# Best and worst backpack brands **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 24, 2002, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-backpack-brands/105430 "2002-04-24T20:43:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-backpack-brands/105430/21 "2002-04-25T16:06:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by arisu \* > \*\*I must have some bizarre mutant JanSport. I’ve had it since sophmore year of high school (6 years). It’s taken my abuse rather well… \*\* I’ve had two Jansport daypacks-- the first lasted about 7 years of high-school hauling abuse. Someone then surprised me with a new Jansport, which has lasted \ another 8 years. The zipper’s starting to go, but otherwise it’s fine. For travelling, I use a Mountain Equipment Co-op bag called the Orbit (or Orion, I can’t remember the real name). My friend Janis has been hauling hers around Asia, Europe, and North America for 5 years, living from its contents for months at a time, and looks like it just came off the shelf. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-backpack-brands/105430/22 "2002-04-25T17:50:11Z")
I’ve had a Gregory daypack for 13 years. That thing’s amazing. I own Kelty external frame and North Face internal frame backpacks. The Kelty got me through 6 years in Colorado with no problem. The North Face has a top cover that doubles as a fanny pack. I actually use the fanny pack more. No complaints about either. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-backpack-brands/105430/23 "2002-04-25T18:06:38Z")
> [@](#): > > …doubles as a fanny pack. Waiting for a UK Doper to comment on that… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-backpack-brands/105430/24 "2002-04-25T18:19:37Z")
I have 3 mutant JanSports that are holding up fine. I don’t think I’d take one backpacking though. I love my Dana Designs backpack. It’s been to the Canadian Rockies, Wyoming’s Wind River Range, Southwest Utah and all over New Zealand. It’s a great pack. ---
**Author:** ![Sterra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sterra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterra)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-backpack-brands/105430/25 "2002-04-25T18:46:25Z")
Best: L. L. Bean I have had my L. L. Bean backpack for so long(since middle school to college) that I can’t even remember the backpacks I have had before it. ---
**Author:** ![kjorsty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kjorsty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjorsty)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-backpack-brands/105430/26 "2002-04-25T20:48:50Z")
I really like the Lowe Alpine I use for backpacking, but I also like the Lowe Alpine daypack I stole, from my partner, to replace my Kelty. Lowe contours the edges of the padded shoulder straps so it makes for a comfortable fit. I found with my Kelty that the square cut of the shoulder straps dug into my shoulders, which made it painful to wear with any kind of weight in it. I wouldn’t say Kelty was the worst, but that it really didn’t work for me. Also, if it’s a backpacking pack you’re looking for, the Lowe Scirocco I own is made for people of shorter stature (women in particular), so it fits my frame well. Mr. kjorsty had a Gregory for well over a decade. He replaced it this last year with a new Gregory pack, which seems very well designed for backpacking. Even if you’re just looking for a daypack, it doesn’t hurt to put some weight in it and wear it around the store for 5-15 minutes to see how it fits and wears on your body. It’s a lot like looking for shoes. Good luck looking for a pack. ---
**Author:** ![haardvark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@haardvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haardvark)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-backpack-brands/105430/27 "2002-04-25T21:04:35Z")
I forgot to check where the OP’er was based but just about any gear I have purchased from [Mountain Equipment Co-op](http://www.mec.ca/Main/home.jsp) has been pretty well bullet proof. My daypack has survived 7 years of university and 3 years in the real world, and it has not been babyed at all. Also last year I bought a Serratus “Orion” from them which has not had a chance to prove itself yet in terms of age, but certainly caused me to fall in love with it in terms of ever-lovin’ **function**. Having owned a couple of so-so travel packs (spalding, coleman etc) this item was a revelation and a pure joy to travel with … Don’t know if MEC sells outside of Canada but dollar for dollar I think you would have a hard time doing better (and I happened to have been in an REI store in the NW suburbs of Chicago shortly before I bought this pack, so I have some idea what was out there last year at least and what it was worth… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-backpack-brands/105430.md?page=1)