Backpack for College

Parents Forum
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<p>My son is looking for a backpack that is going to be padded to hold his laptop and will also be very roomy to carry a notebook and/or textbook. The bigger the better, I guess. Does anyone have suggestions?</p>

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<p><a href=“http://www.ebags.com/product/the-north-face/surge/109317?lastterm=north%20face%20surge[/url]”>http://www.ebags.com/product/the-north-face/surge/109317?lastterm=north%20face%20surge&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The North Face Surge! Expensive, but very well made. The separate padded laptop section is very well padded.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/769840?preferredSku=7698400012&cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-datafeed-_-product-_-7698400012&mr:trackingCode=F28D4FFE-FB85-DE11-B7F3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA[/url]”>http://www.rei.com/product/769840?preferredSku=7698400012&cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-datafeed-_-product-_-7698400012&mr:trackingCode=F28D4FFE-FB85-DE11-B7F3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>nysmile, thanks. How much can be stuffed into it when there it is holding a laptop? Can it hold a couple of one inch binders or textbook and a laptop? I don’t care about the price for the right backpack.</p>

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<p>I’m sure it can hold plenty–even with the laptop in it. Both of my sons have this model.</p>

<p>It holds a lot and doesn’t look bulky.</p>

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<p>Thank you. Good to know that your sons have been happy with it.</p>

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<p>[The</a> North Face Surge at Zappos.com](<a href=“The north face surge the + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com”>The north face surge + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com)
^if you go to this link, you can actually see a VIDEO of the backpack (shows all of the pockets, size, and how it looks on a guy). </p>

<p>CLICK “VIDEO DESCRIPTION” when you go to the link.</p>

<p>It’s also nice that the waist straps are easily removable because my sons hate waist straps dangling from backpacks.</p>

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<p>Oh great, thanks!</p>

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<p>Yes, yes, yes! DD’s NF Surge still looks as good as it looked the day we bought it. D will be starting her Jr year this fall :)</p>

<p>Are you an REI member? If so, here is where you use your 20% off coupon!</p>

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<p>S2, a rising junior, is still using the same NorthFace backpack he used in high school, just a generic NF purchased at Dick’s sporting goods.
They are apparantly indestructable.</p>

<p>With one S graduated fr. college and second one halfway through, I will say that in our experience they very rarely carried laptops around campus in backpacks…just didn’t find a real need for it. They did use their backpacks to bring the laptops when coming home for a visit.</p>

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<p>I don’t know if my son will carry his around, but I can see him doing this. I can see him going to the library for 2 hours before or after class. He could easily get into drinking coffee while using his laptop too (makes me very nervous, as I imagine coffee being spilled onto that laptop).</p>

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<p>Son has a Swiss Army backpack with a padded laptop pocket. It was about $80 regular price and I got it at Kohl’s for 40% off. (also has nice padded straps and tons of pockets)</p>

<p>I wonder if the travel stores like TravelSmith and Magellan’s would have some sturdy pack with integrated laptop pockets.</p>

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<p>I’m giving the North Face Surge backpack to my rising college freshman for his birthday in a couple of weeks. Glad to hear the good reviews on this thread.</p>

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<p>Well, I want to get a very sturdy backpack that has been tried by others. Seems that NF Surge might be the one to get. For middle school and high school we spent about $60/65 (at that time) for the largest backpack that llbean had. We did not need to worry about carrying a laptop then. Those backpacks were excellent, and they stood up so well. My kids used them for years and years, and they also overstuffed them 90% of the time.</p>

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<p>northeastmom, I picked the Surge for my son because he had researched it ahead of time. My boys used Lands End bags all through through school and we were never disappointed. According to my son, the reason he picked the surge was for the padded and separate laptop section and the good reviews. He said many of the other bags just had netted sections for laptops. I got his for $99.95 and free shipping at [The</a> North Face Surge Backpack > Daypacks + Free Shipping & No Sales Tax](<a href=“http://www.usoutdoorstore.com/outlet/the-north-face-surge-backpack.html]The”>http://www.usoutdoorstore.com/outlet/the-north-face-surge-backpack.html) .</p>

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S1 just finished his junior year with this backpack and it’s looks exactly as it did when we purchased it prior to freshman year. I don’t know how much he uses it around campus for his laptop, but he does use it for plane travel, 3-4 times each year and has never had a problem with it holding enough stuff.</p>

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<p>son also has a 4 year old Swiss army backpack bought at Staples. He has taken it everywhere- to classes, on planes, on camping trips and it still looks like new!</p>

<p>This is exactly what he has- the current price - $49.99-from Amazon is amazing!!!
<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/SYNERGY-SwissGear-Wenger-Computer-Backpack/dp/B000NONHYY[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/SYNERGY-SwissGear-Wenger-Computer-Backpack/dp/B000NONHYY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>We have used The North Face backpacks exclusively for the last 25 years.
I had one that I used when I was in school when I became pregnant with D2. (I had to drop out of school and go onto bedrest,) but D1 started using it a few years later when she started middle school. She used it all through college as well, even though I kept telling her about the improvements that had been made ( I don’t think it had a water bladder pouch/laptop pocket). It still is in pretty good shape- considering she has taken it all over the country- but she finally left it at home when she moved.</p>

<p>I decided on a TNF Recon backpack, which I used for a few years, but then D2 " borrowed" it, when she went to India last year and didn’t give it back. I went to get another one ( and the material isn’t quite as nice), although by spending a bit more for the upgraded version- I got one that is nicer than my original.
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You really have to try them on, to see if the straps are comfortable- and if the pockets make sense to you. Some just don’t fit me well-
BTW if you like the Surge- REI has them on sale right now for $84.99.</p>

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<p>Younger s got his swiss army backpack at Target. There should be lots of on line coupons and sales for both of these redommended brands. Good luck!</p>

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<p>I bought the same Swiss Army backpack for my two sons - one in college and one in high school. It is literally the first backpack that either has had that has survived the entire year. My eldest has also used it to come home to Jersey from the Chicago Area (Northwestern) and he does tote his computer around in it because the entire campus is wireless.</p>

<p>[Amazon.com:</a> SYNERGY from SwissGear by Wenger Computer Backpack: Electronics](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/SYNERGY-SwissGear-Wenger-Computer-Backpack/dp/B000NONHYY]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/SYNERGY-SwissGear-Wenger-Computer-Backpack/dp/B000NONHYY)</p>

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<p>Another North Face believer here. I used a Borealis for high school and got a different North Face pack for college just because I wanted a new color. My friends and siblings are the same way. I absolutely swear by it!</p>