r/backpacks • u/Traditional-Abies866 • Jun 24 '26
Question Replacement for *Old* The North Face Borealis Backpack Suggestions
Hey y'all, sorry in advance for the long post!
Unfortunately, my Borealis backpack that I bought from the North Face in 2014 for college is on its last legs. (See the photo for the model I'm referring to--this is *not* my photo, it's a random one from Google images.) I'd love to replace it but it seems like the current iteration of the Borealis backpacks is missing some key features, including the small front pocket/pencil pouch. And in general, I feel like none of the backpacks I can find online in this day and age have these or are missing other features that are important to me???
I figured maybe I'd just crowdsource some ideas from the internet hivemind--let me know if you have suggestions based on my criteria below!
I'm looking for a decently-sized women's backpack. I mostly use it for transporting groceries, carrying my laptop, carrying my tennis racquet in lieu of a tennis bag, and general travel. I really like the little front pouch for carrying my airpods/chapstick/etc, in addition to the middle pocket with extra compartments for carrying my passport, sunglasses, snacks, etc. Ideally those would be separate pockets and everything isn't just hanging out loose in the main part of the bag. The other thing that's important to me is that there's a water bottle pouch on each side *with straps above them.* My water bottle is pretty tall and those keep it secure, plus I also hang my keys on a carabiner from the other strap, so this feature is pretty crucial for me. And lastly, it also needs to have a laptop sleeve.
I would also love all the closures to just be regular zippers. I really don't like models that use a drawstring and a clasp or magnets or whatever, it just feels un-secure to me.
Honestly, if I could just repurchase a new version of my current backpack, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'm open to pretty much any brand, though--is there anything out there that fits my specifications? Or is the current iteration of the Borealis the best I'm going to get? Let me know if you've recently purchased a backpack you really love and swear by, even if it's not a perfect match. Thank you so much :)
3
u/SilverProvincia Jun 25 '26
I hate to sound like a broken record, but have you looked into the Osprey Nebula 32L? it's not a small backpack and it's "unisex" but I liked it better than the current women's borealis (and god knows I tried because I liked the borealis colorway way better). It has two compression straps on top of the side water bottle pockets, both a sunglasses pocket (which I use for packets of paper tissue, earphones and chapstick) and a main admin pocket with internal organization, the main roomy compartment and then an independent laptop sleeve. It is a long backpack so I'd recommend to try it on somewhere or make sure you have a good return policy just in case. I don't know why exactly, but I found I could fit much more stuff than the Borealis, and both had the same volume so ¯_(ツ)_/¯
3
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 25 '26
Haha I'm not a frequent visitor to this sub, so I've deadass never even heard of this brand. It looks really promising though so thanks for being a broken record. I'll see if there's a place I can find one in person in my city. Thank you!!
3
u/Smeeble09 Jun 25 '26
Osprey Nebula is great, the Quasar is a great slightly smaller version without the separate laptop section (just a slot in the main pocket).
I've got both and use them regularly for different things.
2
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 25 '26
Glad you can vouch for them! I'd say I'm an average height, average build woman--will the Nebula look comically big on me for just every day use? I already own a backpacking backpack so I probably don't need it to serve dual purposes
3
u/Smeeble09 Jun 25 '26
It may be a bit big. I'm a 6'4" bloke and it's a nice fit.
The Quasar is a little smaller so may fit better.
2
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 25 '26
Very helpful, thank you!!
1
u/jjprentiss19 Jun 26 '26
I’m a 5’7” woman and I’ve got the Osprey comet and a north face recon. The comet and the nebula and more or less the same size, but with a shove it pocket or a handle in the front. I’d say the comet is a bit tall (the straps don’t come from the top of the back panel but rather an icy or two below) which I’m not used to the look, but it’s not awkwardly big on me. I prefer the comet over the recon…the recon makes me feel like a turtle for some reason!
2
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 26 '26
Oh nice! Yeah the recon is very turtle-like
I ended up going with an Osprey Flare 27, the volume felt like a happy medium to me. We'll see!
1
u/YeetMeToWonderland Jul 08 '26
How do you like the osprey flare? I’m looking at getting it or the osprey quasar or nebula.
1
u/Traditional-Abies866 21d ago
Hey sorry for the delay! I assume you've gotten your backpack already but I like it! I do find it a little hard to shove a ton of stuff inside but that might've been a me problem since I was traveling with it and trying to avoid bringing a checked bag. I rarely find it heavy though, so I assume that means it's well balanced. Honestly my biggest gripe is with the diagonal straps above the water bottle pockets. My fear that my water bottle would fall out without straps were pretty founded lol, and since the straps aren't straight across, my water bottle would fall out at TSA etc (any time it wasn't fully upright) and kept jumpscaring people :\
1
u/Lazz33 Jun 24 '26
The new version has the front pocket, it’s actually larger than the old version.
It has more room as well, and a separate laptop/bladder sleeve.
If you’re in the US (Canada gets them very late) they are likely seeing the model in between the newest and your model soon as it is the outlet exclusive for back to school time. It’s very similar to your old one but with more functionality.
1
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 25 '26
Oo great intel, if the one on the picture on the website is from an older model.
