The North Face Surge vs. Jansport Main Campus
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
The North Face Surge
| Capacity | 31 L |
| Weight | 1.3 kg |
| Dimensions | 51×31×18 cm |
| Airline fit | 89% |
| Price | $140 |
Feature by feature
| The North Face Surge | Feature | Jansport Main Campus |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| 2 | Compression | 2 |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 0 | Opening | 4 |
| front | Passport | front |
| N | Passthrough | N |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| removable | Hip Belt | N |
| Y | Sternum Strap | N |
| Inside | ||
| 15in | Laptop | 15in |
| 3 | Main Compartments | 5 |
| Y | Organizer | Y |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| 2, side | Water Bottle Holder | 2, side |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| 210D recycled nylon ripstop with non-PFC durable water-repellent (non-PFC DWR) finish | 30% Recycled 600 Denier Polyester |
Jansport Main Campus
| Capacity | 32 L |
| Weight | 0.5 kg |
| Dimensions | 43×33×22 cm |
| Airline fit | 75% |
| Price | $55 |
Key differences between the The North Face Surge and Jansport Main Campus
- Opening: Other on the The North Face Surge; Top zip on the Jansport Main Campus.
- Hip belt: Removable on the The North Face Surge; No on the Jansport Main Campus.
- Sternum strap: Yes on the The North Face Surge; No on the Jansport Main Campus.
- Main compartments: 3 on the The North Face Surge; 5 on the Jansport Main Campus.
Both have: compression straps, passport pocket, backpack straps, laptop sleeve, built-in organizer, water bottle pockets, water resistant.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 135 accept both. 34 accept only the The North Face Surge, and 6 accept only the Jansport Main Campus.
Only the The North Face Surge fits
Air Baltic, Air China, Air Malta, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, flybe, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, Liat Airlines, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, Ryanair, S7, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sun Express, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), TUI, Ukraine International, VIM Airlines (Closed), Volotea, Xiamen.
Only the Jansport Main Campus fits
Etihad Airways, Gulf Air, Qatar Airways, Ravn Alaska, Regional Express, Virgin Australia.
The North Face Surge vs. Jansport Main Campus: which should you pack?
The Jansport Main Campus carries 1L more than the The North Face Surge (31L vs. 32L), while the Jansport Main Campus is the lighter pack at 0.5kg (vs. 1.3kg). For carry-on flexibility, the The North Face Surge fits 89% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Jansport Main Campus; if you want to travel lighter, the Jansport Main Campus is the better call.