Recon has a water hose pass through. The Surge does not. The Recon's main compartment is bigger than the Surge's. Also, no compression straps on the Surge. They put everything into the laptop compartment on the Surge and basically took away a lot of storage and features from it. Surge no longer has the big pass through stash pockets on the outside and no grab handle (which was a great feature). Also, the Surge doesn't even have dual zippers on the big admin. pocket -- a huge fail. The Recon is definitely the most versatile (better) bag.
Absolutely, thanks for watching! The recon would have to be my choice as well after this side by side… another similar pack I’m going to check out and compare to the recon will be the similar Osprey Nebula, which I picked up last week. I’m going to throw another video up looking at the two once I get some test time in! May be worth looking at online if you like the Recon as well!
@@TheOutdoorWorkshop Funny - I was just looking at that one too! It looks for me like it's a draw between those two. Do you have any initial impressions?
Initially, I really like that the Osprey expands a bit more to give additional room in each of the compartments (closer to the large Borealis main pocket). There are also more organization options on the Nebula (a feature that dropped off from the Surge to the Recon). The Nebula seems a bit lighter and more flexible than the Recon… on the flip side seems a little less sturdy(doesn’t seem to have an effect on most of the reviews I read out there). The nebula also has the added feature of being able to store the top compression straps in hidden areas, which is great if not in use @gogreatergood It’s looking good so far!
I have always had a Recon backpack and have never been disappointed, I bought a Borealis last Nov as a weekend bag / day hike bag because I liked the idea of a larger main compartment. I was very happy with the large main compartment but noticed after very little use that it is coming apart on the back of the divider compartment. After looking at other reviews it seems that it's a fairly common issue. Going to bring it to a tailor to reinforce it but probably going to look into a different brand in the future.
Very interesting! Thanks for the info. Was your Borealis one of the newer ones with the clasp on the elastic bands or the older one like I had here? Mine seems to have held up OK, but this is not a bag that took any heavy abuse or repeated stress. I do like the space it provides compared to the Recon (the surge main compartment was even smaller than the others and not practical for me). I just picked up an Osprey Nebula to compare with the Recon and it seems to be a very similar design with more room and some added organization features… planning to do a video after I get some use out of them side by side!
@@TheOutdoorWorkshop I have the newer version, I do like the straps on the bottom I wish the Recon still had those. Looking forward to the Nebula video....cheers.
Thanks! I appreciate the feedback… took a lot of adjustments to find lighting that worked. Glad to validate it is paying out on the viewing side! Have a great day!
I have the Surge and Borealis 2022's, have been travelling extensively with them and can tell you this, the Surge is absolute crap as the straps are too stiff and dig into you even with light loads, I would absolutely avoid it. The Borealis' straps are super, better than the old Borealis which is amazing, however the bag has this annoying top heavy (even when empty) front top pocket, that will always make it drop down. In my opinion go with the Borealis (don't know the Recon so cannot comment) but beware the high centre of gravity, I will try and post this on most Surge videos to warn people about how crap the straps are, a lot of the review videos say it is OK, it absolutely is not!
Thanks for the advice… if the new borealis is anything like the old borealis, I absolutely agree… The straps are great and don’t seem to dig in at all. I will have to check out the new borealis when I see it in the store. I like the organization with the surge but that’s really the extent of it… As much as I like to want it for that reason alone, it’s just really doesn’t cut it. In the end I ended up mostly using the Osprey Nebula that combined the comfort and size of the borealis and organization of the surge. Thanks for watching!
been loking for the perfect hike/camera bag, found out this range this week. Really like the Recon, just afraid it wont fit a camera bag/cube, if it has a flat bottom for it..
Yeah the recon will likely be a little tight for camera gear, especially with a cube and hiking gear. The borealis has bit more space in the main compartment, though less organization… which could be mitigated with some cube organizers. God luck in the search!
I have the Borealis and the Recon. For the Recon, you can add a bungee Shock cord to the Recon Daisy Chain to make it looks like an adventure backpack. The Borealis bungee Shock cord is not replaceable. Once is broke, the backpack is done. Also, the Recon water bottle pocket is bigger. The Recon backpack can hold up to 32oz size of water bottle, and the Borealis is too small to hold a water bottle.
But the Retcon doesn’t have the safety of the laptop compartment like the Borelias does. The Borealis stops three inches before the ground to protect it.
@@MunroMcLaren : That actually won’t make a difference. If you need to protect your laptop, it is better to get a protective sleeve anyway. The backpack is soft.
