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- Verified Buyer
Well, this thing is just impressive. I did a bunch of research looking for a new backpack, and had it narrowed down to this one and the High Sierra Fat Boy, which I also have written a review for. I originally went with the Fat Boy, considering it has more liters of space and was about half the price, it seemed like a good value. While that pack can absolutely hold more stuff than it seems it even should, it's just not comfortable. This Recon backpack, in my opinion, is everything you could want out of a pack in this price range - and then some. Allow me to explain...The first thing is the shape of the pack. It is more "tall" than wide, and this is very important. As it gets loaded up, the weight is perfectly distributed and stays "up and down", rather than the pack pushing out and making you feel like you have to work against it to not tip over backwards. Combine this design with the chest and waist straps, and this thing is not going anywhere if you don't want it to - very good for hiking, etc.Next is the comfort, which is top-notch. The straps are nice and thick, but not "squishy", they feel substantial. They are perforated in the top of the shoulder area which is going to allow them to breathe in hot weather. The material over the foam is like a thicker basketball jersey mesh, which is very comfortable and allows you to move around. The back has really well-designed foam "pockets", which have channels to help ventilate the area. Inside the back is some sort of board (assuming plastic), that keeps the shape of the pack intact no matter what's in the main compartment. I have seen a couple other reviews describe this pack as "heavy", and I completely disagree - I think it's this board that might make it seem like it's heavy, but with the pack loaded, this is what helps it keep the weight distributed nice and evenly. It doesn't feel heavy at all on your shoulders.Lastly, the compartments are insanely useful and well-designed. The secondary pouch is particularly impressive, going all the way down to the bottom of the bag and giving plenty of space. The various pockets and compartments within this part can take pretty much whatever you throw in there. The main compartment does not spread out as wide front to back as other packs, but it is very deep and still can swallow up plenty of items.There isn't really a feature on this pack that I don't think is awesome, including the front mesh pouch for quick access and the double bottle holders. This is just simply a well-designed and very comfortable backpack, and well worth the $75. The only slight issue I have with it is that it will definitely not stay upright on its own, and will need to lean on something or of course be hung, but that is really nitpicky anyways. The only other thing to watch out for is that the price varies wildly here on Amazon depending on your color choice, which kind of sucks, but it's not really in their control anyways.I had tried this backpack on in a local store, but bought it from amazon because I preferred the teal color. I guess the one I tried on was from a different season because the straps on the Amazon pack were very short and very close together. Both bags were women’s fit North Face Recon packs. A quick google search confirmed a style redesign. I contacted the seller, Outdoor Equipped, explained the fit issue, and they helped me process a return. They were very friendly, prompt at returning phone calls and emails, and the refund was issued within hours of ups stating the item had been delivered back to them. I would without a doubt purchase from them again, even if they were not the lowest price available.The bag itself is well made with high quality fabrics and zippers. I particularly loved the smaller top pouch because it was fleece lined for sunglasses or phones. The 2 large pockets had ample room for packing multiple changes of clothes or hiking gear. My only complaint was the straps were stiff and too short as well as too close together. This made the small chest strap fit awkwardly, although I did like that it was able to slide up and down to adjust where it hit. The hip support straps also seem kinda like an afterthought instead of an intentional part of the design. They were thin, less than an inch wide with a small buckle. My old pack has much more substantial straps with a larger buckle that helps distribute the weight more effectively than the skinny straps. If I were to rate this bag, I would give it 3.5 stars.The North Face Recon backpack is perfect for anyone who needs a versatile pack. Whether you are an avid hiker, a college student, or a mixer of both this pack will fulfill your needs.There are certain criteria I feel should be of the upmost importance when it comes to a pack review. It all mainly comes down to comfort, size, and organizational capabilities.• Comfort: The North Face Recon backpack has a well-supported back pad with built in FlexVent to keep you cool. The straps have firm foam padding and the fabric on the outside is a bit on the rough side, which is a slight drawback, but doesn’t take away from overall comfort. The shoulder straps are also equipped with two adjustable across body buckles to keep the pack snug against your body and reduce rubbing. The top snap can be adjusted up and down to adapt to your torso size.• Size: This pack has a measured size of 31 liters. I haven’t had a chance to use it hiking, but it has the ability to fit all the necessary things needed for a typical school day. So far my biggest load has been five notebooks, two binders, a Macbook Pro and charger with plenty of room to spare. There are two mesh pockets on the side perfect for holding water bottles or other similar things.