Customer Reviews The North Face Recon Backpack

After 5 years with my old NF backpack, it was time to get a new one. They no longer carried my old one, but this one is the same great quality, but with a few more bells and whistles. Perfect size for school and carry-on travel for plane. Looking forward to 5 more good years.

This backpack is the best...i was a little shaky about it at first but its freakin amazing

I bought this backpack for college, but I haven't used it yet. It seems spacious enough to hold a few books and a laptop. Seems a lot more durable than the previous High Sierra backpacks I've owned. Happy with the purchase so far.

Though they have made some minor changes to the pack since I received mine, about 7 years ago when I was about to go off to college, the general structure is the same. It has gone through carrying heavy books and laptops to and from classes, traveling abroad, hiking, etc. I have basically "put it through the wringer". All the zippers still function properly, the material hasn't torn or have holes, all of the snap buckles still function, and I couldn't be happier with it, EXCEPT I want a new backpack and can't come up with a valid reason to buy another??_..

Well these products really superb. Out there if people see these north face bags anyone can tell which products is come from. Everyone of kids dreaming of northe face bags or etc. I do really theses products. This is my 2nd time using north face book bags. I just love it !!

This is the 4th RECON Backpack I have purchased for family members. They absolutely love it!

I BBOUGHT THIS BACK PAC FOR MY DAUGHTERS BIRTHDAY .SHE'S IN COLLAGE NEEDED TO CARRY ALL HER STUFF. WAS GREAT JUST WHAT SHE NEEDED AND WANTED .GREAT BACK PACK

I am a student and i have had this bag for 5 years. I got it before i started 6th grade and now i'm about to become a sophomore. The bag has held up perfectly and it shows no sign of wearing out. It fits all of my books, folders, binders, and pencils just fine with room for other little things. So space isn't a problem. I have also used this bag for travel and it fits a couple pairs of clothes and is very easy for air plane travel. This bag is also good for hikes because it has so much room. The front pouch is very useful as i use it frequently. Overall this is the perfect bag for, a student, traveler, hiker, adventurer, and for city traveling. I highly recommend this backpack!

Bought this for my son. He likes it so far. He says it's roomy and holds everything he needs including books and a laptop. Only had it a little while, so we'll have to see if it wears well.

One thing I felt about this backpack that I haven't felt on other backpacks is the comfort when you use it, it feels so soft an light and you can put lots of things in it. You can even put a sweater in the "little net bag". I really enjoy this bag !

This back pack is not only stylish, it is also very comfortable. The padding in the back adds support while walking and helps with heavy stress on your back. This wonderful backpack can hold a lot too. It's very spacious. Three pairs of shoes fit into the main pocket with out struggle. The mesh pouch on the front allows for an easy place to put a snack. The straps buckle around your body to help with mobility while carrying a heavy load and let me tell you, it helps! Also if you are a laptop user, there is a perfect and padded laptop holder inside the main pocket. The other pocket for holding pens or other utensils is exactly was you need it to be, sections, organizers and even more pockets! This is the second northface backpack I have bought and there isn't a single thing I dislike about them. I feel confident and cool wearing it and it gets every job I need done. I would invest in a northface backpack any day of the week. Especially the recon.

Today I had to retire by recon pack of 5 years. I went to the store to try to get them to send it out for warranty, because I started to come apart at one of the seems. They instead offered just to replace it, because the manager deemed it probably unfixable and my mom made me accept. I cried as I was walking away with the new pack ( it just happend to be another recon ;-) ). That pack has survived for 5 years not only carries about 20 lb pounds a day to and from school, but any other adventure I have been on. I have climbed up 23 of New york's 46ers, overnight horse back riding trips, canoe and kayak trips, rock climbing, mountain biking, any airplane trip, sailing in Thailand, mission trips, 3+ day cancer walks, scuba diving trips, snowboarding out of helicopters and anything else you could imagine. It was really sad leaving it behind in that store! i wouldn't have if it didn't have a hole, bid enough for my books to start falling through

I was given this for my birthday - and i LOVE it. It is so durable, comfortable to wear and looks GREAT. There are pockets for everything and I can use it for school or leisure. We travel a lot as a family and I always need a backpack - whether we are flying internationally or taking trips here in the US. I would highly recommend this product.