I feel the quality has gone down or the materials feel cheaper. I have a 8 year old Surge 2 I still use. The back padding is a bit flat now but the rest of the bag works just fine. When I compare it to the newer models, I feel there is something missing the quality of the materials.
I can see where your coming from, particularly looking at the color matched padding on the older Borealis as compared to the newer standard flat grey on the two new ones. It seems like the material is a bit different between the two different generations, It will be interesting to see how the new recon holds up over time as the Borealis still looks to be in very good condition after a couple years use. Thanks for watching!
The recon is a great looking pack and is packed with organization… The borealis is great for capacity, but has less organization. All comes down to personal preference but I think both are quality packs. You can’t go wrong with. I’m also a huge fan of the Osprey nebula, that may be worth checking out as well if you like these types of packs.
I just bought a vault backpack for school and traveling, but when I received it, it was really short on me because I have a longer torso. I adjusted the straps to make it sit lower on my back but the straps looked dumb ending at my shoulders. I gave it to my lil sister but now I don’t know which one I should get.
I think the recon is a solid choice. It would be good for carrying any heavy school materials. On the flip side if you are looking to use it for traveling I would check out the borrows as it has more general compartment room for packing while traveling. If you’re looking to put some clothes in there, I’m not sure that the recon would give you enough room in the main compartment.
Recon for me, love the stretch front pocket...I had the Surge returned it... it was just too much and the water bottle pockets were much nicer on the Recon.
Agreed! The recon seems to be perfect size when compared to the other two. I also picked up the Osprey nebula and i found it to be pretty similar to the recon, with a few different designs incorporated… could be worth a look in the future when it’s time for a replacement. Thanks for watching!
So Im a 5 foot four woman but I have broad shoulders. Should I buy the men’s borealis? I’m worried that because I’m sure it’ll be too long, but I feel like the woman’s will also be too narrow at my neck. Your thoughts? Thanks!
My wife is about that height and it is large, but I wouldn’t say overly large… I think the comfort of the shoulders will outweigh the slightly larger scale. Hope that helps… when in doubt - Amazon usually has free returns, that’s my go to if I can’t find it in a local store
@@TheOutdoorWorkshop thanks so much for your help. Before this I was just using a cheap backpack and my back and neck was always hurting. They were times where it was so annoying I would shove half of my textbooks in a bag and just carry another bag on my arm so I hope this extra features it’ll still outweigh it like you said, especially with the straps! Take care thanks for the video and help
@lex98 Absolutely… I also think the hip belt is underrated… if you find yourself with some extra weight in the pack this can be an easy way to displace some of the pressure on the shoulders… just make sure it is positioned at the crest of the hip, which may mean some adjustments to where the pack sits with your shoulder straps. I also found that the Osprey nebula is pretty good at distributing weight, especially with all the compartments in the clamshell tech area. They can also double for some textbook storage that sits higher on your back, since they are free floating laptop sleeve And compartment. Good luck in the search!
I think the surge would be a little big if you were just looking to transport the laptop… looking at the footprint size you would probably be better with the recon between these three… I did not try a 16 inch but it should fit in there alright. The borealis would allow you to pack a little more if you were interested in carrying some extra clothes for the gym or something. hope this helps! Amazon is usually a safe bet with free returns on Prime… hope you find one that works well for you!
@@TheOutdoorWorkshop I decided to pick the Borealis, and it fits perfectly for my Lenovo legion 5 pro 16'' laptop, and the main or second compartment is perfect to store the massive power adapter :) And because most of the north face backpacks are made in my country Indonesia so it's easy to find them here :)
@@albend0274 Iya akhirnya beli yg borealis kalo dilihat dari video ini sama video2 lain yang borealis laptop compartmentnya cuman buat laptop aja, kalo yg surge ada buat wadah buat tab/ipadnya kalo ngga salah, tapi borealis main compartmentnya besar bisa muat lumayan banyak baju buat mudik sebulan sekali keluar kota. Kayanya lebih ke soal selera aja sih pada akhirnya. Saya suka yg borealis soalnya ada tali2nya gitu jadi kesannya gak monoton kalo diliat hehe
I got the Recon and I am finding the size to be a tad bit small for a short weekend trip. Which is a shame because otherwise the bag is soo good.. looks amazing, had good organisation, has the hydration hole( which I use to pull out USB-C cables to charge my phone). I am thinking of returning this and getting the Osprey Nebula 32. The Nebula doesn't have the attachment points like the Recon though, I'd bought some carabiners.
