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You stare longingly at your dog-eared copy of Emma and wonder if you can manage to cram it into your already overflowing suitcase. After a half hour struggle, you finally manage to fasten the case, only to discover that you can’t carry it further than a foot at a time. Maybe you should have left War and Peace behind, but you are determined to get it read during your vacation. What you need is something on wheels. For bibliophiles, teachers and students, wheeled book packs are a dream come true.

Wheeled book packs are designed to carry a large stack of heavy books with ease. Since the pack can be wheeled along instead of carried on your back for most of your travel time, you can avoid the sore muscles and exhaustion that many people experience after lugging a traditional heavy pack around all day. Many wheeled book packs also are able to carry a laptop computer or other accessories, such as cell phones, in separate compartments.

These packs are so versatile that many busy professionals have started to use them to transport presentation materials or supplies from their vehicles to the office building. The items in the pack stay dry and clean during sudden storms and the pack’s design frees up a hand so you can carry that all important cup of hot coffee.

Camping, hiking, and trail climbing is known for its wear and tear on your gear. With all the different companies around, how do you know which one to choose for your adventure backpack? Most companies have a specialty that makes it easier to pick some of the top choices in the bag you need. To pick the bag that is right for you, you’ll need to know what you want to use it for. Need something rugged for the mountains, or light and easy for casual bike rides? Need hydration on those long jaunts, or just a place to pack the essentials? Each bag has a different form and purpose and knowing what you need will be your first step in finding the bag that is right for you.

The North Face has superior ratings and designs that include laptop bags designed for trails. Everything from The North Face is stylish and functional, making it a top choice among outdoor enthusiasts.

CamelBak is the choice if you are looking for hydration bags, where you will need easy access to your water supply. This was the company that invented hydration bags, so they know what they are doing in this category.

JanSport, also a top rated bag company, has been around since 1967 and is the choice of choice among children. It’s the name on most backpacks seen in the schools. This doesn’t mean it’s not a very good choice for outdoor use, as it also gives you messenger bags and different laptop bags to consider. It’s the choice for the latest styles and look that you may want. The JanSport Elefunk is a great multi-pocket bag that has tons of storage space in a smaller pack. It’s perfect for college campuses and those smaller trips out in the woods.

High Sierra has solid ratings, and is the supplier for the U.S. Ski Team. If you are looking for features for a more inexpensive price, High Sierra is the brand you want. It’s rugged and will serve you well. The Long trail 90 is an excellent bag for those long camping adventures.

Kelty is the choice if you prefer the original backpack. It’s good for those that do this for a weekend activity or just to relax and unwind. It combines affordability with reliability.

If comfort is your first priority, look no further than Mountainsmith. These bags are stylish in looks and offer many different choices between messenger bags and lumbar packs. The gear duffels are ideal for avid campers. The Sling bags are designed with comfort and simplicity in mind, including room for your PDA, MP3, and a host of other items in its generous pocket design.

Gregory uses their bags to focus on design and quality. They are always looking for the next big thing. If you tend to lend yourself to the newest most techy item on the market, then you’ll be shopping for a Gregory pack. Try the Whitney, a durable bag with plenty of accessible pockets in a sturdy backpack design.

Victorinox, creators of the Swiss Army Knife, offers bags and cases with the same form and function of their knives. High rated with customers, they are lighter than comparable bags yet have more packing space. These are lovely if you want the very best packs to use. They wear very well and have exceptional quality.

Brand name isn’t what’s cool or hot today; brand name tells you what the bag was meant to do. These brands all have some form of specialty, and knowing that specialty will help you decide what bag is right for you. Now that you know, shop away and find the adventure bag that is right for your hiking, camping, running, or trail needs.

Article by Tina Samuels from AssociatedContent.com

As you stand on the sidewalk admiring your luxurious new leather backpack, you realize that a drop of rain is falling right towards you. You turn and sprint frantically for shelter as you hold the pack against your body in a desperate attempt to protect it. When you reach a dry spot, you cautiously assess the damage. Luckily, the pack is just fine. In fact, leather is surprisingly durable and can easily handle a few drops of rain. However, if you are planning to go on frequent hiking trips during torrential downpours, you may want to do a bit of preventative maintenance as you use your new pack.

To keep leather backpacks looking great, you should:

• Consider treating the pack with a leather conditioner after it has been through a few months of wet weather. Start by treating a small spot that isn’t very visible in case the conditioner alters the pack’s color or has some other unwanted effect.
• Clean soiled leather with saddle soap to remove some of the dirt and grime.
• Think about using a mildew resistant product made specifically for leather products if your pack is subjected to frequent downpours or if you plan to store it in a very humid, damp area. Mildewed or moldy leather is virtually impossible to repair.

