There’s a sort of love/hate relationship between back-to-school time and children. On the downside, the holidays are over, there’s homework and there’s a lengthy waiting period before that personal-best score in their latest game can be challenged. On the plus side, they get to hang out with their friends every day and there’s the potential for new stuff – and let’s be honest, even if it’s school-related items, kids like getting new things.
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So in order to make the grumpy expressions a little less grumpy, how about a brand new school bag? Technically yes, that could be interpreted as bribery. However, think of it instead as looking out for your child by making sure they get a bag that serves their carry needs well and that takes as much strain as possible off their bodies. It’s a win-win situation and gold stars all around, so let’s begin the lesson…
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Backpacks for the tiny kids
Look: Crazy ‘fun’ backpacks are kind of a tightrope. If you can keep your kids away from bags like these you might want to do so. Some are hideous and others may look cute and fun now but imagine having to look at them for the next 3 years and you may discover the appeal starts to wear thin (to be honest I think a couple of the packs in the link are pretty cute for kids and the spiked one holds a weird fascination for me because I’ve not seen anything like it before. However, I don’t have to interact with them five days a week).
Bear in mind that kids grow up relatively quickly and can change their likes and dislikes pretty quickly too – what they like today they may grow out of or dislike in a year or even a few months. For example, if you’re thinking along the lines of a pack with their favorite TV show characters on it, consider that their favorite show could change and they may want a new pack.
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So if you are considering a ‘fun’ bag you first need to ask yourself if it’s practical. Your kid may think it’s the bee’s knees but there’s no point in getting it if it isn’t going to serve their carry needs. There should be enough space to carry everything they need, plus it has to be well made. Note, this doesn’t mean it needs to withstand a hardcore mountain trek but you don’t want to purchase a new bag only to have it fall apart within a month. Next, consider whether your child really wants it or it’s exciting because it’s a novelty and they’ll get bored of it in a week. Lastly, be prepared that your kid may love it for months and then suddenly decide it isn’t the pack for them or alternatively they may have a growth spurt and need a bigger pack.
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Ergonomics: For the tiny kids, they should not be carrying much weight at all, so don’t get too caught up in ergonomics. What’s too much weight? Well if they fall over as soon as they stand up wearing the packed bag or they can’t be their usual bouncing-off-the-walls selves and are instead restricted to slow shuffling, it’s time to unpack some items. Essentially all they should carry is lunch, some clothes, and perhaps a favorite toy or two. If you click the image below you can check out an interesting article on the physical problems caused by carrying overloaded packs.
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Zips: Zips often top the list of things that will go wrong with kids’ packs, as they get caught and jammed on all sorts of items as the kids try to organize themselves. As always with zips, the bigger the better for durability, and if you can, shoot for the main brands (YKK, Riri).
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Organizing and Tech Padding: If your kids are going to be carrying around expensive tech items (for example laptops) make sure they have a pack with a padded pocket that will protect these items. It’s also a good idea to have one or two pockets located high on the back for carrying smaller delicate items. Remember that kids won’t be carrying that much so there’s no need to get a pack that goes crazy on the organizing compartments – leave that for mom and dad’s tech collection. As long as there’s a large main compartment, a padded tech pocket and a smaller pocket away from areas of pressure or stress, your kid should be good to go.
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Backpacks for bigger kids
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For older kids, bear in mind the above guidance but also consider some extras such as a pack with an internal frame and a waist belt if they’ll be carrying heavy loads. In terms of distributing the weight, make sure the pack has wide straps, is not too deep and that it is an appropriate length. What’s an appropriate length, you ask? Essentially the pack should fit within the silhouette of your child’s back. If it hangs down behind their butt, or sticks out wider than their shoulders, it’s going to jiggle and get in the way too much. This length guide applies to small kids and bigger kids.
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A lot of older kids are inclined to do the too-cool-for-school look of carrying their packs slung across one shoulder. This is fine if there’s hardly anything in it but as soon as a lot of weight is involved, carrying it all on one shoulder will start to alter their bodies, eventually forcing the body to become lopsided. So try to encourage them to carry backpacks on both shoulders – they may listen to you or you may get a mixture of ‘yeah, yeah, whatever’ or ‘what do you know about it?’ (it’s a worldly-wise age where the fact that their parents have been on the planet far longer than they have is totally irrelevant) and you’re ignored, or they do it when you’re around but at school it’s back to the single shoulder. First response – awesome. Second response – just consider who’s controlling their allowance. Third response – well something is better than nothing.