• Organization: The organizational capabilities of the Recon pack are superb. The largest pocket in the back has lots of room for bigger items as well a 15” fleece lined laptop pocket. The medium sized pocket has a fleece lined tablet pocket. This pocket is more suited for smaller items based on its number of individual pockets.Overall this pack has a great design and covers all of the bases that I need it for extremely well. It works great as a school pack, and I look forward to seeing how it works when used on hikes or camping. I have never been disappointed with a North Face product and this is no different.This is a great bag for the average commuter who also would like to use it for weekend walking and similar pursuits.The main storage compartment is huge and has back lined with netting to place a laptop, files or even a camel back in. The secondary compartment has a tablet holder, a couple of elasticated loops which I use for USB wires, a zip pocket which fits my huge power bank and wallet in. A couple of smartphone sized slots with netted slots on the outside of those too, a couple of pen holders and the external clues come lose to flap down the outside and store more in the bottom. The top pocket is fleece lined and ideal for a smart phone or sunglasses. The netted front pocket could possible stretch enough to accommodate a small/medium rain jacket.The elasticated bottle slots on the side of the bag are just about deep and strong enough to retain my bottles. They can fall out if bending over with the bag on but running they're pretty safe. The reason to mark this down is the bottle slots are mainly made of the netting which wears quickly. Mine have already required a gaffer tape repair. As detailed in the photos. If I were to buy this again, which I would, I would protect the bottle pouches before use.Another negative point is that the base of the bag does not allow for it to stand upright when full. One has to lean the bag on a wall or similar.I really like the vented shoulder straps that run the length of the straps which gives extra breathability during the warmer seasons. Unfortunatly, the material is fraying though. This does affect the aesthetics of the bag, there is looking used and then there is looking cheap. The straps adjust well. I'm 6 foot and of average/broad build and it fits me nicely with room for growth. Equally, with adjusting it could fit someone of small build and five foot. The hand carry handle is very secure. There are hooks on the straps and rear for cycle lights which also are retro reflective.The strap that goes across your chest has an emergency whistle incorporated into the design which is neat.Another improvement that could make this bag better would be a rubberised base. The textile base, just like the bottle holsters will wear down and ultimately reduce its useable life.The part of the bag which goes against your back is very nicely padded. Even with a full load the weight is well distributed and the padding supports this.At the top is a little hole for your water pipe from a camel back or headphones wire to come out. Each zip has a smart textured grip pull on. The main compartment zipper has a cover running the length of it.In terms of waterproofing this bag stands up to the average British downpour. If you get caught in a storm your stuff inside will be fine for at least twenty minutes of heavy rain in my experience. Anything beyond that it does start to penetrate slowly. But I think it would take a lot of rain to fully permeate and saturate the inside. However TNF did not market this as a waterproof bag so its durability is still impressive.Overall, I love this bag. It looks the business. It does all it is required to and more. It is comfortable. It demands the high price that it is sold for. If the improvements suggested were made, I'd be happy to pay at least £15 more for it too.Finally, I doubt anyone would regret the purchase of this bag.I bought this bag For my first year of uni and it has never let me down. Being a computing student this bag keeps both my laptops and others electronics dry. Cordura fabric is so strong and hasn’t burst open like cheap fabrics. Air flow helps win lugging heavy loads and keeping my back dry. I removed the waist belt as it’s not for me. Iv used this for loads of activities. Hiking, mountain climbing, running, and weekends away. I play ice hockey and this bag is always my first choice for away trips as the pockets mean I know exactly where things are.I've never previously had a good daypack so I didn't have very high expectations of this when I ordered it but I was very pleasantly surprised.The bag feels very high quality with plenty of padding for my back and on this inside it has a smooth cloth-like finish for the laptop compartment.I have been using it daily for the past 6 months and it hasn't let me down once. It has a great amount of space and I now carry much more on me everywhere than I did previously.The chest and hip straps are great if you need to carry something heavier, it helps to take the strain off your shoulders and upper back.I don't think you can find anything better for this price.I can confirm that, this can fit 15.6' laptops* (It's a tight fit). The maximum size the laptop pocket can fit is 15.6' anything larger than 15.6 won't fit, but you can use the main compartment (no protection for the laptop). love the re-design and the material feels good. Great for university, hiking and daily use. Would recommend this product.*Laptops I used to test the size were Lenovo y580 and Asus GL502VS. You can check the laptop dimension on amazon website.Received today the bag . Perfect quality and great for mountains ? and planes ✈️. Anywhere and really fits we’ll laptops ? iPads and anything else . Haven’t started using it , but the quality says it all. North face .Thanks Amazon.
