What are the Different Kinds of Backpacks?

It's always fun to look through the different types of backpacks available at the store. Isn't it amazing how many different choices we have?

I'm a college student, so my needs for a backpack are pretty straightforward:

I need it to be able to carry heavy loads without the straps or fabric tearing. I carry lots of stuff cross-campus every day -- sometimes two textbooks per class, my P.E. clothes, P.E. shoes, lunch, water bottle, wallet and Netbook along with power cords and such.

I need it to be big enough to fit all of that stuff in without being so big it looks like I'm going for a mountain hike. Fitting through doorways is a must...and I'm only half-joking about that!

I need it to be distinctive enough to recognize as mine. Buses and stores these days make you leave backpacks at the front half of the time due to terrorist threats, so I need to be able to recognize which pack is mine instantly to grab it as I exit. Unique colors or an unusual design style are pluses to me.

Finally, it needs to be comfortable to wear. Carrying around all of that weight every time I walk around campus is tough enough without straps cutting into my shoulders.

If you're a college student and you're thinking of using a backpack, keep the above stuff in mind! I'm a pro at this by now, I know what I'm doing.

@ahain - I've seen kids wearing those harness backpacks around town. Doesn't look inhumane or like the kid is on a dog leash to me, so don't worry that it looks bad to others. Safety is the most important thing for your kid, especially safety around cars.

Anyway, I think this kind of backpack is cute -- I've seen the monkey type you're describing, as well as a dinosaur, a cat (leopard, if I recall correctly), and a teddy bear. Several of them had tail leashes that were removable with a fastener similar to a dog leash.

I wonder who makes this kind of backpack? It's a really cute idea, practical for both the parent and child, and teaches your toddler how to use a backpack to carry stuff around at a pretty young age (which seems like a really important skill in school!)

To add my two cents to the more hardcore hiking side of this backpack conversation, my personal favorite backpacks for heavy duty wear and tear are Swiss Army backpacks. Swiss Army makes everything tough and durable, really; even the Netbook sleeve I bought by them holds up better than the average brand.

As far as types of backpacks go, this probably doesn't sound very impressive, but what about plushie backpacks? I'm the parent of a little girl who absolutely adores her plush backpack that is shaped like a monkey.

It's really cute when she wears it, because it looks like the monkey is on her back hugging around her shoulders (the straps at the arms and legs).

This kind of backpack is pretty small, with only one simple pouch to hold very small amounts of stuff since a toddler can't carry much on her back.

It serves a double purpose, though -- the monkey's tail is actually a strap that I can hold onto so that she can't wander off while we're out on the street or anything. It looks a bit like a dog leash with a harness, as weird as that sounds.

Since my daughter thinks of her monkey backpack fondly, she loves wearing it, and I love the peace of mind that she won't be able to run into traffic if I let go of her hand for a second.

@seHiro - A cautionary tale! It could have been worse, I guess -- you got the laptop into your backpack in time to save it from getting ruined, after all.

In general, when choosing a backpack it's important to consider what you'll be asking of it. It sounds like your friend just brought his usual city backpack, figuring it would hold things well enough, but actually needed a pack that would withstand more weather and wear and tear.

I myself do not do hiking as a hobby, but my brother does, so I get to see what kind of gear he uses. His backpacks are those tough heavy duty hiker kind with a metal frame on the back and pouches for water and such.

Maybe you can tell me, since you do hiking more seriously -- what's the metal bar for? According to WiseGEEK, it is used to hold gear strapped onto it, and also for extra support, but I'm curious if it has any other uses.

For anybody looking to go backpacking in the Pacific Northwest -- say, in Forks, home of the Twilight vampire craze as well as the Olympic National Rain Forest? -- take a few words of advice from a local resident.

If you go hiking, be aware that this area is known for bears and cougars. Yes, you can actually run into one face to face.

Also, look into waterproof backpacks. I had a buddy from California come up here to go hiking with me, and he brought a city style backpack -- you know, the kind with the MP3 player pockets? -- and insisted on lugging his laptop along for a nature hike. The laptop seemed silly to me, since we weren't going to be anywhere near an electric socket or an internet connection, but I figured if he was willing to carry it, I'd leave him be.

Well, this being Forks, it poured rain during our hike. Lo and behold, his backpack wasn't waterproof, and his laptop got a bit damp before we both realized what was going on and I stuck it into my waterproof pack. Lesson learned -- he says next time we hike, he'll let me pick his gear for him.