The Backpack

A backpack is a bag you wear on your back using two straps over your shoulders. Kids carry books, lunch, and school supplies in their backpacks. Hikers and travelers also use backpacks to carry their gear.

The History of the Backpack

People have carried things on their backs for thousands of years using simple bags and frames. In 1938, Gerry Cunningham made the first zippered backpack with a lightweight frame. It was designed for hiking and camping.

Backpacks became popular with school kids in the 1960s and 1970s. Before that, students carried their books in their arms or used book straps. Today, almost every student in America uses a backpack.

Backpacks Today

Modern backpacks come in all sizes and styles. School backpacks have pockets for water bottles, laptops, and pencils. Hiking backpacks are bigger and have frames to support heavy loads.

Some backpacks have wheels so you can roll them like a suitcase. Others have built-in charging ports for your phone. Backpacks spread the weight evenly across both shoulders, which is much better for your back than carrying a heavy bag on one side.

Fun Facts

• The oldest known backpack is over 5,000 years old, found with a frozen man in the Alps.
• About 40 million backpacks are sold in the United States every year for back-to-school season.
• Astronauts wear a type of backpack in space that lets them fly around outside the spaceship.

Did You Know?

Doctors recommend that your backpack should weigh no more than 10 to 15 percent of your body weight to keep your back healthy.