The North Face  Router Pack

Son stole my North Face Surge for college so I needed to upgrade. After looking around this was the choice. I travel a lot for work and this is great for 1-3 days of clothes plus laptop and running gear. No need for another bag. Almost too large for just day to day commuting use. Tons of places to put electronics etc. and other work gear. The one complaint - one of the two side pockets to hold yeti type bottles has openings on the sides. Be careful if you throw keys in the side pocket, they may (and do) fall out. My old Surge has lasted 10+ years so hope this Router will last as well.

Previously I owned a North Face Heckler backpack. It lasted me well over 10+ years and it had no indication of breaking anytime soon... Alas, it was stolen and I needed a replacement. The Heckler was a 36L backpack and for weekend trips, I found myself loading it to the brim. The Router comes in at 40L and the additional space is appreciated. As another reviewer said, the main compartment opens up all the way, similar to a suitcase flap - which I love! While this pack carries a lot, it does not "look" big when on your back. Highly recommend this pack.

I commute by foot, bike and bus in all weather and I carry more than the average person, the extra volume compared to other packs in this class is the central feature. I don't use a hip belt on this type of pack and the minor strap that calls itself a belt stays out of the way. Construction is perfect. I tend to access my pack a lot when on the move and the front grab handle means I can hold the pack with one hand and operate the smooth zippers with the other. The stiff back insert and shoulder straps have held up well to loads like a basket of groceries. My only ask is a rain cover, which does not come with this pack, but I feel for the money this is a supreme example of a roomy daily commuter that I will take with me everywhere.

My TNF Recon was getting too small for my commute. The Router has more than enough room for me and fits great. The taller pack (and taller strap length) is much easier to get on while wearing a jacket. I do miss the zipper flaps, but does make for easier to access the pulls. Plenty of pockets to store stuff and swallows my 16" laptop. The slash opening on one of the water bottle pockets was for convenientl access smaller items there, but I think that is a miss because things could fall out too easily. Would rather they just sewn it or put a zipper there for the option. Pack bottom tapers down toward your body so this pack will not stand on its own. This is nit-picky. Love the pack and would purchase again.

I use my North Face pack for work, food shopping and various other tasks. The two compartments - a mobile-office compartment and huge main compartment - make it easy to organize when packing. The main compartment is large enough to carry a 25 lb bag of rice along with other food items, light clothing or… With the mobile-office compartment I can carry books, papers and a laptop for work. The various front compartments allow me to organize my smaller odds and ends and there are enough compartments to accommodate almost anything one needs for work or just a fun day out on the town. Along with how much the pack holds I'm impressed with how comfortably the pack carries the load. The shoulder straps carry the pack in a way that helps reduce pressure on my back allowing me to comfortably carry heavy loads. Bottom line is the pack is well designed and made to last.

The North Face Router backpack is a great value. It was reasonably priced, not "on sale", though not cheap. My last North Face backpack lasted at least 15 years - the zipper finally separated. I really enjoy most of the features - the multiple pockets with and without zippers. There are several pockets which are soft linned that work well for my cell phone & tablet.Although I don't understand why the outside pockets - made to hold a water bottel - well, one has a designed opening (I should say a 2nd opening) which I don't know why is has the 2nd opening. My water bottle fell right out the 1st time I put it there. The other side pocket has only 1 opening, so it works better for my water bottle.

Ever searching for the perfect pack for one-bag travel, I stopped into my local REI store this past weekend (Columbia MD) and noticed this new pack at the end of an aisle next to TNF Overhaul 40. This updated Router is very well conceived and executed. Gone is the 180 degree zip-flat laptop section (a good thing as far as I am concerned); it is replaced with a pocket that zips open about half the length of the pack. Perhaps the biggest new feature, which is not described in the product write-up, but should be, is the fact that the main compartment (and very large it is) has zippered access that opens nearly the length of the pack; this feature alone places this pack squarely in the travel friendly back pack category. One can lay this pack flat and pack items much like a suitcase. Think of it as an urban/travel REI trail 40, which I own and like, minus the exterior hydration sleeve and beefy waist belt BUT with the added benefit of much better organization for the numerous small items one travels with. I can't attest to the comfort level but in a brief semi-loaded try out it seemed fine. If I had a complaint it is that I wish it had the same tuck-away waist belt and load lifters as found on the TNF Overhaul 40. I will be purchasing this pack.

Bought this from REI and at 15 months both straps started fraying. Can’t return it to REI since we have had it >12 months. Sent it to TheNorthFace warranty repair in Uvalde TX. After 3 months they determined it was 1) not repairable and 2) normal wear and tear. They offered a new one for 50% off. Why do I want more junk?

Decent size functional backpack with lots of pockets, suitable for travel backpack. However, zippers quality is bad, hard to open / close and ended up returning the product before I use it. With $100+ tag, it should come with better quality zipper

The pack has a great structure, semi-rigid like internal frame with great firm pads against back. This pack can carry any load I have needed to carry. And load doesn't shift. Good stability, and many pockets.