You’ve no doubt heard those “stories” about your dad carrying his schoolbooks in an old burlap sack, walking to school uphill both ways — in the snow!
Well, that was then (maybe). This is now (for sure). Because, thanks to things like school buses, snowplows and highly engineered book bags, you’ve got it easy. These days, the hardest part is wading through the endless options. So to help you pick a pack that’ll work best for your needs, we hooked up with Chris Haslam. As a professional skater Haslam travels the world — always armed with his trusty backpack — and he helps his sponsor, Dakine, design its backpacks. Haslam fills us in on what you need to know to make smart backpack buying decisions:
THE LOWDOWN
There are several types of daypacks. First, you have the traditional backpack-style pack, which is most popular. Messenger bags and sling bags have many of the same features as traditional daypacks but in an over-the-shoulder design. And, finally, there are roller bags, school packs inspired by wheeled luggage.
COMFORT IS KING
Sure, a cool looking pack is, well, cool — but comfort must be your No. 1 concern. Bottom line: books are heavy. You want a backpack with padded shoulder straps, a padded back panel and maybe even a hip belt and sternum strap, which help you carry heavy loads easier.
“Look for adjustable straps that accommodate bigger or smaller body frames,” Haslam says. “It should fit well on your back and shoulders.”
Try it on. Make sure the bag doesn’t ride up toward your shoulders or sag down in the back. It should sit comfortably in the small of your back.
SIZE MATTERS
Take a quick inventory of the things you’ll be carrying on most days. Will everything fit inside the pack? And do you have extra room for gym clothes and things you might carry occasionally, like snow boots or your bicycle helmet? Check the tag, too. The amount of stuff a pack can carry is measured in cubic inches. Be sure to measure the width of your school locker to make sure the bag will fit inside. If you have lots of heavy books and you can’t go to your locker between classes, consider a roller bag. You’ll be able to drag it effortlessly most places (you’ll still have to lift it up and down stairs and onto the bus).
FEATURES
Some guys prefer bags with one big bin-style compartment, while others like plenty of pockets, dividers and holders to keep their stuff organized. Look for handy extras like a cellphone holster, key holder, fleece-lined sunglasses pockets and ports for your headphones.
“A laptop sleeve at the back of the bag is always nice,” Haslam says. “That way you don’t have to search through your bag and figure out what it’s stuck on when you’re trying to pull it out.”
DURABILITY
A quality pack should last long past your high school graduation. Look for bags with sturdy reinforced
bottoms and load-bearing seams lined with binding tape. If you live where it rains a lot, get a water-resistant pack. And never underestimate the need for heavy-duty zippers.
“Thick zippers help keep your bag closed when it’s packed really tight,” Haslam says. “And the straps and buckles need to be strong, too, for those days when the bag is full.”
BEYOND SCHOOL
If you plan to use your backpack for more than just hauling your homework back and forth from school, look for a pack designed with other activities in mind. For instance, if you love skateboarding consider a pack with a skate keeper.
“The thing I look for in a skate pack is that they have Velcro board straps,” Haslam says. “They are more secure in holding the board in one place than just the clip straps.”
Need your pack to do double duty on those Scout outings? Look for a hiking-style daypack that has a large capacity (at least 1,500 cubic inches) and perhaps room for a hydration bladder.
Not sure which gear to buy? Need tips for maintaining your equipment?
I have the REI Lookout 40 pack which is a very comfortable and durable pack with a full frame (HDPE frame sheet, aluminum stay) for only $100.
Scout Direct sells Alps Mountaineering packs for 40% off to scouts; really nice packs and tents too. I have the Solitude 3300 ci model w/ waist belt. Give it a peek.
I just got a new day pack called The Compact Assault Pack b Condor. It has a little over 1000 C.U.I (cubic inches). It will be my primary hunting back pack as well as a day pack.
Am I the only one who uses High Sierra?
Yup!
My son uses a small High Sierra day pack when we go on bike rides. I just stick with my Black Hawk pack though. If its lasted me this long then why buy something else?
nope i use high sierra i have one for school one as a day pack and one as a hunting and backpacking bag
Yuppers
I really have so many backpacks, I won’t need another till I’m 40! I love my New Balance bag, but the elastics on the front are a breaking hazard!
If you can afford $100.00 a Duluth Pack Daypack is great and guaranteed for life; find that anywhere else. I have two: blue for summer and orange for winter. Made with thick waterproof canvas, leather straps (Padded if desired) and rivits.