I agree, the recon would be great if the cargo compartment would expand a little bit more. That’s where the nebula picks up where the recon lacks. Though, the 34 is great, it’s definitely getting harder to find, however the 32 holds nearly as much and highly recommend it. I do usually carry some carabiners just in case and frequently use the compression strap on the side to carry an extra sweatshirt or jacket if I’m traveling while tucking the hanging portion into the outer side pockets.
The borealis will give you more room in the main compartment for books and whatever else you wanted to Cary thought out the day… I always found that to be important when I lived off campus. The recon would be my second choice with a little less main compartment but more organization.
I have taken the surge onto a few airlines. I can’t remember if it was ever delta… that being said they have a pretty general descriptions of personal item requirements which in this case would be one small backpack that can fit under the seat storage in front of you. I have never had a problem, but I don’t overpack my personal to the brim. Usually it’s just electronics, toiletry kit, and sweatshirt. I could see if you packed this bag all the way to the brim with clothes, you might have an issue, but as a carry-on it does fine with essential items.
Unless they are perfectly balanced I don’t think you will have luck getting these to stand up on their own with a heavy laptop in the laptop compartment. LL bean, Osprey, and Nomatic have some nice standing options that allow the pack to remain upright when placed on the ground.
The dude swore not to blink. Very good comparison.
Thanks, I appreciate it!
This comparision is just perfect. Shortly You compared each element on each bag. Rly helped me with picking the right one for me. Thanks!
Absolutely, thanks for checking it out… glad it helped!
Recon has a water hose pass through. The Surge does not. The Recon's main compartment is bigger than the Surge's. Also, no compression straps on the Surge. They put everything into the laptop compartment on the Surge and basically took away a lot of storage and features from it. Surge no longer has the big pass through stash pockets on the outside and no grab handle (which was a great feature). Also, the Surge doesn't even have dual zippers on the big admin. pocket -- a huge fail. The Recon is definitely the most versatile (better) bag.
Great summary, totally with you on your analysis! Thanks for the addition!
well-done video. my fav part was the packing demo. Looks like I'm getting the recon. Thank you so much!
Absolutely, thanks for watching! The recon would have to be my choice as well after this side by side… another similar pack I’m going to check out and compare to the recon will be the similar Osprey Nebula, which I picked up last week. I’m going to throw another video up looking at the two once I get some test time in! May be worth looking at online if you like the Recon as well!
@@TheOutdoorWorkshop Funny - I was just looking at that one too! It looks for me like it's a draw between those two. Do you have any initial impressions?
Initially, I really like that the Osprey expands a bit more to give additional room in each of the compartments (closer to the large Borealis main pocket). There are also more organization options on the Nebula (a feature that dropped off from the Surge to the Recon). The Nebula seems a bit lighter and more flexible than the Recon… on the flip side seems a little less sturdy(doesn’t seem to have an effect on most of the reviews I read out there). The nebula also has the added feature of being able to store the top compression straps in hidden areas, which is great if not in use @gogreatergood It’s looking good so far!
I have always had a Recon backpack and have never been disappointed, I bought a Borealis last Nov as a weekend bag / day hike bag because I liked the idea of a larger main compartment. I was very happy with the large main compartment but noticed after very little use that it is coming apart on the back of the divider compartment. After looking at other reviews it seems that it's a fairly common issue. Going to bring it to a tailor to reinforce it but probably going to look into a different brand in the future.
Very interesting! Thanks for the info. Was your Borealis one of the newer ones with the clasp on the elastic bands or the older one like I had here? Mine seems to have held up OK, but this is not a bag that took any heavy abuse or repeated stress. I do like the space it provides compared to the Recon (the surge main compartment was even smaller than the others and not practical for me). I just picked up an Osprey Nebula to compare with the Recon and it seems to be a very similar design with more room and some added organization features… planning to do a video after I get some use out of them side by side!
@@TheOutdoorWorkshop I have the newer version, I do like the straps on the bottom I wish the Recon still had those. Looking forward to the Nebula video....cheers.
Thanks for this review. Its very thorough and the lighting is perfect.
Thanks! I appreciate the feedback… took a lot of adjustments to find lighting that worked. Glad to validate it is paying out on the viewing side! Have a great day!
Great video! Definitely will be ordering !
Thanks for watching!
thanks for this comparison! very helpful and informative
Awesome, glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Recon is the best bag imo. Good storage and has work/adventure crossover features.
thanks very helpful!
Thanks for checking it out!
I have the Surge and Borealis 2022's, have been travelling extensively with them and can tell you this, the Surge is absolute crap as the straps are too stiff and dig into you even with light loads, I would absolutely avoid it. The Borealis' straps are super, better than the old Borealis which is amazing, however the bag has this annoying top heavy (even when empty) front top pocket, that will always make it drop down. In my opinion go with the Borealis (don't know the Recon so cannot comment) but beware the high centre of gravity, I will try and post this on most Surge videos to warn people about how crap the straps are, a lot of the review videos say it is OK, it absolutely is not!
