The North Face Surge vs. Jansport Odyssey
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 Odyssey |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| 2 | Compression | 2 |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 0 | Opening | 4 |
| front | Passport | top |
| N | Passthrough | N |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| removable | Hip Belt | hideable |
| Y | Sternum Strap | Y |
| 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 | 420 Polyester Dobby, 210 Nylon Point Dobby, 840 Junior Ballistic Nylon |
Jansport Odyssey
| Capacity | 39 L |
| Weight | 1.3 kg |
| Dimensions | 50×35×31 cm |
| Airline fit | 2% |
| Price | $100 |
Key differences between the The North Face Surge and Jansport Odyssey
- Opening: Other on the The North Face Surge; Top zip on the Jansport Odyssey.
- Passport pocket: Front on the The North Face Surge; Top on the Jansport Odyssey.
- Hip belt: Removable on the The North Face Surge; Hideable on the Jansport Odyssey.
- Main compartments: 3 on the The North Face Surge; 5 on the Jansport Odyssey.
Both have: compression straps, backpack straps, sternum strap, 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. 4 accept both. 165 accept only the The North Face Surge, and 0 accept only the Jansport Odyssey.
Only the The North Face Surge fits
Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Asia, Air Astana, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Air China, Air Europa, Air France, Air India, Air Koryo, Air Macau, Air Malta, Air Mauritius, Air Nostrum, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Air Tahiti Nui, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, All Nipon Airways, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, ANA, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Atlas Global, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Azul Linhas, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Biman Bangladesh, Blue Air, Boliviana de Aviacion, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Bulgaria Air, Cambodia Angkor Air, Caribbean Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Cayman Airways, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, CommutAir, Conviasa, Copa Airlines, Croatia Air, Cubana de Aviacion, Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, EL AL, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Flair Air, flybe, Frontier Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Gol Linhas Aereas, Hainan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Iberia, Icelandair, Indigo, InselAir, Interjet, Iran Air, Iran Aseman Air, Island Air, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Jet2, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Juneyao Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Kulula, Kuwait Air, LATAM , Liat Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Luxair, Mahan Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mango, Meridiana Fly, Mesa Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Nordwind Airlines, Norwegian, Oman Air, Onur Air, Pakistan International, Peach, PenAir, Philippine Airlines, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Republic Airways, Royal Air Morocco, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, S7, SAS Scandinavian, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, SilkAir, Silver Airways, Singapore Airlines, Sky Airlines, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, Southwest Airlines, SpiceJet, Spirit Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Sun Country, Sun Express, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, TAAG Angola, TAM Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Thai Airways, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), Tiger Airways, Trans States, Travel Service Airlines, TUI, Turkish Airlines, Ukraine International, United Airlines, Ural Airlines, Uzbekistan Air, Vietnam Airlines, VIM Airlines (Closed), Virgin Atlantic, Volotea, WestJet, WOW Airlines, Xiamen.
The North Face Surge vs. Jansport Odyssey: which should you pack?
The Jansport Odyssey carries 8L more than the The North Face Surge (31L vs. 39L), while the The North Face Surge is the lighter pack at 1.3kg (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 Odyssey; if you want to travel lighter, the The North Face Surge is the better call.