Customer Reviews The North Face Recon

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).

This backpack works for what I need. It is not as big as I thought it would be and there are no clips on the side. So far it has held up nicely.

I wish the middle pocket wasn't a half pocket. Other styles have full middle pockets. Disappointing. Good overall style though.

The mesh tore while putting a soft lunch bag in it. I though that the mesh would be more durable than that.

School backpack. Though wish it had a slot for iPad.

I wish more backpacks were made like this. If It was waterproof, it would be one of the world's best bags ever made!!

Overall like the backpack however it isn't as big as expected so I cant fit everything I want.

I use it for school every day, and it's just what i need.

The quality on the backpack was great. The material itself is light but you can tell it is strong. The zippers, straps and stitching are very high quality. The only improvement would be to add more full sized pockets, outside of the main opening.

My son wanted this backpack for high school. It has a lot of straps that (thankfully) can be adjusted or removed.

It's a great product I wish more of the pockets had the super soft fabric like the top one does.

I haven't even used yet, but it looks spectacular.

This is a well made and big backpack. Only complaint is that it is a bit heavy.

I use the backpack everyday. I mainly use it for travel and to carry my everyday items. The backpack has plenty of space. It has a laptop compartment and a soft lined Swing compartment in the front for sunglasses / reading glasses. I much rather have the mesh lining for the water bottles on either side. Overall, the backpack is perfect for what I need it for

Bag is used as a college book bag. This bad has multiple compartments with and abundance of space.

Great looking solid, roomy backpack for all your school or hiking needs.

I use this as my daily school bag as my last one was really cheap and broke within a year. Its really nice and a nice bag.

Very spacious. I wish it came in the XS duffel since I'm only using this bag for my gym class.

Good Quality, an excellent product I use it to travel worldwide carrying my personal belongings!

Use it daily for work and going to the gym. Use it for travel as well. Love the storage for sunglasses, and loads of pockets to keep things dry. Only downside was it felt like it is smaller then 30 liters capacity. You might have to really shove stuff in to get to 30 liters. Overall id but again... Better than some competitors bags!!

Great backpack, quite compact. I should have done more research as I was looking for one with a bit more storage capacity but I'm happy with my purchase.

Love the elastic front sack. It is ideal for snacks and random small items that you need quick.

I first bought a recon backpack in 2011 for college. It has (and still does) served me well and I love it. I've used it for everything - school, work, gym, hiking, weekend trips, etc. My favorite thing about the old one has been the front mesh pocket and the small front zippered compartment because it's easy to stash / access things like my phone or keys throughout the day. I wanted a new recon because while my older one is still holding up well, the padding has thinned out and there are some spots where it's wearing out. Here are my thoughts so far when comparing the two recons: 1 - More compartments = smaller feeling? The new one definitely feels a bit smaller and I think it's because it's more compartmentalized. The old one had a larger main compartment with a small laptop sleeve while the new one has a separate main compartment and laptop compartment. While it's nice to have the separate laptop compartment, it seems to take up space that could otherwise be used for packing things. Still, it's nice to have, and I can use that section for other things (like my planner or clothes, even) if I'm not bringing my laptop that day. 2 - Front mesh and front little zippered pouch: the old recon's mesh seems sturdier and wider than the new one's mesh. It can hold my running shoes pretty easily whereas the new one is a bit smaller and softer, but stretchier. I can get my shoes in there but I have to work a bit harder to stuff them in there. The old recon mesh has a clip at the top whereas the new one has an elastic band to further support. Both are fine to me and generally keep things in place The front mesh and the little zippered compartment are still my favorite thing about both recons. 3 - Water bottle holders: the new pouches are much nicer than the older ones. They can fit my 30oz nalgene. Because the sleeves come up higher, my water bottle doesn't fall out as easily as on the old one, which was pretty annoying. 4 - Additional pouches compartment: this compartment on the old recon extended down beyond the little pouches at the top, but on the new one, the compartment stops right under the pouches. This is fine for me because I rarely used this section on the old one, but it might be a little bit of a bummer for people who do. 5 - Tightening straps: On the old recon, I used the straps on the side to tighten my backpack when it was stuffed to the brim. This helped squish everything so I could fit it in places like under the airplane seat or just make it a bit less top heavy. The new one has these, and I still like them on the new one, but I don't use them as often because the new recon doesn't seem to protrude as much when stuffed. Overall, I like it. I do wish it was a little less compartmentalized and FELT bigger, but I do like it. This one is definitely great for work/school/day tripping, but I will probably opt to use my old one instead for hiking and weekend trips.

I use this backpack largely for travel. It fits my laptop and a few essential clothing items in the two large compartments. The small half depth compartment is good for quick access items but it's tight for over ear headphones. Overall it's a great carry on pack if you are flying and if you are a light traveler you can even make it work for an overnight trip.