Thanks for the advice… if the new borealis is anything like the old borealis, I absolutely agree… The straps are great and don’t seem to dig in at all. I will have to check out the new borealis when I see it in the store. I like the organization with the surge but that’s really the extent of it… As much as I like to want it for that reason alone, it’s just really doesn’t cut it. In the end I ended up mostly using the Osprey Nebula that combined the comfort and size of the borealis and organization of the surge. Thanks for watching!
been loking for the perfect hike/camera bag, found out this range this week. Really like the Recon, just afraid it wont fit a camera bag/cube, if it has a flat bottom for it..
Yeah the recon will likely be a little tight for camera gear, especially with a cube and hiking gear. The borealis has bit more space in the main compartment, though less organization… which could be mitigated with some cube organizers. God luck in the search!
@@TheOutdoorWorkshop well i've bought it now.. xD
I have the Borealis and the Recon.
For the Recon, you can add a bungee Shock cord to the Recon Daisy Chain to make it looks like an adventure backpack.
The Borealis bungee Shock cord is not replaceable. Once is broke, the backpack is done.
Also, the Recon water bottle pocket is bigger. The Recon backpack can hold up to 32oz size of water bottle, and the Borealis is too small to hold a water bottle.
Ah, great advice… I will have to check it out! That’s true and a good point about the water bottle holder… Thanks for the addition and watching!
I might do that. But the bungee cord.
But the Retcon doesn’t have the safety of the laptop compartment like the Borelias does. The Borealis stops three inches before the ground to protect it.
@@MunroMcLaren : That actually won’t make a difference. If you need to protect your laptop, it is better to get a protective sleeve anyway. The backpack is soft.
Great review
I appreciate it, thanks for watching!
Wow. Nice review!!
Thank you! Thanks for watching!
I feel the quality has gone down or the materials feel cheaper. I have a 8 year old Surge 2 I still use. The back padding is a bit flat now but the rest of the bag works just fine. When I compare it to the newer models, I feel there is something missing the quality of the materials.
I can see where your coming from, particularly looking at the color matched padding on the older Borealis as compared to the newer standard flat grey on the two new ones. It seems like the material is a bit different between the two different generations, It will be interesting to see how the new recon holds up over time as the Borealis still looks to be in very good condition after a couple years use. Thanks for watching!
I too have a Surge 2 and love it, but it's getting old. I don't think the new Surge looks good. Split between the Recon and Borealis
The recon is a great looking pack and is packed with organization… The borealis is great for capacity, but has less organization. All comes down to personal preference but I think both are quality packs. You can’t go wrong with. I’m also a huge fan of the Osprey nebula, that may be worth checking out as well if you like these types of packs.
I just bought a vault backpack for school and traveling, but when I received it, it was really short on me because I have a longer torso. I adjusted the straps to make it sit lower on my back but the straps looked dumb ending at my shoulders. I gave it to my lil sister but now I don’t know which one I should get.
I think the recon is a solid choice. It would be good for carrying any heavy school materials. On the flip side if you are looking to use it for traveling I would check out the borrows as it has more general compartment room for packing while traveling. If you’re looking to put some clothes in there, I’m not sure that the recon would give you enough room in the main compartment.
Great video! Thank you!!
Thanks for watching!
The surge, is that color the asphalt grey?
Yep!
Thank you
Thanks for watching!
Recon for me, love the stretch front pocket...I had the Surge returned it... it was just too much and the water bottle pockets were much nicer on the Recon.
Agreed! The recon seems to be perfect size when compared to the other two. I also picked up the Osprey nebula and i found it to be pretty similar to the recon, with a few different designs incorporated… could be worth a look in the future when it’s time for a replacement. Thanks for watching!
So Im a 5 foot four woman but I have broad shoulders. Should I buy the men’s borealis? I’m worried that because I’m sure it’ll be too long, but I feel like the woman’s will also be too narrow at my neck. Your thoughts? Thanks!
My wife is about that height and it is large, but I wouldn’t say overly large… I think the comfort of the shoulders will outweigh the slightly larger scale. Hope that helps… when in doubt - Amazon usually has free returns, that’s my go to if I can’t find it in a local store
@@TheOutdoorWorkshop thanks so much for your help. Before this I was just using a cheap backpack and my back and neck was always hurting. They were times where it was so annoying I would shove half of my textbooks in a bag and just carry another bag on my arm so I hope this extra features it’ll still outweigh it like you said, especially with the straps! Take care thanks for the video and help
@lex98 Absolutely… I also think the hip belt is underrated… if you find yourself with some extra weight in the pack this can be an easy way to displace some of the pressure on the shoulders… just make sure it is positioned at the crest of the hip, which may mean some adjustments to where the pack sits with your shoulder straps.
