# Suggestions on school backpacks **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 7, 2005, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612 "2005-01-07T18:11:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/1 "2005-01-07T18:11:41Z")
The school year is half over, and Ivyboy’s gone through his third or fourth back pack. We switched to gym bags after the first one, thinking they’d be sturdier, but no such luck. Ivyboy is a sophomore, and his books are thicker and there are more of them. Those flimsy things they sell at Target just aren’t cutting it, so I’m on a quest to find a sturdy one that will last at least through high school, if not college. Heck, even a old backpack he inherited from Grandma that had previously lasted through community college gave up the ghost. I’m afraid I’m going to have to spend $50-$100 on a good one, and I’ll take a look at my local Bass Pro Shop to see if they have anything worthwhile in their sporting goods section. Can anyone recommend a good, sturdy, reliable backpack that will put up with abuse from an almost 16-year-old boy who walks to and from school? ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/2 "2005-01-07T18:14:11Z")
Army surplus? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/3 "2005-01-07T18:25:26Z")
How big are those? He doesn’t need anything big like a swag or duffel bag. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/4 "2005-01-07T18:29:25Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > How big are those? He doesn’t need anything big like a swag or duffel bag. I’m pretty confident that I’ve seen smaller packs in the surplus stores. Not full backpacks, but perhaps larger than napsacks. It might be worth a look—especially if you can save yourself fifty bucks and buy me a Chambers Dictionary with the proceeds. Problem: Army surplus may send unintended signals to people; i.e. the principal (sp?) may decide that he has a Michigan Militia guy running around his school just because you don’t want to waste money. :rolleyes: Principals (sp?) are so reactionary. Regardless, if there is a surplus store near by, it may be worth a look-see. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/5 "2005-01-07T18:31:54Z")
[L.L.Bean](http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=254&catalogId=1&storeId=1&feat=ln) ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/6 "2005-01-07T18:37:49Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > [L.L.Bean](http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=254&catalogId=1&storeId=1&feat=ln) Kids in my old high school would have their LL Bean backpacks for four years (and beyond - my fiance, who is 25, just got rid of his high school LL Bean bag). I’m not sure if they still do this, but LL Bean monograms bags. Sometimes, they put the wrong letters or names on the bags, and they get sent back. They can’t be sold full price, so they sell the monogrammed bags at a discount. I don’t know how much they are, but it’s an idea if you don’t want to spend a lot on the bag. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/7 "2005-01-07T18:43:36Z")
REI, perhaps? I’ve been using an REI bag for about six years now for various things and it’s held together pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/8 "2005-01-07T18:44:58Z")
I had a Bean backpack for years. What I use now is a [Jansport](http://www.jansport.com/productdetail.php?tid=5&cid=11&pid=TN06) . It has tons of room and these great “Airlift 2.0” straps that really take the weight off. I got it for about $50, so it is in your range. I carry tons of books to and from school on my bike and I havne’t seen any signs of wear at all. ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/9 "2005-01-07T19:02:45Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > [L.L.Bean](http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=254&catalogId=1&storeId=1&feat=ln) I concur. One L.L. Bean backpack lasted me all through high school, and I never had a conveniently-placed locker so I usually had all my books in it all day. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/10 "2005-01-07T19:17:07Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#): > > Problem: Army surplus may send unintended signals to people; i.e. the principal (sp?) may decide that he has a Michigan Militia guy running around his school just because you don’t want to waste money. :rolleyes: Principals (sp?) are so reactionary. Well, the kidlets are in private school, so we don’t have to worry about mindless zero-tolerance crap. Thanks for the help, guys! ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/11 "2005-01-07T19:40:41Z")
> [@My Darn Snake Legs](#): > > I had a Bean backpack for years. What I use now is a [Jansport](http://www.jansport.com/productdetail.php?tid=5&cid=11&pid=TN06) . It has tons of room and these great “Airlift 2.0” straps that really take the weight off. I got it for about $50, so it is in your range. I carry tons of books to and from school on my bike and I havne’t seen any signs of wear at all. I used to always buy Jansports and after about a year or two of use, they’d _always_ fall apart at the seams. I finally decided to stop buying $50 backpacks and just buy a cheap $20 one from Target if I was gonna have to replace it every year anyway. Of course, now I’ve had the Target one for something like 8 years and it still looks great. Don’t know what the morale of the story is other than Jansports suck… ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/12 "2005-01-07T19:57:55Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > I