This is legitimately the most durable backpack ever made. I had the older version of the surge backpack (no longer on the website but very similar). Bought it freshman year of college, used it heavily all 4 years, then the subsequent 4 years in medical school, and also would use it as my main back for carry on when I was traveling (which was a lot). And the backpack literally still is in perfect shape, functionality wise. I'm so blown away I'm actually writing a review online. I just ordered this newer version because it looks a little tattered now, after almost 8-9 years of use, but honestly I can say Northface hands down makes the best backpacks. Before this one, I'd go thru them once a year. HIGHLY recommend for pretty much any function.

I have used the same north face backpack for 2 years and i bought this new one and it is amazing! i love the design and i totally recommended. i keep a macbook in it and the straps are very supportive and it fits the computer and my binders very well. 10/10 recommend!

Bought this backpack for my frequent traveling. Spent about 11 hours walking all over Manhattan shortly after I bought this backpack. This thing has an insane amount of space! Looks beautiful, and even the dark colored option is highly visible when light is shined upon it.

My only gripe with the backpack is that the shoulder straps are severely lacking in comfort. The back support is incredible, however, after walking all day with this (and walking all day with my other backpack the day before) I had gotten extremely sore collar bones, to the point where they are still bruised and swollen. I haven't had this with my other backpack which had excellent shoulder straps but so-so back support.

If this backpack had better shoulder straps I would never buy another backpack model as long as I lived.

Solid 8/10 overall.

10/10 for looks

6/10 for comfort.

It's a super cute bag and has great pockets but it always tops over and it's horribly painful. The women designed straps were clearly made for short petite sizes. I'm 5'9" and the straps don't fit me in the right spots and it digs into my collar bone. The men's version is heavenly to wear compared to this one. Just wish I could get the men's straps in the woman's colors.

Almost never write reviews, but had to share my experience - Had the 2015 Surge, but in a bright color. Recently decided to upgrade to a more professional color scheme for a meeting. Wore the backpack around a conference center for 3 days, walking approximately 5 miles a day, loaded with a 15" MacBook, plus some basic supplies (wallet, light jacket, phone and extra battery, etc.). By the time I put on the the backpack for the trip to the airport on Day 4, my neck and shoulders were screaming in pain and it hurt to turn my head. Never had pain issues like this with the original bag, but the straps on the new bag seem to be attached in a much narrower configuration, with little ability to pivot around the counters of my neck and shoulders. Returning the bag this week and now I'm on the hunt for an original Surge, even if it means I need to find one used. Please fix these straps, TNF!

The women's straps are trash so I docked two stars for that but will give the regular ("men's") version 5 stars. I'm 5'8 with chest size 32DD and find the straps on the regular version FAR more comfortable than on the women's version. The women's straps have significantly less padding and are all around thinner. I think this explains why some reviewers found them uncomfortable after a long day. Otherwise the backpack is amazing. I was debating the surge verses the recon and went with the surge because of the dual sleeve in the laptop section. This allows me to put my laptop on one side and my tablet on the other while both being protected by the padding and from each other. The recon just had one big section in the laptop area. I'm using this for daily work commuting in Seattle as well as frequent travel. The only downside is the lack of waterproofing. I'm traveling with it for the first time and can fit all of my items with room to spare: in the laptop section: a laptop, iPad, and kindle. In the main compartment: big bag of snacks, Bose headset case, big toiletries bag, laptop charger and mouse, coffee tumbler. In the front top pocket: small items including hand sanitizer, chapstick, pens, work badge, small headphones, tissues, wallet. In the front side zip area: glasses with case, chargers (iPhone x2, Apple Watch). In the padded sunglasses pocket: sunglasses! And then an umbrella and a water bottle in the two side pockets. For my daily commute I pack lunch in glass containers and often yoga clothes. Everything fits and it's super comfortable and durable.

after ten years of heavy use, it was finally time to replace my old TNF backpack ("Heckler", long since discontinued). I'd had such a good experience with that bag, so I wanted to stick with TNF backpacks, and the Surge looked like a great fit - all the features that I wanted, plus I love the dark grey with rose gold accents.

the Surge is thoughtfully designed, the organization is exactly what I want, it has a hundred little features that I love, it is perfect in nearly every way...but I hate the shoulder straps. Seriously, they're AWFUL, they're stiff and narrow and dig into your shoulders. I haven't really loaded it up but even a little weight (computer, two books, water bottle, wallet) makes it even more uncomfortable. I love the bag's organization & colorway, so I'm trying to get used to the straps. But honestly my 10-year-old backpack is far more comfortable even when I'm carrying 2x (even 3x) more weight. At this price point, I'm not sure it's worth keeping, especially since I plan to have it for a while. Unfortunately I haven't seen another bag that I like even half as much or this would be easy.

I really can't express how much I hate these straps. The quality feels terrible, and the contrast with the rest of the backpack is utterly bewildering. They absolutely ruin an otherwise stellar bag...if I had the skill to rip out the shoulder straps on my old backpack and sew them into this one, I would.

I had this backpack as full as possible almost all the time. I used it all 4 years of college with zero problems. The bag has been wonderful quality wise- I have never had a backpack last this long. It is comfortable and also the water resistance was great to have when walking across campus in the rain. I highly recommend this backpack and I plan on buying another one. Mine is still in perfect condition, but it is time for a change.

I bought this bag for a 2 weeks vacation overseas with my young family, primarily to stow jackets and toys for my toddler kids. Once the backpack is filled, obviously it's heavy at this point, the curved strap dig into my collar bone and I had to endure this during the first few days of the trip where we had to travel quite a bit. I tried on my uncle's surge backpack with regular wide straps and that felt much nicer. I will most likely get that pack when I return this pack.

I wish that this backpack held up like I needed it to. The top handle broke on this bag both times I purchased it. I bought the bag last July/August and the top handle broke off almost immediately, I reached out to customer service and they helped me get everything sorted out, I received my new backpack in the mail and within a week of use, the top handle broke off again. As a backpack the bag is phenomenal. This product has the potential for 5 stars if the top handle hadn't snapped off on both bags. The only reason I didn't reach out to see if they could help me, was because it was too much of a hassle to send the bag back and wait for a new one during the school year. All in all, I love the bag, I just really wish I had the top handle.