The North Face Backtrack 80 Adventure Travel Backpack

Great Bag, But Not Cheap
I bought this bag to replace my previous NorthFace travel backpack-- the exact same model from 11 years ago. Got plenty of milage out of the previous bag! Attractive & spacious, though a bit heavy. Thoughtful compartment divisions in the main bag-- including a flexible liner that allows 1 larger top-load compartment or 1 smaller top-load & 1 smaller bottom-load compartment. There's also a handy/large netted zip pocket inside the main compartment & buckle straps inside the main compartment that can keep items from moving around. The zip cover that contains the shoulder straps & belt for the main bag is well-designed, making it quick & easy to pull these out or tuck them away-- noticeable improvement over my older NorthFace bag. The buckle & cradle system that holds the day pack to the main bag seems overly complex, though. It can be a little difficult to thread the straps through the day pack loops when everything is fully loaded. Also, the size/complexity of the cradle system makes it really tempting to use it as a handle to hoist the bag & toss it around-- especially by baggage handlers when you check this as luggage. The plastic buckles look like they're not going to hold up to this type of handling when the main bag is fully loaded. This one one of the eventual "failure modes" of my older NorthFace bag. Overall, though, I'm happy with the purchase.

Quality Pack, Design Issues
I bought this pack for a yearlong trip to SE Asia. The pack is definitly well made, material is tough and all the hardware seems very durable. For being an 80L pack, it does not have a huge profile which is nice. I love the extra compartment on the bottom for shoes, dirty clothes etc. Compresion straps on the inside of the main pocket are a nice touch. The daypack is pefect size for my 15.6" laptop, and a few essentials such as a reading book and camera and rainjacket. I also like how the daypack sits inside the outer pouch, as opposed to just zipping on, it feels very secure when fastened. The fit is good, straps are comfortable and adjustable. There are a couple things i do not like about the pack. To fully open the main compartment, you must unsnap the pouch that holds the daypack in place, and it is awkward to open when the daypack is full. Also to get into the bottom compartment, you must first unsnap the sleeping bag straps. Its not a big deal, and I have run into this problem before, if you have ever owned a Dakine hydration pack you will know what i mean. Overall a quality product, and defintly worth considering if you are in the market for a bag of this size. Besides those 2 small design issues, I think it is a great pack.