I also found that the Osprey nebula is pretty good at distributing weight, especially with all the compartments in the clamshell tech area. They can also double for some textbook storage that sits higher on your back, since they are free floating laptop sleeve And compartment.
Good luck in the search!
ini hebat sekali, saya hanya bisa bilang wow...
Thanks for watching have a great day!
Is the surge too big for a daily office backpack with a 16-inch laptop in there? I'm 5.3" by the way
I think the surge would be a little big if you were just looking to transport the laptop… looking at the footprint size you would probably be better with the recon between these three… I did not try a 16 inch but it should fit in there alright. The borealis would allow you to pack a little more if you were interested in carrying some extra clothes for the gym or something. hope this helps! Amazon is usually a safe bet with free returns on Prime… hope you find one that works well for you!
@@TheOutdoorWorkshop I decided to pick the Borealis, and it fits perfectly for my Lenovo legion 5 pro 16'' laptop, and the main or second compartment is perfect to store the massive power adapter :) And because most of the north face backpacks are made in my country Indonesia so it's easy to find them here :)
@@WongIreng590 bagus borealis atau surge mas?? jadinya beli yg Borealis ya
@@albend0274 Iya akhirnya beli yg borealis kalo dilihat dari video ini sama video2 lain yang borealis laptop compartmentnya cuman buat laptop aja, kalo yg surge ada buat wadah buat tab/ipadnya kalo ngga salah, tapi borealis main compartmentnya besar bisa muat lumayan banyak baju buat mudik sebulan sekali keluar kota. Kayanya lebih ke soal selera aja sih pada akhirnya. Saya suka yg borealis soalnya ada tali2nya gitu jadi kesannya gak monoton kalo diliat hehe
@@WongIreng590 akhirnya beli dua2 nya mas,, borealis buat harian,, surge buat jalan2
I have
What color is your Recon?
Asphalt Grey Light Heather/Tnf Black
I got the Recon and I am finding the size to be a tad bit small for a short weekend trip. Which is a shame because otherwise the bag is soo good.. looks amazing, had good organisation, has the hydration hole( which I use to pull out USB-C cables to charge my phone).
I am thinking of returning this and getting the Osprey Nebula 32. The Nebula doesn't have the attachment points like the Recon though, I'd bought some carabiners.
I agree, the recon would be great if the cargo compartment would expand a little bit more. That’s where the nebula picks up where the recon lacks. Though, the 34 is great, it’s definitely getting harder to find, however the 32 holds nearly as much and highly recommend it. I do usually carry some carabiners just in case and frequently use the compression strap on the side to carry an extra sweatshirt or jacket if I’m traveling while tucking the hanging portion into the outer side pockets.
@@TheOutdoorWorkshop Thank you for the advice and these videos. Were you able to use Carabiners with the Osprey Nebula 32?
On the new borealis, is there still compression straps?
Yep, the 2022 still has the external bungee-compression system
Going to college soon, which of these bags should I get ??
The borealis will give you more room in the main compartment for books and whatever else you wanted to Cary thought out the day… I always found that to be important when I lived off campus. The recon would be my second choice with a little less main compartment but more organization.
Random but what backpack is hanging in the background?
hyperlite mountain gear 2400… awesome ultralight pack I plan on reviewing sometime soon… really like it a lot for lightweight hiking overnights!
Can the surge pass as a personal item on delta anyone know ?
I have taken the surge onto a few airlines. I can’t remember if it was ever delta… that being said they have a pretty general descriptions of personal item requirements which in this case would be one small backpack that can fit under the seat storage in front of you. I have never had a problem, but I don’t overpack my personal to the brim. Usually it’s just electronics, toiletry kit, and sweatshirt. I could see if you packed this bag all the way to the brim with clothes, you might have an issue, but as a carry-on it does fine with essential items.
Which one Wil stand up with a heavy laptop inside
Unless they are perfectly balanced I don’t think you will have luck getting these to stand up on their own with a heavy laptop in the laptop compartment. LL bean, Osprey, and Nomatic have some nice standing options that allow the pack to remain upright when placed on the ground.
Are those water proof
Nope, these bags are just water resistant. You can also spray them with a waterproofing spray to increase their resistance to water.