backpack ideas?

[Sarlon]

while i LOVE my bag of holding messenger bag, for the space and being water resistant.....my books and notes for college classes are getting bigger and heavier.

I need a backpack that can hold my laptop, books 2-3, 2-3 folders, calculator, pens, pencils, notebooks. Also needs to be water resistant (if not water proof) and broad padded shoulder straps.

I don't mind going back to a backpack, compared to the messenger bag. but need something durable.

[Kittish]

I'd say start by looking at outdoors suppliers, their backpacks seem to tend to be sturdier and better designed than those marketed primarily toward students.

[Monica]

When I was in High School I had an L.L. Bean backpack. Normally I would have to buy a pack back every school year, but not with this one. The shoulder straps never worn down.I would highly recommend them.

[Dreamstalker]

I recently got myself a Fjallraven Kanken and love it. The one I got is more of a basic daypack and not meant for heavy stuff, but they have a number of different models (I know they have a 'laptop' Kanken model).

[Aria]

I don't have a specific model but my mom is an avid backpacker and she won't get a pack that doesn't have a waist strap. That takes a lot of weight off your shoulders and is seriously comfortable.

[Yfandes]

I like my Timbuk2 uptown backpack: http://www.timbuk2.com/uptown-tsa-fr...52-3-1269.html. The main compartment holds a ton of stuff, the TSA friendly laptop flap is great if you fly much, and well padded. My iPad has a pocket I there as well, plus lots of pockets for electronics and bits. My only complaint is that the bottle pocket on the side is too shallow for anything but the smallest bottle, but maybe they've improved it. It's vaguely water repellent, I'd spray it with waterproofing if I wanted more. There's also other styles you might like better there, and often there's better deals at Amazon.

[Kogarashi]

When I was in High School I had an L.L. Bean backpack. Normally I would have to buy a pack back every school year, but not with this one. The shoulder straps never worn down.I would highly recommend them.

I'll add my recommendation for L.L. Bean. I had my backpack through high school and all five years of university, and it did a great job. Lots of space, padded shoulders, waist strap as well as bottom-of-the-bag section for holding gym clothes for if I went to the weight room or track...it was a good backpack. I still have it, actually, and my oldest borrowed it for a while when her backpack gave out at school (before we got her a new backpack more her size).

[Seshat]

The most comfortable backpack I've ever used is Bast's old hiking backpack. It's long been superceded by newer models, so instead of going and finding it, I'll just tell you what makes it so good.

- a metal frame against your back, light but strong, and well padded.
- a padded chest/shoulder 'cage' of straps, not just shoulder straps. There's a clip on the chest that connects both sides.
- a waist belt low enough that much of the weight is actually supported by the hips rather than the shoulders. (If you look at a skeleton, the weight on the hipbone is directly through bones, whereas weight on the clavicle/scapula - shoulder bones - is supported by muscles.)

[BearLeeBadenaugh]

Here's the backpack I currently use for my big laptop(17" screen). http://targus.com/us/17-xl-laptop-backpack-txl617

I like it, for the most part, but it has an issue I find in a lot of computer carriers. Padding, yes, but nothing rigid. The laptop becomes the reinforcing backbone if you cinch things down too tight.

If I were going to be buying a new backpack for my laptop right now, I'd probably look into one of the hard shell models made by Pelican, like the S130. http://www.pelican.com/backpacks/S130.html

They're not cheap(right around $300 for the S130, iirc), but outside of going to one of those aluminum briefcase dealios, where else can you find waterproof and crush proof portable storage for your laptop.

I definitely agree with Seshat on a frame pack being the best when you've got a load to carry. Keeps the weight centered at the hips and aligned with the body. It's been a while since I even glanced at backpacking packs, so I'm not sure how they range size wise now, but when I was into backpacking even the small frame packs made my school backpack seem teeny.

However, if you do get a regular pack and want to get one of the benefits of a frame pack, it's not hard at all to retrofit the pack with a better waist belt.

[mjr]

I glanced at the title, and thought it said "bareback ideas"...

Oops...

But I'd second what someone else said about an "outdoors" type backpack. Might be better.

[Luna Baby]

My kids always went through at least 2 backpacks a year. Oldest went through 5 in one year, including an Army backpack. I found Swiss Gear at our local office supply on discount and purchased it. Loved it so well, we bought a second one for the younger boy. Oldest has since graduated and still uses it when he is traveling. Youngest is still using his as well. Would not say it's waterproof, but definitely water resistant.

[bbbr]

Ive always liked LL Beans Rucksack (http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/79241...ental-rucksack) for hauling stuff around. Not a whole lot of organization within it but it easily handles a 17" laptop, the side pockets take the 1 liter Nalgene bottles, there's a frame sheet for supporting heavy loads and a small internal pocket for holding a phone and ID (with a port for earbuds). And there's no zipper to blow out when overloaded. I used mine for college and continue to use for day hikes and 2-3 day trips.