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Backpacks: Necessity or Fashion Statement?

You can love them or hate them, but some of us don’t know how we could live without them. Wearing them day in and day out, having various styles, trends, and colors to choose from – people can easily develop a love-hate relationship with their backpacks.

When they are filled to the brim and you have to walk back and forth across campus with possibly ten pounds on your back, the backpack starts to resemble the burden in Anderson’s Pilgrim’s Progress. However, some of us take great pride in our backpacks. Looking for that perfect style and size that makes you feel comfortable and fashionable, the backpack almost acts like a unisex purse.

At the risk of sounding nerdy, I have to admit, I loved my backpacks. By the end of the day, I was as grateful as anyone to remove the weight from my back. But my overall interest with my bags almost developed into somewhat of an obsession with them.

I had two backpacks for every semester. Since my classes were all twice a week and I hated switching books, I decided to develop a two-bag system. I had a Monday-Wednesday bag and a Tuesday-Thursday bag for the semester. Excessive? Not really. It was very useful since I had to stay on campus nearly all day, and I needed all of my books to complete homework in the library between classes. It was perfectly functional for someone like me, who had lots of books to carry and little time to be switching books.

Also, I had to buy a new backpack every year. It wasn’t completely out of the need for a new style either. Being a literature major meant that each of my classes required either a couple of heavy books or several lighter ones every day. This could put a real strain not only on my back, but my backpacks as well. My bags would get so weighed down that I would always see them tear at the seams either inside the pockets or outside the zippers, so books could actually fall out of my bag.

When buying new bags became a necessity, I decided to have fun with it. I alternated with various styles of the standard two-shoulder strap bag.  And, I even tried the single strap bag, which almost looks businesslike. The single strap proved to cause injury though. Too much weight hanging on your shoulder is not good for you, apparently. Unless you have a light load of books, I do not recommend this bag… although their styles can be so tempting!

I was never interested in the rolling bags though. They always reminded me of going to the airport, and I couldn’t see myself storing my books in luggage. Not to mention the fact that people can hear them rolling a mile away. Considering how I practically ran to my classes every day that kind of roller would have just slowed me down. Although, I bet it would have been a lot easier on my back and shoulders.

I did however try a see-through backpack and all privacy was lost. I even had a backpack with a tire-like base, which was perfect for standing upright, though heavier than other bags.  I was always tempted to try those miniature backpacks that were smaller than a regular backpack, but larger than a purse. Of course, seeing as how I carried so many books, it just never seemed practical.

So, my intrigue/obsession with backpacks was a partial necessity, but it was also something more to me. Besides being a fashion-statement, my backpacks were fun. I can compare my intrigue with backpacks to having different purses. Each bag fulfilled a certain function better than another with space, pockets, eye-appeal, or size. But they were all enjoyable to use and switch from because I got to pick them out and change my own style.

I will never understand those students who used their big purses to carry a binder or even those students who just carry their books under their arms. They obviously don’t understand the simple pleasure of owning a backpack.