Are you considering a backpack in something other than black, gray, or brown? Have you thought about pink? We’ve posted a couple of times on Backpackopedia about stylish and fashion backpacks, but did you know that pink backpacks can actually help the fight against breast cancer?

eBags.com will donate 10% of the retail sales price of any pink product purchased on their site to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information, read about Pick Pink on the eBags website.

So when you’re looking around for your next school bag, daypack, or backpack purse, and you want it in a color other than black, consider something in pink. It’s stylish and for a good cause.

fūl	Nike	Kipling
Vera Bradley	Wildkin	California Leash Company

You have never used both straps on your backpack and you never plan to do so. However, you must admit that it could be better balanced and your shoulder is a bit sore from using your pack this way. Why doesn’t someone realize that about half of the world’s population of backpack lovers does not have any plans to use both shoulder straps? There should be a way to modify the pack so it only has one strap and is a bit more balanced. Actually, that pack already exists. Sling bags are a modification of the traditional back pack design where the pack only has one strap. Since it is designed to be worn on one shoulder, the strap is wider than those on a traditional pack and stays on your shoulder without slipping out of place. Without a second strap getting in the way, the pack fits a bit better, too.

When shopping for a sling bag, you should:

• Consider looking for a bag that has a second detachable strap for more versatility. A sling bag that is crammed with heavy equipment or your entire collection of textbooks is still going to put a lot of stress on one shoulder. When you carry heavy loads, you can convert the sling to a pack and wear it the old-fashioned way.
• Look for other support options, such as a waist belt, to help you keep a heavy bag in place.
• Make sure there are plenty of compartments to make it easy for you to organize everything.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, more than one-half of all working Americans are plagued with some form of back pain each year. While the reasons behind back pain might be widely varied, we all have to concentrate on avoiding chronic pain wherever possible. If you carry a backpack on a regular basis, it could be contributing to back pain more than you think.

One of the advantages to carrying a backpack rather than another type of bag is that it stays out of the way. It doesn’t fall off your shoulder with every step and your hands are free to engage in other activities. Many business executives have even taken to using laptop backpacks rather than the traditional laptop case.

While using a backpack might be highly convenient, it can also contribute to back pain in a big way. Factors like the weight of the backpack, your posture when you sit or walk and the way in which the backpack rests on your shoulders can make a significant difference in how your back and shoulders are affected.

Depending on your backpack needs, you might want to look into a suspension pack. These backpacks are designed to distribute the weight evenly and provide relief for your back and shoulders. Suspension packs are common for hikers, students and people who carry a large amount of items to work.

Prices for suspension backpacks vary widely, from a $40 Jansport to a $300 Lowe Alpine. Kelty produces a mid-range suspension pack for just under $200 and The North Face offers the Backtrack 70 for those who carry heavy weights in their backpacks.

If you don’t like the bulkiness of a suspension backpack, however, you do have other options for your backpacking needs that won’t cause your muscles to ache. The most important thing about selecting a backpack is to determine how much weight is necessary to carry. Many people have turned to hardshell backpacks such as those created by Boblbee because they allow you to distribute the weight in your pack evenly.

Women who don’t have much to carry but who still enjoy the convenience of a backpack might want to look into something small, such as the Sherpani Tosca.

When you purchase a backpack, fill it with the normal weight you will be carrying and walk around your home for fifteen to twenty minutes. If you experience back pain in that amount of time, you are either carrying too much or you need a different backpack.

Article by Steve Thompson from AssociatedContent.com

If you are wondering why anyone would want to use mesh backpacks, then you probably have never experienced the joys of opening a teen boy’s gym bag that had been sitting forgotten in his locker for several weeks before he remembered to bring it home to get his dirty socks and uniforms washed. Mesh backpacks allow air to circulate inside the pack, which keeps all that mold and mildew that thrives inside of traditional gym bags at bay.

Mesh backpacks are also great for middle and high school students who need to use see through backpacks for school. The mesh material makes it easy for teachers and administrators to check for any contraband items or weapons without having to be quite as invasive of the kids’ privacy, since they don’t have to empty out the packs to see what is there when they receive a tip that someone is carrying around something he or she shouldn’t have.

The mesh material also makes it simple for people to locate items in a pack without having to unpack the entire thing. Simply looking through the mesh as they slowly rotate the bag enables them to find what they are searching for so they can reach into the bag and pull it out.

This Independence Day and every day, you can be patriotic with this backpack. The JanSport Stars & Stripes backpack features red and white stars and stripes on the front pocket while the main pack is navy blue. This bag is perfect for toting your blanket, sunscreen, bug spray, and snacks to the 4th of July barbecue or fireworks show. Like other JanSport backpacks, this one is also perfect for everyday or school use.