As you are hunting for your next travel backpack, you may find yourself wondering -- who invented the backpack? The answer is far more complicated than one would think, as many people have contributed to the design of the modern day backpack. There are a few individuals that stand out as pioneers in the backpack industry, having taken us from more rudimentary designs and turning them into the traditional backpack designs that we all know and love.
Trapper Nelson
In 1922, the Trapper Nelson was produced by a man named Lloyd Nelson. Nelson was an avid sportsman and spent a great deal of time hiking in Alaska with a bag that he had fashioned out of sticks and seal skin. He then created the patent for a backpack that was structured with a wooden frame, reminiscent of the sticks that he had used.
Gerry Cunningham
Later, in 1938, Gerry Cunningham created the world’s first zippered backpack which allowed the contents of the bag to stay dry. With the addition of nylon to the design, Cunningham was able to make the design waterproof as well. Backpacks were used prior to these two designs, however, soldiers in World War I used simple bags with straps and buttons.
After the invention of the zippered backpack and the conclusion of World War II, backpacks began to be used among school children in classrooms nationwide. This was due to the drastic changes to public education after the war, focusing on larger schools in cities rather than one-room classrooms in rural areas.
Since the early 1900s, many design changes have since been made to the design of the backpack. One backpack design, known as the Cyberbackpack, is attempting to bring the backpack into the future, with its innovative and ahead of its time technology. Visit www.cyberbackpack.com for more details!
