

#2: Gerry Cunningham: The Zippered Backpackīob Harrell, The Atlanta Constitution, March 1969 That was all it took for the product to spread like wildfire, becoming the most popular bag for use in the great outdoors! Geological Survey teams.Īfter Nelson sold his business during the Great Depression, the Boy Scouts of America discovered the joy of Trapper Nelsons. Sales mostly came from Forest Service firefighters and U.S. With inflation, that would be equivalent to about $112 today.

The Trapper Nelson came in three sizes, with the largest costing $7.50 each. Two years later he received a patent for a backpack with a wooden frame called the Trapper Nelson, which was mass produced and sold all over the country in 1922. Lloyd Nelson, known as the father of outdoor sports, was hiking around Alaska with a bag made from sticks and seal skin. Heres what you need to know about these forward-thinking inventors:

Dick and Nina Kelty then took the design to the next level by crafting modern bags with padded straps that look similar to the backpacks we use today. Lloyd Nelson and Gerry Cunningham, two men in the hiking industry, created bags with lightweight materials, straps, and zippers in the 20's and 30's. It's tough to give credit to one person for inventing the backpack as there were a few people who deserve credit. Lives, and in so doing explore ourselves.Ĭhris Townsend, author of The Backpacker's Handbook The heart of backpacking lies in the journey, the desire to explore a world beyond our everyday Today, you can see his backpack and other gear on display at the South Tyrol Museum of Archeology in Bolzano, Italy. Ötzi used this bag to carry essential items like medicinal fungus, arrows, flint tools, awls, and needles. A couple of German hikers stumbled upon his corpse, as well as his clothing and equipment, in 1991.Īmong the items found was a rucksack made of leather, hazelwood, and latchwood. This ancient man was traveling across Val Senales Valley in Italy when he was killed and preserved in the glaciers. The first backpack ever discovered was found alongside the frozen remains of Ötzi the Iceman in 3300 BC. These typically come in black for boys and red for girls. Kids in Japan carry leather backpacks called randoseru. It's a must for hikers, students, and busy professionals who are always on the go! No matter what you call it, a backpack is a wonderful way to carry around everything you need. However, it canĪlso be referred to as any of the following: You typically use the word "backpack" when you're talking about a bag with straps. This, on top of limited travel, unfortunately hurt backpack sales for the year. The COVID-19 pandemic caused many students to switch to e-learning instead of going to a classroom. This bag, as well as his body and other gear, were discovered by a group of hikers at Val Senales Valley in Italy. Ötzi the Iceman, a mummy from the Copper Age, carried a rucksack made from animal fur during his travels. It may be surprising, but backpacks were around well before schools were even in session! Early explorers and soldiers relied on these handy bags all the time. Pete Cantone – employee at Leed's Branded Items History of Backpacks Timeline They went from being a necessary way to carry stuff to just as important of a fashion statement as the shoes you wear. We all grew up carrying backpacks to school, and they've been a staple of adventures ever since. So where did backpacks come from? The answer involves an ancient iceman, World Wars, and adventurous mountaineers! Perhaps the most exciting part was choosing a new backpack! Even as adults, we use one for hiking trips, mini vacations, and even as our everyday bags. All those colorful notebooks, shaped erasers, and cool new lunch boxes – it was enough to make anyone feel more cheerful about returning to the classroom. The end of summer may have been a bummer as kids, but it was still fun to shop for back to school.
