Hi All,

Here is a first ever review from me. This one is regarding the (The North Face) TNF Surge I purchased in September 2012 after exhausting myself researching backpacks. I wanted one for EDC and this was “before” I was even familiar with EDC and way before I found edcforums.com (which I’m happy I did). This daypack purchase was to be my go-to bag when I was heading out for the day, a hike, a trip, to work, etc. The Surge has a non-tactical appearance and as I’m learning, a “non-threatening” look to it. Until recently, I knew nothing about “tactical” packs and gear. PLEASE NOTE: This is not the latest release from TNF of this product which you will find out there as the “Surge II”; mine is a prior release and I still see this version available (style: AJUX) in a lot of places but colors may be limited. The pack being reviewed here is the “Asphalt Grey Emboss” color. I bought this pack locally at Ramsey Outdoors here in northern NJ. It was nice to be able to see and hold it before the final decision which “really” helped me know it was well built and would do the job. This pack is also endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).

Some specs: Weight: 3 lbs. 1 oz. (1390 g); Material: 420D nylon, 1680D ballistics nylon; Volume: 2015 cu. in. (33 liters); Size: 20″ x 13.5″ x 9.5″ (51 cm x 35 cm x 24 cm).

Here’s a front view:

I’ve read a lot about this pack and there are complaints about the front zippered access having two separate zippers and that they’re not fun to open. Maybe this is true to some degree. BUT… I did a mod I saw a fellow Surge owner do in a YouTube review by making a paracord zipper pull to “link” both zippers together (see following image) and it works great; it just needs to be long enough. Mine is 8-1/2 inches long while 9-1/2″ may work even better — just grab the paracord pull and zip away (or zips away) — very nice indeed.

Living behind the double zippered flap in the first compartment are some organizational pockets. At the top is a padded zippered pocket (7-1/2 in. wide x 3-1/2 in. deep) for glasses, cell phone, etc. This pocket is directly under the upper flap containing THE NORTH FACE logo; just unbuckle the top flap and you’re in without unzipping the dual zipper flap – so yes – easy access. Working your way down there are two zippered mesh pockets (5 in. wide x 5 in. deep each). Lastly in this compartment is a non-zippered mesh pocket (10 in. wide x 6-1/2 in. deep). The buckle and strap over this zippered area can be loosened a bit and I’ve tucked a rolled up sweatshirt under there and cinched it tight to have it handy. Also on the zippered flap are two PALS/MOLLE points (in previous image they’re behind the buckle strap under the paracord dual-zipper pull).

Next in line is the admin compartment. From front to back: At the right are two layered pockets followed by a wider pocket that allows my iPhone 4S in an OtterBox Defender case to fit into “perfectly”. The remaining four (4) pockets are narrow for your pens, lights, etc. All of these pockets are sewn in front of two 5-1/2″ wide pockets that span the width of the compartment (non-zippered). Behind these is a 7″ deep zippered pocket running the full width of the compartment (11″). Inside of this pocket is a (sort of cheap looking) lanyard and key ring. Lastly, is a pocket 8″ deep running the full width of the compartment and has a hook and loop closure in the center. At the top of this compartment’s panel is a zippered mesh pocket measuring 5-1/4″ deep from the zipper to the seam. There’s even more room — deep down. If you look at the next image, you’ll see the top of my Maxpedition E.D.C. Pocket Organizer. It’s sitting at the bottom of this compartment and all the way to the left, leaving enough room for my Eagle Creek 1/4 Cube (not shown). Both fill the bottom and add a ton of organization.

Next to last is the main compartment being a top-loading area about 18″ high x 13″ wide x 7″ deep. This is simply one large area without pockets or dividers and stores a lot!

The laptop compartment is at the rear of the pack. It will stow away your 15″ laptop nicely. (FWIW, my 17″ beast can’t be hauled around in it but I personally didn’t buy this pack for carrying my laptop.) The compartment for your 15″ incher is nice and it is padded. The laptop compartment does not go all the way down to he bottom of the pack. There is a wedge of heavy duty cushioning at the bottom that the laptop rides on top of. I loaded one of our 15″ machines in there to test out the padding/cushion. Reaching into the bottom compartment towards back and also down from the top of the laptop compartment shows me that the laptop compartment does keep the laptop up from the very bottom of the pack and that items stored in the bottom compartment will not hit the laptop.

The North Face is calling the zippered/padded bottom compartment a power-cord pocket (makes sense for a laptop carry pack). For giggles I learned that my son’s Maxpedition Fatty will fit in there but I removed it and gave it back to him. The size of this compartment is about 11″ wide x 6″ deep.

Here’s an image of the pack from the rear. The hip belt is stowed away so it’s not visible in this image but it is padded and winged. The shoulder straps have ventilation built into them as well as the design of the back so it’s breathable. The chest strap can be adjusted up or down on a track found on the shoulder straps. At the top is a haul loop. This is very a comfortable bag to wear.

There are two (2) side water bottle pockets that are stretchy and hug the bottle tight. I slide 20 oz. Dasani bottles in mine and it’s a great fit. I do not think you’ll be fitting 32 oz. bottles in these pockets – too small.

From the rear of the pack and integrated into the water bottle pockets are two more pockets. These pockets do not open into the same space the water bottles sit in. They’re wrapped in front of the water bottle pockets. These would be good for your lip balm, some coins, etc. I personally have not used them yet when water bottles were being carried so time will tell.

Lastly, some mods other than the dual-zipper paracord pull: I swapped out the stock zipper pulls for my own simple paracord pulls. The larger knot is much easier to grab and keep hold of, especially for the longer compartment zippers. Some interior compartment zippers do not have pulls at all.

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I hope this review and its images help any of you deciding to buy this pack or a similar one. I went into a lot of detail here because I wished I had this information when I was shopping for a pack.

If you have any questions, comments, or recommendations please reply. If you own a TNF Surge, please share your thoughts and images to help others too! Thanks, enjoy, and happy shopping!