instead of the half opening from the top. Pros: Ergonomic design with excellent comfort and support Large storage capacity with an organization compartment (that could be larger) Durable and water-repellent material Padded laptop sleeve and organization pockets Reflective details for enhanced visibility Cons: The opening should completely open the backpack instead of the half opening to make easier to pack The price point might be higher compared to some other backpacks on the market

Size is great, but my son complained how it does not have reinforced bottom

had the previous version for 5 years. the mesh on the side pockets ripped. this version has stronger side mesh pockets. it's able to stand up a little better, which is nice. but not sure about the front mesh, feels like it won't hold up for the long-haul.

Used as a backpack for high schooler. Able to carry load without the struggle of his old backpack. Love the comfort and support.

Classic NF backpack. Sturdy with lots of space. I chose this one as it did not have the elastic cords on the outside. Won't stand up if you cinch the straps on the bottom, but that's just the tradeoff for making it smaller (a useful function).