The North Face Surge vs. Gregory Nano 24L

Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.

The North Face Surge

Front facing view of the The North Face Surge
Capacity31 L
Weight1.3 kg
Dimensions51×31×18 cm
Airline fit89%
Price$140

Feature by feature

The North Face SurgeFeatureGregory Nano 24L
Storage
2 Compression 2
None Expanded Capacity None
0 Opening 0
front Passport front
N Passthrough N
Carry
Y Backpack Y
removable Hip Belt removable
Y Sternum Strap Y
Inside
15in Laptop N
3 Main Compartments 3
Y Organizer N
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) finish210D High Density 40% Recycled Nylon / 450D 100% recycled Polyester with C0 DWR

Gregory Nano 24L

Front facing view of the Gregory Nano 24L
Capacity24 L
Weight0.6 kg
Dimensions53×28×23 cm
Airline fit70%
Price$100

Key differences between the The North Face Surge and Gregory Nano 24L

Both have: compression straps, passport pocket, backpack straps, hip belt, sternum strap, 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. 132 accept both. 37 accept only the The North Face Surge, and 1 accept only the Gregory Nano 24L.

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, Oman Air, Pakistan International, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, 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 Gregory Nano 24L fits

Great Lakes Airlines.

The North Face Surge vs. Gregory Nano 24L: which should you pack?

The The North Face Surge carries 7L more than the Gregory Nano 24L (31L vs. 24L), while the Gregory Nano 24L is the lighter pack at 0.6kg (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 The North Face Surge; if you want to travel lighter, the Gregory Nano 24L is the better call.