The North Face  Recon Daypack

I have put a lot of use into this backpack taking it hiking in the San Juan mountains, exploring Roman ruins in Tunisia, trekking through the jungle in the Yucatan Peninsula, rainy cross country meets and everyday use for school. Never once did i have a problem. The quality is great, the materials even withstood a pickpocketer's knife in a busy bazaar. This backpack has just enough room for overnight toiletries, a change of clothes, and a laptop. All while being able to keep everything organized.

I originally got this pack back in 2006 and after 3-4 years of heavy use one of the zipper stopped working properly. I exchanged it for a new one in 2009 and it has been going strong ever since. It's a great pack with lots of options for storage. It feels great when fully loaded. I'm 6'2" 210 lbs. It has enough capacity to hold enough clothes for a 3 night flight to the beach and is easily used as a carry on. I even was able to use this on a flight as my "personal item". Great pack that can take a beating.

I have had this pack for a little over a month now, and I love it. I picked the bag up at a REI store in the San Jose area while I was over there for business. I brought it back with me to Los Angeles to use as an everyday pack/college back pack. When I first saw it, the bag had nothing in it so it appeared somewhat small. However when I stretched it out it looked fine. It holds all my books that I need just fine and still fits comfortable. Although I use this pack mainly for casual purposes I find that it could most definitely be used as a hiking pack if needed. I would recommend this bag to anyone looking for a durable day pack or college book bag that will last through several years to come.

Great bag for pretty much everything. I had previously purchased the SURGE II and it was very uncomfortable on the shoulders and although the capacity was bigger, I feel I get more out of the RECON. Very durable and easy access to all compartments makes this bag a good buy.

This was the third pack I tried. My wife did tons of research before she bought the women's version of the TNF Recon pack. Now, I'm not one to fall for brand names, and I associate TNF with high prices, so I stayed away. But, as luck would have it, I ended up with the men's version of my wife's bag. And it is incredibly complete. It holds my 17" laptop snug and secure in a very tight but easy-to-slip sleeve, plenty of room for my portfolio, notepad, power cable, mouse, a change of clothes, a toiletry bag, and a couple books. With...room...to...spare. Add the outside mesh pockests for on-the-go necessaries, water bottles, and so on, and it still handles like a champ. Wait, have I mentioned how comfortable this thing is? Oh yeah. Very. The perforated shoulder straps are the dream of anyone who wears a backpack. AS for my only con, it's more my preference. I like lightweight. This seems a bit on the bulky side. But it's probably why the straps are so tremendously comfy. So the con is not really a con. In summary: If you are not happy with your current bag, give this puppy a try.

This pack is a jack-of-all-trades. We originally bought this to serve as a diaper bag after our second son joined the family and our original bag as not large enough to accommodate the supplies needed for two kids (spare cloths, diapers, water bottles, snacks, etc.) Since then (three years ago) the Recon has served so many purposes for us. We have used it as a day pack, cycling hydration pack, gym bag, stuff sack and computer bag. The large pocket carries a large amount of stuff and has a built in sleeve for a hydration bladder, which can also double as a place to carry a laptop computer. The middle/medium size pocket is great for carrying small items and has the usual organizer panel with pen pockets, etc. There is also a small pocket that is great for keys and other really small stuff. The compression straps make it really easy to cinch the bag down if you are not carrying a ton of stuff and the outside mesh pocket has carried everything from a helmet to spare shoes and dirty cloths. The shoulder straps and back panel of the pack are well padded and very comfortable. There is a chest strap that helps keep the shoulder straps in place. My only gripe is that this chest strap uses the typical North Face sliding design, which is great for adjustability but does not allow the chest strap to be removed. This is a really small issue and would in no way discourage me from buying this pack again. If you are looking for a pack that can serve multiple purposes, this is a great option.

I use this for school and hiking and biking. Its very stylish and comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The padding on the back is very comfortable and is a mesh material there is also a open channel on the padding so your back breaths more. It would be nice if the bottom of the bag had thicker material and if the quick access pocket had some kind of liner.

This backpack is great for light day use with multiple pockets. Make sure to focus on "light" as it has poor quality arm straps. Used as a school backpack for a tablet and notebook both arm straps snapped resulting in a useless backpack. Considering the price I expected better quality from this backpack. Too bad I purchased this more than a year ago, no recourse on repair or replacement.

I bought this pack to carry my laptop when I go places, or to throw a few things in it for a day hike. I really love the padding under the laptop sleeve so you wont break your laptop when you set the pack down to hard. Good for a short day hike or for school.

I love this pack. It suits my needs perfectly. Mostly day hikes with the dog. has both interior and exterior spaces that are efficiently placed for comfort and ease of use