origins

While there are debates on when and where the first backpacks were made and used, they can be traced back to the Roman empire and some believe as far as some of the later cavemen. Regardless of when exactly backpacks came to be, it is a relatively simple concept that has grown into a designed object with hundreds of thousands of variations, versions, and models. When you walk into any school or on any college campus today, you see hundreds upon thousands of students with backpacks to carry the tools necessary for their education. To the other extreme, on the trails, you find hikers (now known as “backpackers”) hauling everything they need to survive on their back.

As long as humans have been alive and mobile, we have needed to carry things with us and backpacks have served their purpose in that way, but when we look deeper into their evolution we find a rich history of innovative design that have shaped our relationship with objects, commuting, and community. The design history of these objects gives us a look into the incredibly human ability to consistently improve and adapt for growing needs and desires.

Twilled rattan waterproof backpack created in the Phillippine Islands - shown in Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904

timeline

1860s

During the American Civil War, bedrolls become a common way to carry items in addition to the frameless knapsacks issued by the government. The convenience of quickly being able to pack up all belongings is important to soldiers who roll and strapped down items, slinging over their shoulders. Knapsacks are large, simple bags with minimal straps to keep other loose, less frequently needed items. Late 19th Century

Hobo “bindles” emerge, similar to the marching kits used in the Roman Legion but much more minimally using only a stick and bundle at the end.

625BC-476AD

Soldiers in the Roman Legion under the Roman Empire carry marching kits called furcas (latin for “fork”) which are one of the earliest forms of packs, hanging objects, gear, and bags off a cross shaped stick. 1876

Due to the discomfort of large packs, Henry Merriam invents a framed pack to transfer the weight from the shoulders to the hips. This invention is revolutionary and its influence can still be seen today in modern pack technology.

1920s

Bobbin and Shuttle’s Boy Scout Pack Carrier utilizes a wooden frame in an L shape to create a shelf with simple straps to set a large sack or any bag on top of. 1938

Jerry Cunningham added zippers to packs for the first time, upgrading from exclusively straps and buckles. This means more compartments and less weight for users. 1952

Aircraft engineer Dick Kelty creates the revolution that kickstarts modern backpacking: the aluminum frame backpack. Using extremely low weight materials like aircraft aluminum, parachute fabric, and plastic buckles, pieces, misc. items. In partnership with his wife, Nena, they craft and sew a lightweight pack on a aluminum frame with padded shoulder straps, focusing the weight onto the hips with a thick hip belt.

1909

Ole Bergen creates the first ergonomic knapsack using a piece of bent steel to structure the entire bag and keep items from hitting the back of the user. Inspiration is drawn from the packs of indigenous people in the Americas. 1924

Lloyd Nelson designs the first ever mass produced external frame pack. A wooden frame with a canvas pack utilizes canvas bands, steel pins, and tension to cushion the load, create ventilation, and keep the weight of the pack off shoulders. This pack is considered to be one of the first major steps in modern backpacking technology. 1940-1950s

After WWII, book bags started becoming commonplace for students. Fjallraven’s “Kanken” designed by Ake Nordin. He created a canvas bag attached to a frame held close to the body, up higher to relieve muscles on long hikes or walks. This backpack rose in popularity and still is manufactured and loved around the world today.

1950s

Utilizing lightweight nylon, Jerry Cunningham creates a frameless, nylon pack commonly associated with students today. 1970s

Three friends in Washington (Skip Yowell, an outdoor enthusiast; Murray Pletz, an engineer; and Jan Lewis, an accomplished seamstress) joined forces to create Jansport’s PanelLoading College backpacks. What starts with a design competition to create backpacking packs turns into inventing the modern standard of book bags. 1989

Competitive Biker and EMT Michael Eidson transforms medical equipment (an IV bag, surgical tubing, and a sock) into a hydration bladder for races so he doesn’t have to fumble around with bottles. These hydration packs become so popular, the company Camelbak emerges and the modern hydration bladder is born.

1967

Greg Lowe’s internal frame backpacks are a huge leap for the hiking community. For major hikers and mountain climbers, the loads individuals carry require control external frame packs lacked. Lowe’s internal frame keeps the pack close to the body and transfers weight to the hips while structuring the bag for intense loads. Sternum and compression straps (which are still seen on most backpacking packs today) are added to improve performance on the trails. 1984

Deuter’s mesh backing provides lightweight, ventilated structure improving comfort and performance for backpackers. It also distributes weight in a new way, relieving pressure and preventing pain.

2005

Tired of all the bells and whistles of typical backpacking packs, triple crowner Joe Valesco starts his company Zpacks. Utilizing a new carbon frame system and featuring dyneema, Zpacks creates a new category of ultralight packs.

Demetri and Kim Coupounas utilize dyneema to create backpacks with no frame or hip belt and develop a new brand, Go Lite. This is arguably the start of the “ultralight” movement in backpacking - utilizing the lightest material possible to minimize weight and rid all unnecessary features. 2015

A leader in the backpacking industry, Osprey, creates the Anti-Gravity Suspension System. This system utilizes mesh netting from the back down through the front of the hip pads to maximize airflow, improve weight redistribution, and increase surface area of support by unifying the suspension.