When initially purchasing this pack I was concerned it might have been a bit too large from what I saw in the pictures. I was looking for something I could carry everyday in college, while still being able to take it outdoors and abuse it. Upon opening the box, I was very surprised by the packs compactness. It's ideally sized for school, with compartments for everything you would need. The first weekend I had it, it was tested. I was on a trip to Asheville, NC where it saw many elements from pouring rain to snow and dirt. It performed perfectly the entire week I was there, hiking and backpacking through the mountains. It was extremely comfortable to wear all day long. Much more comfortable than the packs I was issued in the military. This is a great product for anyone who needs an everyday pack capable of a variety of feats. Excellent purchase!

Got this because i travel on a train to and from work every day and hated carrying everything in a briefcase and other bags. This thing is comfortable, light weight, yet heavy duty, holds my laptop and all accessories as well as lunch and whatever else i can cram in there. Perfect size and support structure. Next stop is getting the next size larger for longer trips.

I love this backpack & would deffinetly reccomend to all my friends. Thank you so much North face for your product and I really appreciate it

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.

Its more of an orangey red colour, but overall still a very good backpack

I am a college student using this backpack strictly for school. Pros Love all the pockets and awesome internal organization pockets Nice big reinforced bottle holders Cons The plastic back support makes this backpack uncomfortable and bulky and not easily manageable, I cut mine out and the backpack is 10x more comfortable and sits upright without falling over now

I bought mine in 2006. It was stolen 2 days ago. In between it served as my every day carry (EDC) pack to work (construction) and computer pack, overnight bag for travelling, to the library, to the shooting range, day hiking and as a second bag when kayaking/camping. One of the lanyards for the zippers wore out a few months ago - well after 11 yrs what did I expect? :) Temporarily replaced it with a large paper clip. The front nylon mesh gets used a lot but the elastic wore out right away. It was a great place to put something damp - like a rain jacket. It was just a tad small for my 17" laptop but it fit. Also just large enough for my collapsible .22LR to take to the range. I put tools on the side cinch straps for ready access and my survival/first aid in the small pocket. The side mesh pockets are straight up instead of angled forward (this may have changed in the newer version) and were great for storing everything from a water bottle to misc. items. It had a lot of small pockets inside the second main pocket for items like pens/batteries/cords, etc. Most of them were superfluous for me. I may buy again or look for a slightly larger bag for my needs.

I really like the colors of this bag. I love all of the compartments. I've been using this backpack for school and some light travel for just over a year. There are no tears, fading, or any damage whatsoever, it is very durable. When I first got this bag, I noticed it was very stiff but was hoping it would loosen up but to this day, it is still stiff in the part against your back and in the shoulder straps. The padding is still stiff and I don't notice any benefit with the FlexVent. The bag itself is light, but once you put a notebook and a pencil case in it, it starts weighing more. The computer sleeve is slightly too small for my HP Envy laptop but with a little wiggling, it slides right in just enough for the bag to zip. Once you add a computer, the bag gets extremely heavy and can hurt your shoulders. For me, on a regular school day, I will have my laptop, chargers, one spiral notebook, a pencil pouch, odd things that I keep in my bag (gum, snacks, hair ties, etc.), and a water bottle. If I try to put anything else in my bag, I have to push and shove to get it in there. It seems very tight considering I only have a thing laptop and one spiral notebook. If you need to take a lot of textbooks to class, you will end up carrying them. One thing that really grinds my gears about this bag is that it has the hardest time sitting up on its base. I will have it full with everything I need for the day but it will not sit up on its base by itself, it always needs to be leaning against something or just laying on its back. Mine always ends up sliding and falling onto its back, even when I am putting my items in it! Really annoying, especially when you are in a rush and the bag is not participating. It gets the job done, though. Great quality and color.

i loved the backpack but its a little stiff, i think i need to break it in and use it for a while. the only thing i don't really like is that there are a lot of tassels to tighten the straps. its great for outdoors and hiking but for work or school the straps and tassels get in the way