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So now that you have a sense of what to look for, check out some of our pack suggestions below that fit the bill…
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For the tiny kids
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Not cheap, but totally classic in a cult way is the Fjallraven Kånken Mini:
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The Optari backpack isn’t a classic, but it’s pretty fun:
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For the bigger kids
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The Dakine Campus is a classic pack that now comes in a recycled polyester option:
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The Osprey Zip 25 is a neat outdoor-style pack with ventilation and handy load-bearing features:
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The Quiksilver Grenade offers street cred and protection for tech items. It doesn’t have all the structure and support you could want in a pack but the waist belt and wide straps definitely help:
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The Gravis Metro rocks style and a variety of colorways, there’s loads of internal and external pockets (plus a dedicated laptop pocket), as well as adjustable shoulder straps with chest compression to help distribute the load efficiently:
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The Gregory Miwok is a good option for carrying heavy loads thanks to its compression system and the wide straps and waist belt. This pack is a trekking pack so if your kids are going to be hauling the kitchen sink plus extras, you may want to consider checking out the trekking brands since they design packs that enable loads to be carried over long periods of time:
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The North Face is a good option if you’re after a bag that can cater to general carry needs. Their Recon pack for instance is constructed well and offers wide straps, a chest strap and waist strap, along with pockets to keep things organized. There’s also a variety of colorways on offer:
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Other options
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Check out some of the great discount retailers and find a reputable brand (ie: one we talk about) that fits with your child’s sense of cool and functionality.
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Some of the better discounters to check are Department of Goods and Altrec Outlet.
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Final thoughts
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As a parent you are going to want to pick the most practical and durable pack you can get for your money – school is expensive enough without having to find some extra cash for a new school bag every few months, not to mention the fact that you want your kids to avoid back problems. Kids on the other hand are likely going to prioritize looks over functionality – when kids are young that fluffy, multi-colored bag with flashing lights and jingling bells is the greatest thing since they first discovered cake. The older kids get, the more self-conscious they become and the more peer pressure there is to fit in – they want what their friends have and it doesn’t matter that it’s not as practical as the ones their parents think they should have.
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So what do you do? Well consider what kind of pack your child needs, research some options (get your kid involved if he/she is old enough) and come up with a selection that meets most, if not all, the criteria you’re looking for. Once you have a selection, ask your child to pick one. They’ll probably pick one that they like the look of the best but at least you know that it’s going to meet their carry needs. Don’t forget if you’re ordering a bag online make sure you check the size measurements to see if it’s going to be a suitable fit.
Catherine
Catherine is a tea addict, a fan of hands-free carry (backpacks, messengers, etc.) Her favourite EDC is her Leatherman. Catherine’s also the reason our grammar and spelling is so awesome, running her eye over every post that you get to read.
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One other good kid option is the new MEC kinder book bag (found here: http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Packs/KidsPacks/PRD~5026-295/mec-kinder-book-bag.jsp). Similar to the campus pack, just shrunk for the lads and lassies.
Good call!
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What about book bags for adult graduate students that don’t look like your youngest daughters eastpac? I’m having a hard time finding a bag to carry large graduate school sized books, a laptop and accessories/cords/cables, assorted writing instruments, Thermos King. Would a Brain Bag work? What else is out there? Is this too much to ask for?
The Brain Bag – IMO – might still look a little ‘busy’. You may want to consider the Smart Alec, which has been on my want list for a while.
Yes, I looked at this but I don’t think it can carry enough. I looked at the modular mission pack but not sure that would be right for me. The gorucks are too tactical and not a good school bag but really nice. Same goes for the maxpedition and bags like that. I’m also trying to wave the buy USA flag which I could do with the Bihn bags. I have time. Graduate school does not begin until sept 2013.
Hi David. I’ve not tried this bag myself but perhaps the Quiksilver Graduate (or Graduate II) would suit your needs… http://www.geartrade.com/item/276818/graduate-backpack-2551cu-in-sunfist-plaid-one-size
May I ask where the picture of the blue Quiksilver Grenade backpack is sourced from? I’ve been looking for it EVERYWHERE on the web but can’t seem to find a place to buy it… not even the Quiksilver website seems to stock it anymore
Hi Luke, the picture is off the Quiksilver site it links to but as you’ve seen it’s not in stock anymore. I’ve just searched online for it myself and can’t find it anywhere in that colour either! Only things I could think of would be to get in touch with Quiksilver to see if they’re going to be bringing it out again in that colour at some point or alternatively post a query in the comments section of this post http://www.carryology.com/2012/10/08/carry-classifieds/ (I’ve searched through all the links on this post except for Craigslist but no luck finding the Grenade; however maybe one of our readers has a pack they could sell you or knows where to get one). Sorry I couldn’t locate one for you!