Happens when you wear as many hats as I do. I'm an attorney, a martial artist, runner, a father, and a hiker. Attorney is usually three bags (court-appropriate brief-case, EDC work bag, travel briefcase/backpack for depositions, etc). Martial artist merits a bag because I do a traditional Japanese style complete with keikogi and hakama. Running gear can be shoe-horned into martial arts bag. Hiking usually gets its own bag because it is a pain in the ass to shift that kit in and out of a bag. Fatherhood is a toss up - depends on what we're up to.
Point being, at any point and time, I've usually got two to three bags regularly in the mix. Any time I can get one that can jump into multiple roles, that's a plus.
Enter the Recon.
(Dr. Pepper for scale. And deliciousness.)
Overview:
Super-solid day-pack. Extremely good ergonomics and build quality, coupled with a thoughtful and functional lay-out that can be purposed for a lot of functions. Spending close to a hundred bucks on a day-pack is cringe-inspiring for some, but odds are you'll only be spending it once on this one.
Build Quality: 2
In a word, excellent. All the stress points are double stitched. No frayed or poorly sewn seams. The fabric is various strength weaves of nylon, but it is all stout stuff, especially where it needs to be. You wouldn't know it looking at mine, but it has seen two years of hard use and looks new. No idea what they treated it with, but it works well. The various dirt, grime, and coffee that have gotten on it have easily wiped off. The zippers are not a name-brand, but I've never had mine snag or foul up and they stay zipped right where you zip them, even if the pack is overstuffed. All the quick-release buckles on mine have held up despite repeated over-loading of the pack, and have never once popped open unexpectedly.
Ergonomics:2
Also first rate. There is a rigid plate sewn into the back of the pack. It's not what you'd properly call an internal frame. Probably just a piece of kydex or some similar plastic placed in the back. Regardless of what it is, that bit of structure helps enormously with even weight distribution. Whether the pack was barely filled or loaded to the gills, the weight distribution has always seemed spot-on despite the pack's relatively light weight (2lb 10oz).
The shoulder straps are a good padded, foam mesh construction with plenty of breathing space in the event it stays on your back all day. (There's also, for lack of better term, an "air groove" down the center of the pack that allows air to get to your back while moving around, alleviating the worst of the dreaded "back sweat.")
The sternum strap is height adjustable, which is welcome for anyone, but especially ladies. The waist-belt is functional, and does an adequate job of tucking away when not in use. The on-top carry handle (an oft-neglected but commonly used feature on any pack) is actually fairly robust, despite its slender appearance. That said, could be a smidge better. I have had times when I was a little nervous about using it when the pack was at full capacity.
Pocket Placement: 2
You can tell this pack has been around forever.I don't know how many iterations the Recon has been through at this point, but you can tell it is a refined design. The "random stuff" panel sewn into the secondary compartment holds pretty much any small thing you might need to store. The mesh pouch up front is large enough to accept a wide variety of stuff (I still prefer a shock cord rig so you can stick a jacket or something on the back of the pack, but this works well). Surprisingly, the small "miscellaneous waterproof" pocket on the very front-top gets a lot of mileage.
The same internal frame that helps ergonomics helps here, too. The hydration pocket actually works really well for carrying a laptop because of the rigid backing and small gel pad at the very base of the sleeve. Protects and carries well. The neoprene type material pulls the laptop (or hydration bladder) snug against the back of the bag. Really nice.
Customization: 0
This is one place where the Recon falls short, but I think this is a design choice. I think this is a pack for the people who want to buy one thing, not think about it, and never tinker with it. It is well designed enough to work well as a hiking, EDC, or sports bag so most regular users would never notice.
But I'm a bag snob.
Compared with a Maxpedition pack or something similar with loads of MOLLE webbing, there's no customization here. No meaningful attachment points where you could securely place added pockets and not anything meaningful to attach gear from. That lack of options is seriously the one bad thing I can say about this pack.
Value for Money: 2
Most reviewers don't hit this point, but I do. A cheap thing that functions really well ends up being more of a bargain than a really expensive thing that works so-so. So, this is an expensive thing, since you can get a decent LL Bean bag for $40-50 bucks with a lifetime warranty. Worth the extra money?
I think so. The construction is better. The refined ergonomics mean a lot in a bag you use all the time. Things like the hydration port and the internal frame make this just enough to be a hiking pack, but the size keeps this comfortably in the daily use category. It holds up exceptionally well, and if there's an issue? North Face has a lifetime warranty just like LL Bean.
I see this as being a bag you could use for a decade plus.
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