The North Face  Router Pack

Having owning a previous version of the router, this bag is extremely disappointing. North Face should be ashamed and go back to previous designs. The unfortunate part is that there just aren't many choices in the 40L capacity bags that can be used as a hybrid for travel and work and this is still one of the better ones. The only features on this bag that are better than my previous bag are the bottle holders and they added a tablet sleeve in addition to the laptop sleeve. The handle on the older bag ran top to bottom, this one goes side to side. The old version was much more ergonomic for getting the bag on and off the X-ray machine at airport security. The new one is just awkward to handle the bag with. The center compartment is now slightly larger than in the previous bag, but it comes at the expense of usable storage everywhere else in the bag. The space gained is insignificant compared to the sacrifices. There are now 3 less zipper pockets to secure valuables and the ones you are left with are either too small to be usable or just another compartment to loosely throw things in. the elastic on the mesh pockets is so loose that when you open the bag all of your stuff is mixed together. The old bag had two fleece pockets for glasses and more fragile items. the new one now only has one and the zipper is at the bottom of the pocket so when you unzip it all your stuff falls out if the bag is upright. In addition you really dont want to put small stuff in it as if the zipper is only slightly open, stuff will fall out. Dont know who thought putting the zipper at the bottom of a pocket was a good idea... The straps on the old one were much more comfortable and well made. The old ones had a rubber honeycomb type padding with breathable material. The new ones are just plain straps with foam in them. They make you sweat when it's hot and dont absorb shock near as well. Same with the back padding. The zipper on the laptop compartment does open as far as on the old bag and it is a lot more difficult to utilize that whole compartment now. The center compartment is about the same, but lost the mesh pocket in the back of it that was great for separating small items, but didnt take up space when not in use. The zippers in general aren't good and feel like they are going to break when you use them Overall this is not the quality I would expect out of this bag at this price.

I believe this backpack is perfect for travel, whether by airplane or car. It's very spacious and has plenty of pockets for organization. Plus, there's enough room for a computer or tablet, which I really appreciate. I love it!

Poor quality. After a little over 3 months of use as a high school student's backpack, one of the shoulder straps is detaching from the backpack. Customer service refused to replace.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Bought two. One for my 7th grader and the other for my freshman. Within a year the "reinforced" shoulder straps started to fray at the connection to the back. I forgot to use the warranty to get it replaced the summer after that school year so we made it through the second year with just a few threads holding the straps to the pack. Just submitted a warranty claim today. My kids are nerds and bring home a load of books and binders every night. If your kid is a slacker this will probably hold up just fine with the weight of a tablet, some pencils, and a lunch.

While there are some good features, the two big issues with this new model are that (1) the front pouch is now completely useless, and (2) the main compartment no longer opens all the way, so to use this pack for clothing has become needlessly inconvenient compared to the old model. This seems to be focused as a school/work bag, and less of a travel bag (unlike the old model), which is confusing, because The North Face makes many other bags (Borealis, Surge, Recon (though these bags' remodels are also less useful than the previous models)) that are more suited to school/work functionality. Some of the things that made the older model great have been changed to make the newer model frustrating and, frankly, a waste of money.

I never thought I would be excited about my next (urban) back packing weekend. The amount of stuff I can fit in this thing is astonishing. I was able to fit my 17" Alienware laptop, charging cable and brick(its huge), mouse, headphones, REI shower roll and 3+ days worth of clothes easily in this thing. The available compartments make it easy to organize and separate electronics from clothes and hygiene. My wife was so jealous of my pack I have to buy another one. At least I got an REI bonus offer to soften the blow of another purchase.

Over the past few years I’ve owned two different versions the Router pack by North Face. (One I purchased and the second was a gift. I regifted the second and donated the first.) So, what brought me back? The simplest of solutions - cinch straps at the bottom. The contents of prior versions invariably let everything settle at the bottom of the pack. Additionally, the new pocket on the front is a VAST improvement over the former versions longitudinal pockets. Now I have a pack that can hold my 17” laptop, Ipad, folio pad, a 2” ring binder, lunch, and a change of clothes. Oh, and the fabric used for the water bottle pockets is another VAST improvement over the cheap fabric on prior versions. While I like the black pack, REI should offer at least a couple other colors in this pack. Then again, knowing corporate America, North Face will probably discontinue the Router … now that they’ve perfected it, ha!

This backpack was expensive for me, but when I was able to try it out in the store and see all the pockets available, I couldn't pass this up. I am very selective in my shopping and I have been looking around for a solid backpack replacement on and off for at least a year. My use-case for this is for casual trips to the coffee shop with my laptop and other materials and the occasional flight across the country for a carry-on bag. This has plenty of space for a weekend trip, the back is comfortable and breathable.

I needed a carry-on suitable pack for a 3-week stay in Spain. Previous purchases had taught me that in-store shopping allows for touch and feel but that the website has a broader selection. So this pack came to the top of the heap for maximum capacity, chiropractic certification, waist belt and sternum strap. I fretted because I wear pants with a 44" waist. The pack arrived and the first thing I did was to put it on and try the belt. It fits! If I put on any girth it will not, but it does. I like the four squeeze-down straps so that I can truly minimize the depth of the loaded pack. Carrying it and living out of it will tell the full story of how it meets my travel needs.

Bought this for my husband- he chose it after reading & comparing the different work backpacks "last-minute" the night before flying out next morning - picked it up at local REI on way to airport, made a quick switch from his old work backpack (another brand name back pack), as the zipper broke on that pack the day before and he needed all his work gear to go with him on this trip. He was very happy with it during the entire trip & still is enjoying its function - fits everything including lap top, water bottle, notebooks/pads, pens/highlighters, phone, chargers, snacks, reading glasses, sunglasses, etc. Has a place for everything (including a bit of mine!) . At 6'2" it fits his back frame better & is more substantial but doesn't look like he's about to go hiking- still professional enough to carry on planes, etc. Hopefully this will last for a number of years as well...