used to always buy Jansports and after about a year or two of use, they’d _always_ fall apart at the seams. I finally decided to stop buying $50 backpacks and just buy a cheap $20 one from Target if I was gonna have to replace it every year anyway. Of course, now I’ve had the Target one for something like 8 years and it still looks great. Don’t know what the morale of the story is other than Jansports suck… I wore through several Jansports between middle school and law school, but if you mail a ripped or worn-out or otherwise damaged backpack back to Jansport, they will either repair or replace it, and ship it back to you for free. I have done this before, and they always came through. It’s a nice service, but it won’t do you much good to be without your backpack for a few weeks (unless you wait for summer to repair it). ---
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/13 "2005-01-07T22:43:11Z")
This may sound a bit strange, but what the heck. In highschool I bought a backpack from the Midwest Company (dept. L-4519 9043 S. Western Ave Chicago Il 60620) that is made of the toughest suede (but it’s utility style, not designer). Just thirty dollars and you got a free compass too! Way too many years later the darned thing looks brand new and I’ve only made one repair when a bit of the stitching came loose. I don’t know if the company is still around, but my back issue of Smithsonian magazine is where I found the address above and it mentioned they’d been in business for 54 years, so maybe there’s a chance they’re still around. From what I’ve seen here at school, LL Bean lasts a good long time but eventually gives out, so their replacement policy makes the initial investment worthwhile. ---
**Author:** ![Priam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/14 "2005-01-07T23:41:25Z")
I’ve had an OutBrook backpack for about 11 years now and only very, very recently (past few months) has it started to give way on the seams. And this is hard wear I’m referring to: tossing bag across the room, overstuffing it til just before it burst for years, slinging at people, sitting on it… everything. I call that a good deal. ---
**Author:** ![Miabella](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@Miabella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miabella)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/15 "2005-01-08T00:01:05Z")
I’m also going to strongly recommend L.L. Bean. I have been using the same L.L.Bean backpack since my sophomore year in high school (1991-1992). It has served me well through high school, college, and graduate school. I still use it everyday as my work bag, and it’s in great shape and still looks nice. They are so worth the money. ---
**Author:** ![RFBluesValentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@RFBluesValentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RFBluesValentine)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/16 "2005-01-08T00:01:58Z")
I bought a giant Adidas backpack from the clearance shelf at TJ Maxx and I love it. It was about $25, it’s lasted me through a year of college so far, and it’s huge. The straps are padded and aren’t ripping off yet–which is more than I can say for my old backpack, which survived through about two weeks of my first semester. One of my coworkers buys L.L. Bean bags for her middle-schooler stepsons, who are supposedly excellent at destroying backpacks. I’m not sure if they’ve been destroyed yet (the bags, not the kids!), but she swears by Bean’s lifetime repair-or-replace policy. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/17 "2005-01-08T00:08:17Z")
I just started law school; I use an Army Surplus backpack I got for, I think, $17. It’s not really ergonomically perfect (the straps are very narrow and not padded), but it holds my laptop and all my books easily and conveniently. Plus it looks cool. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/18 "2005-01-08T00:20:16Z")
I’ll also recommend the LL Bean backpacks. My kids both have them and they’re still going strong (the backpacks, not the kids). My son has had his since Kindergarten and he’s in third grade now, and it looks like new. It’s a smaller model, so I think I’ll get him a new one next year. He’s using a regular binder this year and that plus his other books barely fit in it. My daughter got a new one when she started high school, and she’s in 11th grade this year, so it’s three years old. Hers is in great shape, too. She should be able to use it for years. ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/19 "2005-01-08T00:36:20Z")
I’ll throw another voice of support behind the LL Bean bags. I used one all through high school and two bachelors degrees, and it still has lots of life left in it. ---
**Author:** ![Miabella](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@Miabella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miabella)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612/20 "2005-01-08T00:49:11Z")
> [@Miabella](#): > > I’m also going to strongly recommend L.L. Bean. I have been using the same L.L.Bean backpack since my sophomore year in high school (1991-1992). It has served me well through high school, college, and graduate school. I still use it everyday as my work bag, and it’s in great shape and still looks nice. They are so worth the money. Oops, I was just thinking about it, and my sophomore year in high school was actually 1990-1991. So add another year onto that bag’s age. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-on-school-backpacks/283612.md?page=2)