I love the duluth pack backpacks! They are incredibly durable, strong and many are quite big. My only complaint is the dye used to color the fabric stains everything in the backpack when it gets wet. You might want a pack cover if you use it outdoors or where it might get wet
They are supposted to be sealed in Canvac before outdoor use. This prevent color bleeding.
My old day pack is falling apart time to find a new one.
I have the Flash 18. It holds a bladder, has lots of space, has a hip belt and a sternum strap,and it turns inside out becoming a sleeping bag stuff sack. It is $30 at REI.
Try a Teton Sports The Executive pack. I don’t actually own it but I do have the Explorer 4000 and the Scout 3400 and both are great packs so I highly recommend any Teton products they are cheap but reliable. P.S. Go to Gear Guy backpacks and see my comment on the Explorer 4000. Hope you like it.
Man try other packs instead of just Tetons!
I did I tried i tinny Remington pack and that was terrible! I guess I love tetons so much because I had such a bad pack before i got a good one
maxpedition all the way. I own a Falcon 2. it may seem expensive, but it is worth the price.
North Face makes some good day packs, but unlike Camelbak, it doesn’t have good space for a waterbladder. I just got a Camelbak daypack for x-mas and just looking at it I can tell it is awesome.
Your right camelbaks are great.
North face makes horrible packs
I just use my hunting pack for scouting activities. I have a Cabela’s Scout Elite pack. its got enough room for the essentials, plus anything else I want to throw in there. Plus they come in lots of different camo patterns, so can pick the one that looks most like where you hunt. Mine’s a sagebrush pattern, and it blends in really well.
The name sounds sweet but how much $ is it?
camelbak is good for a camp daypack
Sometimes the Walmart brand is a good choice for a cheap day pack. They are very good.
That’s true, I just bought a daypack from Wal-mart and it works just as well as the more expensive sports store variety~~~worked much better on my pocketbook, too.
i have a real good element pak
DON`T OVER PACK!!!!
I want a durable daypac
Guys, they’re day packs! They’re aren’t meant to look cool. They are just meant to carry your simple small gear, water, and stuff you’d use for the day. And they are NOT YOUR SCHOOL BACKPACK!!! They don’t cost that much, the most expensive one I’ve seen was like $15. Unless you mean Camel-Backs and stuff like that, those can be a little pricy.
element and burton r the best if u sk8
Where can you get some of the hiking backpacks like in the magazine?
My dad was in iraq and when he came back he gave me his camelbak backpack to have and it is AWESOME. Since it is military issue it has a built in water hydration pack in it. Very spacious and has a cool feature like being waterproof! Camelbak rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chose camelbak if you need water bottles, hydration packs, or even day packs. Best brand!!!!!!!
i use my camelbak mule as a dat pack it is not the cheapest but its alsome
SAME HERE
I don’t go bkpacking much but ill use this site if ido
I have a backpack from west 49 that I bought 3 years ago and I use it every day for school.
I have a daypack that I use for school and for Scouts. A good backpack is indispensable.
I am on my 5 th backpack for school
(Green: up to 2nd grade)
(Yellow: 2nd to 5th and almost all of the 2nd half of 7th grade)
(Red: 6th and 1st half of 7th grade)
(Clear: few days of 7th grade)
(Blue: (End of 7th grade to now)
I love my camelback for everything trips, hiking, and just being a day pack but my favorite thing is the hydration system.
wierd it doesn’t show the pictures
cool
i like north face backpacks because they have many things like a waterproof cover!
Sling backpacks rock! I have an addiedas one.
I really like the dc back pack it is not that bad but some are really exspensive but i lie them
backpacks should look cool and have some style
you got that right homlse
those backpacks r super ugly
0 stars,
100,000,000,000,000,000 thumbs-down.
Hey I just think It’s cool how you always post pics and prices not just info.
(Maybe I’ll buy some nice DC shoes Nav II)
all the back packs zippers break they are not very good
Some are too expensive!!!!!!
there very ugly
no they are awesome and look cool.they are not ugly
the backpacks r ugly
What about backpacking packs? Inner and outter frames? What about those backpacking/camping packs?
Why isn`t there any camping backpacks???
How come most of the backpacks are normal? Anyway thank you for some ideas.
Thank you for helping me chose a backpack