North Face - OnSight Computer Backpack - 11/09

By MacComputerBackpack Ranked #566 - Laptop Packs and Bags November 5, 2009

I have a 17 inch Macbook Pro, which is why I chose this pack. I looked very carefully at all the computer packs I could find, and found this pack to be the best for several reasons.
1) It has one of the largest dedicated (separate), fully padded areas to store your computer. Your computer is in a completely separate compartment, and it has a water resistant zipper.
2) It has the most padding, both between your computer and back, as well as between the computer and main storage area. There is also protective padding at the bottom and sides, of the computer storage area, including padding to protect from contact with the zipper.
3) It has one large storage area for books. This area can hold several large books and a binder easily. It has two additional fairly generous compartments with pen and accessory organizers. The outer most compartment has a lid that is fastened by velcro for easy and quick access. I keep my power cord in there. Some may not like the fact that you can not zip this completely closed. There is certainly a risk of things falling out if you get careless in handling the pack or heaven forbid you entrust an airline or other baggage handler with your pack and gear (which I would never do with this pack or any bag holding a valuable computer).

Cons:

This is one of the biggest computer packs available, and for some reason North Face did not include Upper Load Stabilizer Straps. This has not been a big deal, but a pack that can carry this amount of weight should have these.

Here is the most important problem you need to consider, and this is an issue with any computer backpack. Loads pressing against the computer, and your back pressing against the computer. As I mentioned this pack has the best padding and large enough area for a large 17 inch notebook computer. I place my 17 Macbook Pro in a neoprene padded case, and then place this inside the pack. The problem is that this was not enough protection from the contents of the pack. The screen was pressed into the keyboard and permanently damaged. I was extremely fortunate to have this covered under warranty, which it normally is not. I have since added two sheets of 1/4 inch thick plexiglass cut exactly to the dimensions of the interior computer area of the pack. This seems to have done the trick. Still given the value of the contents this pack is designed for, a more robust solution is called for, and not just North Face but other brands of computer backpacks.

View Details: The North Face On Sight Backpack - 2200cu in

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