Customer Reviews The North Face Router Transit Backpack

This is the second backpack I've gotten from North Face. I had the original Surge backpack (about 2 design models back), and I loved everything about it! I've used it from everything to biking, a small overnight pack, a school backpack, and as an everyday carry bag. I purchased the Router Transit because I needed more space with all the same features and usability as the original Surge. I would have gotten the Surge Transit, but the Router Transit had just a little more room. There are plenty of zippered compartments and pockets to store pretty much whatever you need, and the separate zippered laptop compartment easily fits my 15" MacBook with plastic shell and accompany power cord. It's a great improvement over the laptop compartment on my original surge. My only real complaint about the Router Transit is that North Face seems to have taken a step back with the water bottle side pockets design. My Surge backpack has cinched elastic pockets that grip on to water bottles or whatever one would want to put in there. The Router Transit has wide open loose pockets and as others have noted, water bottles fall easily out of there. If not for my habit of looping the side strap of my North Face backpacks through the loop on my reusable water bottle, they would have hit the ground many times already. I'm lucky enough to find my water bottle hanging from the strap instead. If the side water bottle pockets had cinched elastic openings like the old designs, I would have rated the Router Transit as perfect!

I use this bag while walking around campus. I am tall and broad-shouldered, so sometimes smaller backpacks don't look right on me. This backpack solved that problem. It is large but low-profile at the same time. Really well-designed from that standpoint. It's quite comfortable too. However, I must echo a previous reviewer's comment - it doesn't hold bottles well. My nalgene bottles are constantly falling out when I put my backpack down on a desk or in the car. My previous backpack, also North Face, had a cinch strap over the bottle sleeve which eliminated this problem. If not for this unfortunate fact, this would be the ideal backpack.

The router backpack is good, however there are some drawbacks. First, there are no daisy chain or Molle to hang stuff outside the bag. Secondly, the water bottle side pockets are big. However, the water bottle tends to slip out because there is nothing to cinch down. The elastic around the water bottle pocket does not hold the item in place. Third, the computer pocket is a bit thin. Otherwise the bag is good. As far as durability, it is too soon to tell. I've had the bag for 6 months. So far so good.

The bag works well for transporting items to class, generally I can get my class material and workout clothes into the bag. The bag doesn't carry beverage containers well. Coffee mugs and water bottles consistently pop out. I'm afraid I've littered my campus with my travel mugs that worked their way out of their pouch. The mugs I have recovered after their jumps are scuffed and dented.

TNF up until yesterday had a TNF black color option available on their site. Today they have taken that option off. I've been waiting for it to become in stock and it looks like it will not be back.

Unfortunately rain got in through the zippers and caused some of my schoolwork to get wet. Fortunately my laptop was in another case. This backpack would be better if it had waterproof lining covering the zippers. Also my back always hurts wearing this backpack because it doesn't curve into my spine and I constantly have to "hunch" over to make it comfortable. The waist straps are practically useless if they dont have some sort of padding and you're carrying 20 lbs+ worth of stuff on your back.

I bought this at the end of August. In October, one of the front zippers popped open and there's no way to thread it back together. I contacted North Face about a repair (it should be under warranty) but they have not responded. The rest of the pack is great, but I'm annoyed that the front pocket is useless given the considerable price.

I have trouble fitting my 17" laptop. Find it hard and have not enough room to fit in 17" laptop and cannot zip in it at all very poor :((((

Laptop sleeve does not fit a Dell Precision 17" laptop. Sleeve is about an inch too narrow and doeas not have enough stretch. Rest of bag features are nice, but the laptop sleeve is a non-starter.

It is not waterresistant. I just bought one and tested it out and I got a huge pool of water at the bottom of my bag. I ran it under the sprinklers for 10 secs and that's what I got.

Truly disappointing this bag isn't water resistant or waterproof. One would assume a north face bag would be weatherproof but I guess it's just a logo and an expensive product because of the logo. My books were ruined in the rain and laptop was soaking wet.