When comparing The North Face Router Backpack vs Kelty Women's Redwing 40, the Slant community recommends Kelty Women's Redwing 40 for most people. In the question“What are the best carry on backpacks for travel that hold at least 30L?” Kelty Women's Redwing 40 is ranked 5th while The North Face Router Backpack is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose Kelty Women's Redwing 40 is:
Travel backpacks aren't exactly known for their beauty. However, appearance was a consideration when the Redwing was designed, and it shows.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Nice looking pack
It's not always easy to find a travel backpack that also looks nice. The Router has a nice style and comes in 5 different colors.
Pro Fits larger laptops
The laptop compartment fits up to a 17" laptop.
Pro Beautiful design
Travel backpacks aren't exactly known for their beauty. However, appearance was a consideration when the Redwing was designed, and it shows.
Pro Lots of external storage
The Redwing 40 has loops at the front for hanging things off of, and mesh pockets for holding anything that may need to dry out.
It has large pockets on both sides for water bottles, and a compartment at the front with lots of internal pockets for organizing.
Pro Front or top loading
You can either use this pack as a top-load, or a front load.
Pro Hydration compatible
Pro Very comfortable
Cons
Con Laptop compartment isn't protective
The padding in the separate laptop compartment is fairly light, providing limited protection to your laptop.
Con Lack of support due to minimal hipbelt
The hip belt is just a nylon strap, it doesn't provide any padding.
Con No laptop compartment
There is no compartment specifically designed for a laptop, so the only option is putting it in the main compartment.
Con Carry strap isn't padded
There is only one carry strap, located at the top of the pack. It's a fairly thin strip of material and quickly becomes uncomfortable to hold, especially when the pack is heavy.
Con Better suited for use with packing cubes/bags
There are no internal straps in the main apartment to keep clothes from moving around. And due to the fact the top of the pack zips away, you are left with the main compartment having 3 walls instead of 4 when unzipped.
Combined, it's hard to keep your clothes and other belongings where you want them if not using bags or packing cubes.