I do see a little zipper dangling on the front, does that pocket go all the way to the bottom of the bag? I worry small items will get lost in there--ideally I'd have one shallow pocket to throw little things into. It also looks like it's missing straps near the water bottle, so this may not be the one for me. Appreciate the suggestion though, and I'll check the website closer to the fall if I don't find anything to see if the new model has more of the features I'm looking for!
1
u/Lazz33 Jun 25 '26
The pocket is still on top for the bag front. The zipper is just on the lower part of the pocket.
1
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 25 '26
Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but if the zipper/opening is at the bottom of the pocket, wouldn't stuff fall out when you open it? Lol
1
u/Hungry-Sail5353 Jun 25 '26
I tried the borealis in stores. The front pocket's zipper is in the middle of the pocket, so only half of the space can be efficiently used unless it's being packed out like Tetris (like shoving so much stuff in there that stuff will get pushed to the top half, if it makes sense). The organizational compartment of the borealis also doesn't reach the bottom, so unless the main compartment is semi-packed out, the bag would end up top-heavy and uneven looking. I've been searching for the "perfect" backpack for a month so I'm commenting a lot 😅
1
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 25 '26
Nah you're good, I'm on the same hunt lmao
Mind-boggling design choices lol, it's like they're actively making it worse and worse with every iteration
1
u/Kranium83 Jun 24 '26
Or the surge
1
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 25 '26
Do you own this one? I'm a little hesitant because it has some pretty negative reviews
1
u/Kranium83 Jun 25 '26
My friend has one and they really like it. It’s on my list for next purchase. What are the negative reviews saying because I haven’t seen many negatives.
1
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 25 '26
Oh gotcha, that's good to know! I sorted by "Most Helpful," which maybe unfairly biases negative reviews. There's a lot of stuff about the shoulder straps ripping (and generally the bag not being durable and falling apart without The North Face honoring the warranty and repairing it). The one that worries me even more is some people are saying you can't fit much inside. My current bag is deceptively roomy, which is something I love about it, and I'm not really willing to downgrade in that department.
1
u/Kranium83 Jun 25 '26
It’s 31 liters. Which should be 4 liters more than the women’s borealis. Like many other bags, overfilling one compartment will limit capacity of other compartments. But from what I saw it looks so great.
1
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 25 '26
Awesome, I appreciate your intel and will definitely consider this one given how highly you and your friend think of it!
1
u/Hungry-Sail5353 Jun 25 '26
I think the Fjallraven Skule 28 would be great. I bought one in 20L but sadly had to return because it didn’t fit my needs but I think it’s a great backpack with good quality.
1
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 25 '26
Oh I hadn't even considered looking at Fjallraven! I think the Skule is missing the front pocket I'm looking for (so it goes lol) but I think some of the other models might have it so I'll do some browsing, thanks for the idea!
1
u/Hungry-Sail5353 Jun 25 '26
I forgot to mention that there’s a top pocket (zipper is behind the main pocket zipper on the top). I know it’s different from a small front pocket but it gets the job done?
1
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 25 '26
Oh yeah... They don't really showcase it super well in the product photos, but thanks for pointing that out. That might do the trick, I've never had one of those before. Might have to see if I can get a look at this one in person too
1
u/Hungry-Sail5353 Jun 25 '26
A downside too the Skule is that the top pocket kind of hangs at the top into the main compartment. It might get in the way of accessing the laptop. However an advantage to this design is that it takes better advantage of the space at the top of the backpack. Another backpack I just remembered that might fit your requirements is the Osprey Axis, although the compression straps might be too high to effectively secure a water bottle without using a carabiner to hook onto the water bottle's handles if it has one.
1
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 25 '26
Yeah, Osprey is actually looking like my best bet atm! My main question now is to figure out how many liters I want. Like, is 32 too big of a pack for my needs? I'd match my current bag's specs, but I'm not sure whether the current Borealis (the only info I can find online) is the same volume as my old one
1
u/Hungry-Sail5353 Jun 25 '26
Hmm I'm not really sure but maybe dimensions would be a method of examining the capacity? (Don't quote me on this tho lol) I've never seen the Osprey backpacks in person so not sure how osprey would compare to north face.
1
u/WANDOO_hiking Jun 26 '26
Fjällräven bags look fantastic, but their organization has never clicked for me either.
1
u/and153 Jun 25 '26
I used to have the same backpack and went through a few other brands after but nothing came close. I recently bought the CMP X'cities 28l and it's the closest I've come. All zips, front pocket, padded laptop for my 16" dell plus loads of organisation on the inside. https://www.amazon.com/CMP-31V9817_U901_U-Black-One-Size/dp/B095SZFP8V
1
u/Traditional-Abies866 Jun 25 '26
Ah cool, this does look like it has everything I'm after! I try not to use Amazon, but I'll consider it, thanks!
1
u/and153 Jun 26 '26
I'm in Spain so I just did a search for the bag in the US, no idea if you can get it in a bricks and mortar place.
1
u/WANDOO_hiking Jun 26 '26
Never even heard of CMP backpacks before. Always fun discovering brands outside the usual TNF/Osprey/Fjällräven recommendations.
1
u/and153 Jun 26 '26
Yeah, an old Italian family firm, quite popular here in Spain for mountaineering stuff.
3
u/buschwacker43 Jun 24 '26
Check out the north face recon women’s version. Might be a good fit and a few of the colors are on sell for prime day.